Instead of a Birthday Cake we gave him a Birthday Double Scoop of Mango Venetian Gelato!
After Robbie's serenade in the alley our first order of business was our tour of the Doges' Palace and the Secret Itinerary Rooms. We learned about Venice being at the trading crossroads between the east and the west and how Venice became extremely wealthy and powerful because of this - at least until Napoleon arrived.
We toured the chambers where the Council of 10 would assemble, make rules and interrogate. The Venetians were quite brutal in their tortures and interrogations and we were treated to these hidden chambers in the attics of the Palace.
Some of the prison cells are built extra "low" as part of the torture process. You can see that even the door to the cell was low low low!
But the Doges' Palace is much more than courts and torture chambers...after all, this is where the Doge lived out his ruling days so there MUST be plenty of gold and opulence - of course!
San Marco Basilica is located just next door and of course we have reservations so we skip hundreds of people already in line standing out in the sweltering sun. I don't know where the photo police were today because normally no photos are allowed in the Doges Palace or in San Marco Basilica. Today there were no police and pictures were being snapped left and right. The inside of the Basilica is decorated with millions of tiny mosaic tiles from the 13th century. It's amazing the talent that God has given to men to create such beauty!
After we walked through this amazing cathedral and exited onto San Marco Square it was time for free time, lunch, shopping, resting in the hotel -whatever you wanted to do. I know some of the parents have been quite anxious about free time in Venice because you just can't imagine your "little ones" being able to navigate the labyrinth of alleys in this most unique city. But as has been the case EVERY YEAR...all of your students were taught to read the simple signs and follow the arrows between Rialto and San Marco. Every one of your little ones passed with flying colors, navigated themselves in groups, checked in on time at designated times and places and the shopping bags were overflowing at the end of the day! Congratulations to them.
They have many treasures to bring home to you and even MORE stories and experiences :-) They have been a great group and we've had a ball today.
However, if you think the day is over...it's not of course. We still have our little walk all the way down to the tip of Venice Island to St. Elena. This is where the locals live, eat and play. Today's walk was cool as a light shower moved in to cool off the hot hot day. But we didn't let the rain deter us as we parked our bags, found a nice little restaurant, met some new people and enjoyed soccer in the park.
I think you can see we had a "busy" day but a FUN day, too. Learning and playing in one of the world's most treasured cities - what could be better???
In the morning we have an early start because we have our longest train journey of the entire trip. All the way from Venezia to Milano past Interlaken and onto our tiny alpine hamlet of Murren! We've got 3 water taxis reserved to pick us up (could you please pray for that to go smoothly) and deliver us to Venezia's Santa Lucia train station. I was talking with Abbey Lee and Emily Harris today and NONE of us can believe our time in Venice is growing to a close!
I know you are probably really really starting to be "homesick" for your little ones to return, and I know they're excited to see you, too. But I'm excited for them to see Switzerland's amazing jaw-dropping beauty. They won't believe it when they see it. I'm excited that we'll be in our favorite little Chalet Fontana with Denise looking out for us and dining at our favorite Stager Stubli tomorrow evening for dinner with Lydia and her team preparing some hearty and delicious Swiss delicacies.
Please try not to worry about your students they are doing great, and we love them everyone.
Good night from Venezia! Talk to you tomorrow from Murren.
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