Today we had an early departure to Venice, by way of Bologna and Padova. Bologna was not that interesting to the uninformed (our) eye. We had about an hour and a half of free time, most of which was spent by Eric cleaning out a local Benetton. Two sweaters and a sweater vest later, we emerged to just catch our tour bus to get to Padova (Padua). On the way, our tour guide Maria (did we mention that she looks eerily like Antonia's Aunt Annie?) announced that we were going to Padova to get a tour of St. Anthony’s Bascilica. I will be honest and say that our first thought was “Another church? Really?”, but St. Anthony’s was well worth the visit. It was one of the most beautiful, but also one of the most interesting, churches we visited. It has a very colorful collection of Relics from the Saints, all prominently displayed in gold altar pieces, including St. Anthony’s jaw and voice box.
When we got to Venice that evening, we had time for a quick dinner at the hotel before beginning our “Venice By Night” tour. This was an extra tour for a small group of us, and it was absolutely worth the extra money we paid for it. First, there were no crowds. Second, we had a tour guide, which was essential. (Just how essential was confirmed the next day – Venice is a very confusing place to find your way around if you don’t know it.) Venice is beautiful and peaceful by night, and we enjoyed seeing the canals, crossing through narrow passageways so small you can only go through one at a time, and breathing the night air.
