Venice - San Marco area

After we got checked in to our hotel we started wandering around.  Here are some pictures I took that afternoon.

One of the canals we crossed.  Yes that bell tower is leaning.

Entrance to Piazza San Marco - with St Marks' Campanile

Piazza San Marco

Another bell tower across the square

Campenile di San Marco

Some ornaments / masks / animal heads?

Close up of an alligator mask

Narrow streets (walkways) are every where

 whole row of ancient door knockers on the door to St Marks Cathedral

In side the entrance of St Marks Cathedral on the ceiling ad walls were these fabulous paintings and mosaics
This one shows the complete story of the creation with Adam and Eve in the outside ring.

Here is Noah and the flood

The would not allow pictures inside of the cathedral - but it was fabulous.  Most impressive was the gold and the mosaics - especially on the floor.  These pictures are from the inside the entryway.

Yes this a  mosaic marble floor with individual pieces laid to form this pattern.

One of the front doors to the cathedral

Then we went through the Doge's palace.  It was enormous.  This is the central square inside of the palace.

There were two wells?  Big enough to be baptismal fonts.

Statuary around the square

Formal stairs up to the court rooms and governing legislature

Every where  we go there is a depiction of St George killing the Dragon

A view of the Doge's palace square from up several floors

The back side of St marks Cathedral that is connected to the Doge's palace.

Not sure of the story of this.  But you can put your fingers into the his (or her) mouth.

Here is thier family tree - Yes, They kept track their ancestors 

More doors - of course!

We walked up these stairs.  Wonderfully decorated everywhere.

There was an armory and even a cannon!

The palace square and the connected cathedral.

We then went through several narrow corridors and found ourselves in the prison.

Comming back through the narrow corridors I realized that we are on the bridge of sighs.  You can see all of the tourists taking pictures of the famous Bridge of Sighs.

A shot of the Bridge of Sighs after we were back from the prison.

This is the other well?

After studying the figures I don't think it was a baptismal font. 

View of the personal Doge's entrance to the cathedral.

After all of that walking we were looking for a place to sit down and rest awhile before we went to dinner.  We could here some music way off in the distance so we followed it.  It was a famous restaurant in Piazza San Marco with a 5 piece orchestra.  Violin, clarinet, Bass, Piano and an Accordion.  They were great!  Playing lots of american standards type of music.  We pulled up a chair and sat down and enjoyed it.

After a while the waiter came up and asked us what we wanted to order.  We asked for two cokes.  They came on this silver tray.  They were tiny cokes - 250 ml (about 1 measuring cup each).  I knew it would be expensive.  The bill was 31 euros!  A little over $42.

I don't begrudge them at all for the bill.  We enjoyed over 2 sets of them playing.  The music was great!  The atmosphere was wonderful.  We were in Venice!  We had a great after noon.