We also realized that Venice is an easy day trip from Bologna. We hadn't been there in twenty years, and it seemed like a nice idea to go to just refresh our memories. Venice, of course, is one of those places that is totally mobbed by tourists these days, with cruise ships engorging hordes of visitors every day. But the tourists keep to fairly strictly determined paths. And these paths are lined with enterprises designed to profit from said tourists; in particular, the paths leading between St. Marks Square, the Rialto Bridge, and the Academia have endless Prada, Gucci, and the like. It could be anywhere. The path to the train station is less upscale; featuring McDonald's, Foot Locker, and endless shops selling "Murano" glass undoubtedly made in China. That said, once you wander away from these parts, Venice can be very quiet and endlessly picturesque. And there is nothing like being able to wander in a place that has no cars. So we did enjoy our time away from the crowds.
We visited the Scuola Grande de St. Rocco, with enormous frescoes by Tintoretto on the ceilings and walls:
Wooden books!
This is some kind of allegory:
We didn't go into St Marks, but the exterior, despite the crowds of tourists, is still a wonder to behold:
The small church of St Miracolo:
And the canals and streets are beautiful:
I couldn't resist this assortment of powdered paint:
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