Summer Vacation - Day 7 and 8 (Venice)

Friday we spent the day introducing Graig and Nicole to Venice...and gelato. We fought the crowds at the plaza of San Marcos (it was jammed!) to see the Doge's Palace and the cathedral of St. Mark. It appears they are doing quite a bit of renovations to the cathedral and the plaza because there was a lot of scaffolding which was covered with cosmetic and designer clothing advertisements. Accordingly, the plaza and cathedral were not as picturesque as usual but I am sure the advertising was working for somebody. The local residents must have heard what I was thinking because as I rounded a corner one of their flying ambassadors dropped a messy greeting card on my shoulder. It was a special treat but given the number of pigeons in the city it is probably more of a surprise that it did not happen to me earlier!
We spent the rest of the day wandering the streets but also took a boat to the island of Murano. Murano is known for its glassblowing and there are shops aplenty hawking their art. We watched a glassblowing demonstration and then walked the canal, peeking into the shops, before returning to Venice. It is amazing to me what the Venetian people accomplished in the 15th and 16th centuries. By dominating/controlling trade in southern Europe and the Mediterranean they were able to accumulate extraordinary wealth and build an amazing city with natural defenses. As we continue our cruise we will see their influence and the remains of their conquests.
Yesterday, we visited the Frari church where there are several spectacular works of art by Titian (e.g., The Asunscion). From the outside it is a rather plain looking 15th century chapel, but the inside is a unique treasure. It also contains the only remaining 15th century choir section which is ornately hand carved and a sight to see.
We then boarded the ship (Splendour of the Seas) and some in our group were overjoyed to have American food and drink. I was happy to be able to turn tour director duties over to Joni. She has all of the shipboard events scoped out and we are signed up for all of the games, drawings and contests.