If you want to get somewhere in Venice, perhaps Murano, Piazza San Marco, Burano, Giudecca or Lido, the vaporetto is you mode of transportation. The first ones appeared in 1881 and were not welcomed by the gondoliers. Today it is…
The weather has been hot (and humid) all week with Saturday’s high about 89+ F or 32 C. And the walk down Strada Nuova is like a walk in the desert. It cooled down a little before the fireworks at…
The restoration of one of Venice’s most well known landmarks, Santa Maria della Salute is complete. The work on the dome which has been completed. Baldassarre Longhena the Venetian architect built, the Church of Santa Maria della Salute (1631/32–1687) at the entrance…
As much as I love Venice, Florence is also near and dear to me. So let me introduce my friend Chandi who is a fellow Californian, a few minutes away in beautiful Santa Cruz. Her story is an inspiration for…
Traveling during COVID presents some weird interpretations of the rules. As I arrived in Venice, I realized my CartaVenezia (it is the boat pass for locals that allows me to buy monthly passes) has expired about 10 days earlier. This…
Venetians celebrated the end of the plague again on 21 November. This beautiful basilica (church) was founded in 1631 to commemorate the end of the plague that began in 1630 and which killed nearly 1/3 of the population. The Republic…
I am delighted to be back in Venice, a little work, a little enjoying my friends. But getting here was on the stressful side. So I will share what I learned if you are coming from outside the European Union.…
History does repeat itself, if there was ever a year for another celebration of the End of the Plague it would be 2021. And even under the threat of rain tonight, Venetians and now a larger number of tourist have…
The Basilica Santa Maria della Salute is undergoing a change. This exquisite chiesa (church) was built after the plague of 1630 which killed nearly a third of the population in the lagoon. The Doge Nicolò Contarini and the Venetian Senate…
