This concept of graceful decay kept coming to mind as we walked the streets of Venice. The brightly colored cracked, patchy stucco of the buildings. The stone on the floor of the churches that has been worn smooth from hundreds of years of use. The weather worn painted shutters that show the peeling under layers of paint. People pay good money for these types of faux finishes in the states! Here, this is just how it is. This city is so old it is hard to comprehend. 

George and Karen were discussing a painting they saw in the Dodge’s Palace ( the Dodge was like the King of Venice. This palace was built in 1340) they were looking at a painting of the palace in Saint Marks Square with medieval people lining the square and the balconies of the palace.  It looked identical to today’s palace only the people have changed. How surreal to be standing in the very same building that an artist painted hundreds of years ago! It’s crazy. 

Anywho we’ve had a fantastic time. We’ve put in about 5-7 miles a day! We leave in the morning to catch a train across the country to the Cinque Terra’s on the Riviera. Should be an adventure. 

Here are a few pics highlighting out stay here in Venice.    

          
This church and bridge was featured as the “library” in Indiana Jones and the last crusade    

A few of the many alleyways we wandered…   

The Doge’s palace    

Looking out the Bridge of Sighs- where sentenced prisoners could get their last glimpse of Venice before being locked in the dungeons!   

Looking at the Bridge of Sighs from the outside.  

Last but not least. My first instillation of      The dogs of Italy…