Finally: St. Mark's and the Doge's Palace!

For nine days St. Mark's and the Doge's Palace have been on the list for "tomorrow" while "today" wasn't quite right (too late, weather too nice, last day with the Michiganders, etc.) Well, as Annie said this morning, we only have one "tomorrow" left, so today was the day!

In brief? St. Mark's by itself is worth a trip to Venice; the Doge's palace is fascinating, if a bit bare and cold.

Even at 10:15 there was a 30 minute line to get into St. Mark's (Annie didn't wake up until 8:30, despite having gone to bed last night at 9:30, so our resolution to be in San Marco by 9:00 was a non-starter.)

But we found ourselves in line with a nice French family (surprise, surprise); were able to clue them in to the fact they needed to check their backpack before going into the Basilica, and found out that the wife has a sister who lives on East 44th Street and works at the U.N.

After having looked at the outside for a week, I was prepared for a let-down when we entered, but the opposite was true: the hair stood up at the back of my neck. I can't imagine that anything would quite prepare you -- the entire interior of St. Mark's is completely covered with golden mosaics that glint and sparkle in the semi-dark of the year 1100. As Carter said when he say the Tomb of Tutankhamun "Gold, gold, everywhere the glint of gold."

Annie and I wound our way through the church, stopping to ooh and aah, looking up at the domes and transfixed by the several beams of dusty light cutting through the darkness from the windows high above our heads. Annie was particularly interested in the westernmost dome, as it's decorated with the Pentacost, her very favorite Biblical event. Tongues of flame from heaven, licking the heads of the apostles!

Around to the back of the church, pay our money and see the Pala D'oro, the Golden Altarcreen. About 8 feet wide by 6 feet high, this precious relic is made up of over 100 golden enamelled plaques and set with jujube-sized cabochon jewels. Much of it was brought to Venice from Constantinople in 1204 after the Venetians sacked that ancient city, and it's as strange and wonderful to modern eyes as if it had been transported from another world. Then the treasury, which holds, among other things, the largest perfect rock crystal vessel from the ancient world.

Back through the church and up the narrow dark stairs to the loggia, where inside the museum holds the originals of the four Horses of San Marco and dozens of mosaics that had been removed from the church during earlier restorations, then outside where replicas of the horses look over the Piazza and you can look at the entire extend of both Piazza and Piazetta, and down into the Doge's Palace.

Back down and out to the 21st century.

(Annie has kept up a running dialogue about whether Jewish people have churches as well as synagogues, which has kept me busy with explanations about sacraments, worship and the difference between a Christian priest and a Jewish rabbi, and further questions about the difference between Catholicism and Episopalianism. I never thought I'd be using the term "Bishop of Rome" with an eight-year-old).

Around the corner to the Doge's Palace. Both of us dragging so we forego the acoustaguide and do it rough. More walking and glancing at signage than actual study, but the Doge's Palace is was actually a huge stage set for the theatre of Venetian government, so the general impression is the most important thing. Yes, the Chamber of the Great Council is the largest room in Europe, but with several hundred tourists in comfortable shoes and guidebooks, it does bring to mind a particularly oppulent train station waiting room.

Across the Bridge of Sighs (much more interesting from the outside) and through at least 2 dozen prison cells and torture chambers (about 23 more than I needed), then back across BoS and down stairs to our most pleasant surprise: the cafeteria at the Doge's Palace has very good food at very reasonable prices, with a big window just above water level opening onto the canal under the Bridge of Sighs, where a gondola goes by about every 45 seconds just feet from your table!

I wish I hadn't been so tired, and perhaps we should have done it earlier in our trip, but what an unforgettable morning.

P.S. Annie very disappointed that the Staircase of the Giants was closed for restoration. She continues to surprise with what she's picking up as she pages through the guidebook.