Must Love Dogs

You'd be surprised at how many dogs are in Venice. Not roaming around wild, but pet dogs. Almost every time I go out I see one or more. Apparently the city of Venice must love dogs too, because their owners take them everywhere -- on the water bus, in bars, in cafes. Sometimes the owners don't bother putting a leash on their dog. So if you're a dog, move to Venice. It's doggie paradise here!

Dog and owner in a wine bar I was eating dinner at.

Today was cloudy, windy, and cold. Che brutto tempo! (What nasty weather!) Not a good day to be outside. So I went to The Doge's Palace, a huge meseum that showcases where the leader of Venice (the doge) lived during Venice's heyday as a superpower.

The doges were really fond of showing off how wealthy they were and how wealthy Venice was, so the palace is full of lavish art and decoration. It's really a great museum and I highly recommend visiting it.

The palace is connected to the prisons by the famous Bridge of Sighs, where prisoners would get one last look at Venice through the windows on the bridge before being locked away forever.

One last view of the lagoon before being locked up.

Unfortunately there is some renovation going on, so part of the bridge is covered up. Here's what the Bridge of Sighs looks like from the outside.

Bridge of Sighs

 

 

 

 

 

Today I saw every tourist's nightmare. A woman fell into one of the canals. I saw her after she had fallen in. She had made it back to the steps and was sitting there, trying to dry off the stuff she was carrying. She was soaked from head to toe, and her friends were trying to help her back up. It was cold, windy day, so she must have been miserable. All over Venice there are steps that lead into the water. Never step on them, even to take a picture! The steps are wet and slick, and some have algae on them. You do not want to be in that water.

By the way, the canals do not stink. They smell like a marina, but they do not smell like garbage or filth.

Everything is done by boat here. The buses are boats. The police and firefighters are on boats. FedEx is on boats. The ambulances are boats. And of course, there are the gondolas. Plus many locals have private boats. It has been this way in Venice for over 1,000 years.

Delivering produce by boat.

Today I also went to the church Madonna dell'Orto, which is like 30 seconds from my apartment by foot. The Venetian Renaissance painter Tintoretto lived nearby and did most of the work there, and he is buried inside the church.

Inside Madonna dell'Orto. Notice the huge paintings on the left and right. Most of there were done by Tintoretto.