Grand Canal, Venice Italy

 

The Grand Canal in Venice is iconic.

We can probably thank Francesco Guardi for that.

He began sharing its beauty in the 1700’s.

 Monet did his bit too.

No wonder it’s a tourist mob scene these days!

The buildings in Venice date back to the 1300’s, when the city was at its peak.

Venetian Gothic Architecture is a confluence of the Gothic,

Byzantine and Islamic styles.

The city was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987,

and is sometimes referred to a living museum.

But recently a renovated mansion – the Palazzo Dario was listed for sale.

Unfortunately, it may be cursed.

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/real-estate/a69925611/palazzo-dario-venice-grand-canal-for-sale/

Did I mention that The Grand Canal in Venice is iconic? 

  (2/22/26)

Here are some previous Venice blogs…

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2012/05/venice.html

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2016/06/venice-2.html

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2018/02/venetian-masks.html

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2024/06/venice-4-access-fee-alert.html

 

Happy Winter Olympics!

PJ

© 2026 PJ Lehrer

Venice

 This month’s collage features Venice’s Saint Mark’s Basilica.

This is the original photo of the Piazza San Marco & Basilica…

Here’s the drawing of a feather mask…

And, here’s a link to a previous collage…

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2025/02/tulum.html

Cheers!

PJ

 

© 2025 PJ Lehrer

Venice 4 – Access Fee Alert

I’ve heard Venice referred to as an open-air museum, so I guess it makes sense that On April 25^th, 2024 Venice began charging day trippers a daily entry fee to visit the city. 

It’s $5.45 per person for anyone entering between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:00 pm on 29 days (mostly weekends) running through July 14^th, 2024.

 

The hope of course is that it will enable them to get their tourism under control.

I’m not surprised to hear that they had to resort to such drastic measures. 

 These photos were taken in May 2005, when tourism was much lighter, but you can see that the most popular places were already becoming over run in what was still the off-season (but no longer is.)

Because I spent a week in town I could, and did, get up early to see the tourist favorites before they got too crowded.  Now I wonder if that’s even possible. 

Of course that’s an even better excuse to lengthen your visit. 

The off-beat views are equally spectacular

 

or quaint – take your pick. 

 And if you stay a while you won’t have to pay a Venice Access Fee. 😉

Here are my previous Venice blogs…

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2012/05/venice.html

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2016/06/venice-2.html 

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2018/02/venetian-masks.html

 

Ciao

PJ

 

© 2024 PJ Lehrer

Burano 2

I thought it was a good time to post another set of photos of the houses on Burano.  

They are so colorful and cheery.  

It really is a magical island.  

By the way, I have not messed with the colors in these photos on Photoshop.  

It really does look like this. 

They are also known for lace making.  

But I found that was a bit of over sell. 

There were a few old women scattered about the stores demonstrating the art, but if memory serves the lace on sale was not local.  

It would have been too expensive.  

It doesn't really matter though.  You should go to see the houses and take a day off from shopping.

Here's a former Burano blog...

http://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2017/07/burano.html

Cheers!

PJ

(c) 2018 PJ Lehrer