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30th June 2000 Venice: Duomo St Marks
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Friday 30th June 2000
We are starting to get weary, so it wasn't until 10.00 am, that we joined the queue outside St Marks. In by 10.20, and totaly knocked out by 10.21. I thought Torcello was something, and couldn't imagine anything better. Initially a protectorate of Constantinople, rather than Rome, and later the republic that used one of the crusader armies to sack Constantinople, the church was initially built on the byzantine model, and decorated with Byzantine mosaics, both inside and out. After the sacking, and the pillaging of Constantinoples' colonies around the mediterranean, it was even dcorated with bits and pieces from the middle east. Every ship returning from trade in the east, and that's pretty well where they dominated, had to bring a gift for the Duomo. Consequently it is chockers inside and out, with a massive variety of bits and pieces all thrown together. We visited all the special museums, including the Bronze horses looted from the hippodrome in Constantinople. I suspect they were originally decorated with leather halters and bridles, as the marks are faintly visible in the green bronze. I even managed some video footage from the mezanine level, and captured many of the mosaics of the ceiling. We had photographs taken on the top verandah, overlooking the square.
We headed home for lunch, down to the docks to check the time for our ferry back to Fusina tomorrow, and discovered the best, if not the most unique gelateria we have so far encountered in Italy. The Al-Giglio in/off Campo San Maurizo, sells tomato gelato (pomodoro), which I couldn't bring myself to order, but I did have carrot and fig, and would have loved to try the mandarin. It's always the way. You discover the best when it is too late. Damn it, we will just have to come back to Venice one day.
We concluded our stay in Venice with a tour of the Museo Correr, which now also includes the Library (Bibliotecha Mancina), the Archeological museum and the Fabric Museum. We were realy too exghausted to do it justice.
In St Marks Square, Ches was determined to sit at one of the cafes with the orchestra playing, and watch the world go by. It turned out to be threatening rain, but we soldiered on. Ches had mineral water and a biscotti, I had espresso and croissant. L33,000 including "music supplement" ($L12,000). The orchestra took a break, but I didn't feel that I could complain. We got even by having the waiter take our photograph.
We returned home for dinner and to pack for an early start tomorrow morning.
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| 65. | 30th June 2000 Venice: Duomo St Marks - Venice, Italy Jun 26, 2003 |
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