I love taking pictures. I'm seldom without a camera and it doesn't matter if it's a gorgeous Nebraska sunset or a lady bug on a flower, I find it fun to capture the moment. So when I decided not to take my camera on this trip it was a really big deal. My reasoning was two-fold. One - we only take carry on luggage so we don't have to drag big suitcases up and down 400+ bridges in Venice and Two - I decided I was going to be in the moment this time and not be so focused on getting that perfect picture to look back on. We had our phones so we still took some pictures but no where close to the amount of pictures I would have taken if I'd brought my good camera.
On our previous visits to Venice we had not been to St. Mark's Basilica because the lines were always so long and we just didn't have the patience to wait. (patience is not a strong trait of mine.) This trip there was no line at all so we made it a priority to go. To say that Italian architecture is fascinating is a gross understatement. The opulent designs of arches and domes along with intricate details in stone and marble are stunning. My sister, Shell, and I always talk about how an actual person stood in the exact spot we are in and chiseled this design into this grand column and here it is, still standing hundreds of years later.
Shell is very claustrophobic and when I asked her to climb a long narrow staircase to get to the top of the Basilica I thought she may pass out. :) It took some prodding to convince her but eventually we climbed yet another flight of steep stone steps. Once we opened that door to the outside we saw a
From our vantage point we could see the entire San Marco Square.
It was pretty cool. We stood up there just admiring the Square and imagining it being filled with aristocrats and high ranking officials strutting around with their black top hats and a snifter glass of bourbon as they stroll about mingling with their own. (We have a good imagination.) :)
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