VENICE, ITALY  (day 115)

I was unable to post day 115 on the day we arrived in VENICE, and so I  am posting 115 on 116...

VENICE  is most certainly the way to end WORLD CRUISE on a real high! VENICE is the most beautiful city in the world! It is also the most siren city in the world. The architecture is an exotic mix Byzantine, Gothic, & Renaissance styles. The visual impact is unique, everything is set up to be viewed from the water, there are 117 different islands crisscrossed by 150 canals. The grandness of the old buildings is unspoiled by modern development & there are no cars to create noise or pollution. Venice is facing a challenge. The city is 2 meters above sea level & it was originally built on marshy islands that were drawn together by wooden pylons, today this foundations have become petrified & they still exist.  The city itself is said to be sinking 2 meters a year while the sea level is said to be rising 2 meters a year? The government is developing systems to control the rising water levels that will hopefully deal with this...???

"Massimo Cacciari, a philosopher and a former mayor of the city, once said Venice shouldn't actually have been possible. It was, he said, "a completely unlikely, entirely artificial city" and, at the same time, "a technical masterpiece, the purest expression of our capabilities, our mental potential."

ENTERING THE LAGOON THAT WILL TAKE US TO OUR BERTH

The Silver Whisper is a 25 ton vessel, and we cruised up the lagoon very slowly as to not create much of a wake.  Apparently the city is working on banning 45 ton vessels, large cruise ships, from entering the Lagoon since they create to much of a wake.

15th  CENTURY CLOCK TOWER.

The architect had his eyes poked out so that the tower could not be built again.

WHEN WE DISEMBARKED AROUND 3PM WE ONLY HAD TIME FOR A SHORT WALK UP 

THE STREET ALONGSIDE THE LAGOON

CHIESA DI  MARIA DEL ROSARIO

One of the churches that we passed on our short walk.

MANY, MANY, OF THE BUILDINGS WERE DECORATED WITH SCULPTURES

This one especially attracted our attention because it has a 2 headed dragon in it. 

WE WERE INVITED BY SILVER SEAS TO AN EXCLUSIVE COMPLEMENTARY  MASKED BALL  WORLD CRUISE EVENT

WE BOARDED MOTOR LAUNCHES, & WENT DOWN THE GRAND CANAL TO 
THE PALAZZO PISANI LORETTA 

ThE GRAND CANAL

Weaves its way through the center of VENICE for about 2 miles

JESTERS THAT GREETED US AS WE ENTERED THE PALAZZO

A VIOLIN QUARTET SERENADED US 

THE BAR WAS OPEN in the magnificent entrance foyer

THE MAIN DINNING ROOM

OUR TABLE

ALL OF THE CEILINGS WERE PAINTED IN THE 13TH CENTURY & ARE CONTINUOUSLY BEING CLEANED AND RESTORED

CHANDELIER OVER OUR TABLE

There are 100 candles in the Palazzo that are lit and extinguished every night & replaced every 3 days

A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL

Our AUSSIE friends Col & Goodie

TO BE COMPLETED...next page