The Italian Job

For those of you familiar with the Italian Job, the movie opens with a gorgeous panorama of Donald Sutherland standing in the Piaza de San Marco, the "prize jewel" of Venice and now, probably one of my favorite square miles on this earth! Amazing! The plaza is filled with tons of tourists, and probably more pigeons, but somehow all of this cannot distract you from the incredible building surrounding the plaza on all sides. The Basilica of Saint Mark is mesmerizing. the entire building seems to be cast in gold, with frescos completed by some of the great italian masters. There is even a portrait of the Virgin Mary we learned about in class, that was carried into battle by the Romans back in the 15th century, very cool. Carlyn went to the top of the bell tower and snapped some great shots of the city from on high, but to be honest, the only way to really experience this place is to wander aimlessly through the narrow streets. How do all of these glass shops, gelatto shops and pizzerias make money? so many of them are tucked away in narrow corridors, visible only if you mistakenly, or purposefully wander off trail on your way to the Rialto bridge. We had a great dinner along the Grand Chanel, complete with red wine and belinis. the pizza was great, the ambiance was fantastic. Italian music seems to pervade everything, with a little bit of Frank Sinatra thrown in here and there.
We are exhausted and will probably head to bed early tonight. Our room is situated in the old part of Venice. When we first arrived, we were sure that it would be a disaster, the front door was surrounded by flies and a weird stench pervaded the street. But...once you open the door and step behind the main facades of these buildings, they are incredibly spacious and accomodating. You would think this whole city could crumble any minute, yet once within the walls, you find yourself quite at home. Remarkable! Sadly I have no humorous stories or adventure stories to share. I was pretty proud of myself for navigating the 65+ turns to make it back to our room from the plaza de san marco...without looking at a map! God help me if we ever drink to much wine and have to find our way home... hopefully tomorrows trip to "the glass island" will yield some fun times. As for the Gondolas, they are sooo expensive! but I'll try to pay someone just to let me sit in one and snap some photos. Ciao, arivaderci, prego...all of the above.
- Matt man dango