Day 3 - Doges Palace & the Dorsoduro Section of Venice

Another crisp morning in Venice! Up earlier today and had croissant and cafe with Lorenzo before heading out. On the docket today - a tour of Doges Palace and then exploring the Dorsoduro section of the city.

We head over to St. Mark's square and pick up our tickets for the Doges tour. Doges Palace was actually the seat of the Venetian government and the home of the ruling doges (the duke or Venetian ruler) from 1150 until Napoleon came in 1797. Andrew scheduled us a "secret itinerary" tour, which gave us access to the prison cells (where Cassanova was incarcerated and later escaped) the courtrooms, the transcription and encryption rooms, the armory, etc. The guide explained to us that the doges and his "civil servants" ruled Venice and tracked treaties and political relationships with the rest of the world. Sadly, we could only take photos in the outdoor areas of the palace...

The entrance to the palace.

The "mouth of truth" where you could submit a note accusing someone of a crime. The court would then investigate and prosecute, if true. There were different "mouths" for different types of crime. This one was for fraud or tax evasion.

The ceiling of the "gold staircase". Actual gold!

After Doges, we headed across the Rialto bridge to the Dorsoduro section of Venice. This section is the "arts" district of Venice and home to the Academia, a Guggenheim collection, and other art galleries. There are also several universities in this area so there are less tourists and more "kids". Either we were totally off our game in terms of our very limited directional capabilities today, or this section is much more confusing to get around. Regardless, we found ourselves in the same spots over and over again! We did see some lovely little neighborhoods and an interesting exhibit of Da Vinici's inventions.

Andrew on one of the bridges.

Finally - my cappuccino.

So happy! Have I mentioned that it is freezing in Venice? Sunny but only about 50F/10C and breezy. Also, the streets are mostly in the shade because they are narrow and between buildings. We actually had to buy gloves and hats today!

Andrew on an adorable Venetian street.

Self portrait.

Erberia (produce) market. Amazing food going on there! Sadly, the pescheria (fish) market was not open today. We did have some calamari for lunch though!

So, another day of non-stop walking. We're back in our room for a little break, and then will head out to find some dinner. Likely something light like a sandwich or some meat & cheese. Also, I am going to try and find my elusive tirimisu! No espresso tonight, though - I barely slept at all last night as punishment for my indulgence yesterday evening!