VENICE, ITALY

From the pier we board a private motor launch to take us to the famous St. Mark’s area and a short walk will take us to St Mark’s Square, where our local guides await us. Here our tour of this fascinating city, rising from the water, begins.

From the pier we board a private motor launch to take us to the famous St.  Mark’s area and a short walk will take us to St Mark’s Square, where our local guides await us. Here our tour of this fascinating city, rising from the water, begins. We will start with a visit to the 14th-century Doge’s Palace. Once the official residence of Venice’s rulers and chief magistrates, today it houses a prodigious collection of paintings – including works by Tintoretto, Carpaccio and Veronese – and its richly decorated rooms present sensational examples of the city’s former power and glory. We will have the chance to look around the Armoury of the Republic, which displays a fine collection of weapons, and walk through the Bridge of Sighs that connects the palace with what used to be the dark and dismal prison cells and place of execution. We now proceed to the splendid St Mark’s Basilica, a masterpiece of Romanesque-Byzantine architecture built as a fitting resting place for the remains of Mark the Evangelist, patron saint of the city. Its rich marble decoration and mosaics earned the basilica the name ‘Golden Church’. Following a pause to admire the Bell Tower, 99 metres (325 feet) high, and the Clock Tower, with its two moors who strike the bell on the hour, our guided tour is complete. We should have some free time to explore on our own the elegant cafés and art and craft shops, under the arcades surrounding St Mark’s Square, before reboarding the motor launch for the return to our ship.

We recommend that participation passengers wear comfortable, flat shoes for this tour, as there is a fair amount of walking involved. Appropriate clothing should be worn when entering St Mark’s Basilica. Unfortunately it is not possible to take large bags or video cameras into Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Basilica, and the use of Whispers (headsets) are compulsory in Doge Palace. Please note that you are able to visit the sites independently; this tour is for those of us who’d appreciate the services of a knowledgeable, English-speaking guide. After disembarking our ship there may be quite a walk to reach our private motor launches, there are also steps to embark and disembark our private motor launches.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2008 CANARIES & MEDITERRANEAN SEASON