365 days of Venice -- St. Marks Basilica

This place takes my breath away. It did the first time I saw it, it does every time I see it, without fail. That it inspires such a reaction from me astounds me. What gets to me most is the mosaic work on both the inside and outside. From far away, you see magnificent pieces of art, and when you are up close, you see millions of quarter inch square tiles pieced together into this tapestry of unparallelled beauty. There was such talent, artistry, and dedication put into the making of these mosaics. How did anyone dream these up, I have no idea. It's just plain awesome. Awesome.

On a typical day tourists line up to gain entrance to the Basilica. My recommendation is get up early to beat the lines. Being inside the church without the huge crowds is worth the effort. St. Mark's is definitely on the Venice must-see list. After touring the inside, go upstairs so you can walk out onto the loggia for a breathtaking view of the Piazza, the Doges Palace, the Campanile and the lagoon.

I was proposed to right here in St. Mark's square at midnight a few years ago, so you can see why this spot is special to me!

365 days of Venice --- Finding your way

Here's today's photo selection......

Getting lost in Venice is highly recommended. You never know what wonderous sight is around the corner, and you would never have discovered it if you hadn't gotten a bit lost. And how does one get lost? Just keep walking. Don't pay attention to your map too closely. Walk in the opposite direction that the crowds are going. Dare to be adventurous! One can never get too lost in Venice. Someone had the ingenious idea to post signs to help us find our way back. Like the one in this picture pointing the way to the nearest Vaporetto stop. Funny they knew we'd need the assistance. And in this particular spot, you are way off the beaten path and totally in need of that push in the right direction. I walked under this archway, ran into the wall and without that sign, wouldn't have known which way to go.

Whenever you can't figure out which way to go, just seek out the nearest building and look up to the top of the first floor, on the corner. There you will see one, or possibly more signs, pointing you in the direction of a major landmark like St. Marks or Rialto or Accademia. This will either help orient you on your map again, or just allow you to keep walking in the general direction you choose, eventually you will arrive where you need to be. It's really quite simple, and so helpful.