SAN MARCO SQUARE, DOGE’S PALACE, I MUSEI DI PIAZZA SAN MARCO, LUNCH

(Saturday, 8-21-2021)

Our beloved tour guide, “Giovanni”, led us through San Marco Square this morning directly to the spot where we needed to pick up tickets to tour Doge’s Palace!  We also picked up an English speaking Venetian tour guide, Rita, who walked us through the palace and gave us bits and pieces of Venice’s history!  I’ll post pictures of what we saw, ask Mike or John about what we learned! 🥴  Here’s a pic of “Giovanni” leading us through San Marco Square!

And here are some pictures from the beautiful Doge’s (King’s) Palace!

I’ll always remember this as the Diedam Family Tree!!!

This was our wonderful tour guide, Rita, who did an excellent job at making the palace really come alive for us!  

We were in the prison here, with two windows that gave prisoners a great view—coming in and going out (to be beheaded)!

Casanova was the only person to ever escape this prison.  His cell was behind one of the top three windows!

WOW!  All four of us thoroughly enjoyed the palace tour!  Next on the agenda was the I Musei di Piazza San Marco.  There were no tour guides available.  We wandered through it and looked, but decided it simply wasn’t the same without Rita!

I did take note of this humongous chandelier in one of the rooms and said a little prayer that it wouldn’t fall on “Giovanni”!

The most important next stop of the day (we were pooped after museum!) was another  walk through San Marco Square (always a delight!) to a restaurant for LUNCH and a drink!

This is what Mike and John enjoyed — a Calzone, Italian style!

Our lunch was serenaded by a delightful gentleman playing his accordion, singing “Que Sera Sera”!

Both Mike and John earned the Clean Plate Award! 

We went back to the flat to start packing for our departure in the morning!  Then back we walked  to the Grand Canal for an AMAZING lasagna dinner for Patte, Mike and me!  John, of course, had to be different and ordered risotto!  Oops, we spaced taking photos of our delicious chow because we were so darn hungry!  (At least Patte  and I were!) Tomorrow will prove to be an interesting travel day!  

                                                                     CIAO FOR NOW!!!