Dana on the footbridge
crossing over a canal...

...and leading to our hotel.

Below the footbridge, a gondola awaits its next passengers.

the bell tower of Santi Apostoli church, directly across the footbridge from the hotel.

After twisting the arms of
a trio of passersby...

...the gondolier helps them
into his boat.

Hope they enjoy the ride.  It'll cost them a minimum of 80 Euros.

4:37 pm, Christmas afternoon

Marco Polo said, "All the gold in Christendom flows through the hands of the Venetians."

Historically, masks served the important social purpose in Venice of keeping every citizen on an equal playing field.

Masked, a servant could be mistaken for a nobleman -
or vice versa.

This building drew crowds to
see its variety of handmade
nativity sets and dioramas.

5:10 pm

Venetians of the 1200s and
1300s  naturally found themselves
taking advantage of the
concealment of identity.

The society grew
ever more decadent.

at Ristorante Da Gianni
for an early dinner

Dana's secondi:
"pilgrim scallops"