Venice, Day 4

After a morning walk through the twisty, medieval neighborhoods, we enjoyed a relaxing gondola ride. Our sumptious lunch was Italian specialties, mostly local seafood. After gelato, we had a tour of St. Mark's Basilica.

Built in the 1100s to replace an earlier church, St. Mark's is a feast of gold, jewels, and walls of decorative mosaics. Walls, ceilings, vaults and domes of completely covered in gold-ground mosaics depicting saints and biblical scenes. The high altarpiece dates to 916 AD and was built by Constantinople craftsmen in gold, silver, precious stones, and cloisonne enamel.

The church's Eastern style is a mix - Byzantine, Romanesque, Islamic, and Gothic. Much of the incredible columns, reliefs, sculptures, and artifacts were stolen from other churches, palaces, and monuments during the 4th Crusade. (The style has been described as "early plunder". Charlie pondered the hypocrisy of a church comprised of stolen goods, then decided that they must rationalize that stealing is OK if it is from infidels!).

This is our last night in Venice. Tomorrow, we head back to Milan, and Laura & Chad fly back to England.Read more