Venice 威尼斯
April 11, 2026
I sneaked out alone for a quiet stroll around the area to enjoy the fresh morning air. It was very pleasant. There were hardly any tourists around, only local workers, many of them delivery workers.
Food and supplies were delivered by boats and unloaded along the riverbank using small cranes mounted on the boats. The workers then loaded everything onto carts and pushed them through the narrow streets to the stores. Watching them, we could see it was truly hard work.
Today we visited most of the major sights around St. Mark’s Square. We took the elevator up the bell tower for a panoramic view of Venice, then visited St. Mark’s Basilica, admired the dazzling Pala d’Oro, and went through the museum and loggia. We also explored the Doge’s Palace and the Museo Correr. In a single day, we saw so much that it was impossible to fully absorb it all.
Bell Tower and views from the tower
Doge’s Palace
St. Mark’s Basilica
Museo Correr
What stood out most was how all these places connected to the same story. The basilica revealed Venice’s deep Byzantine and eastern influences, glowing with gold mosaics and treasures that felt very different from the other Italian churches we had seen. The Doge’s Palace showed how the republic was governed, not by one monarch, but through councils, offices, and a carefully balanced system of power. The museums added more layers, helping us understand Venice not just as a beautiful city, but as a powerful maritime state with a long and unique history.
By the end of the day, Venice felt far richer than just canals and postcard views. It felt like a place where politics, religion, trade, and geography came together to create something truly distinctive.
Near dusk, we took a gondola ride. The boat glided slowly through the narrow waterways and onto the Grand Canal, giving us a peaceful and memorable view of the city from the water. It was a wonderful experience, though unlike in Las Vegas, our gondolier here did not sing.
After the gondola ride, we wandered through the narrow streets and alleyways, stopping to try all the street snacks we had been eyeing over the past two days. Tomorrow, we continue on to our next destination.
2026年4月11日
我一个人悄悄地出门，在附近随意走走，呼吸清晨新鲜的空气，感觉十分惬意。街上几乎看不到游客，只有当地人在忙碌，大多数是送货工人。
各种食物和货物通过小船运送过来，再利用船上的小吊机卸到河岸边。随后，工人们把货物搬上手推车，穿过狭窄的小巷送往各家商店。看着他们来回奔忙，才真正感受到这份工作的辛苦。
今天我们游览了圣马可广场（Piazza San Marco）周边的大部分重要景点。首先乘电梯登上了钟楼（Campanile），俯瞰威尼斯全城的壮丽景色；接着参观了圣马可大教堂（Basilica di San Marco），欣赏了金光璀璨的帕拉多罗金坛屏风（Pala d’Oro），还走过了教堂的博物馆和凉廊（Museum and Loggia）。之后我们又参观了总督宫（Doge’s Palace）和科雷尔博物馆（Museo Correr）。一天之内看了这么多东西，信息量实在太大，根本来不及完全消化吸收。
最让人印象深刻的是，这些景点其实都在讲述同一个完整的故事。圣马可大教堂（Basilica di San Marco）展现了威尼斯深厚的拜占庭（Byzantine）与东方影响，满眼金色的马赛克与珍宝装饰，与我们此前见过的其他意大利教堂形成了鲜明对比。总督宫（Doge’s Palace）则让我们理解到，威尼斯共和国并非由君主统治，而是通过议会体系、各类官职以及彼此制衡的权力结构来运作。各个博物馆又为这一切不断补充细节与背景，使我们逐渐认识到，威尼斯不仅是一座美丽的水城，更曾是一个强大的海上共和国，拥有悠久而独特的历史。
到了这一天结束的时候，威尼斯在我们眼中已经远远不只是运河和明信片般的风景。它更像是一个把政治、宗教、贸易和地理位置交织在一起的地方，形成了真正独一无二的城市气质。
傍晚时分，我们还乘坐了贡多拉（Gondola）。小船缓缓穿行在狭窄的水巷之间，又驶入了大运河（Grand Canal），从水面上看这座城市，感觉格外宁静而美好。这是一次很棒的体验，只不过和拉斯维加斯不同，这里的船夫并不唱歌。
坐完小船，走街串巷把前二天看到的想吃的街头小吃都吃了，明天继续前行。