Grand Canal

It's hard to pick one photo from four weeks in Venice but this one of the Grand Canal from the vaporetto as we traveled back from the studio to the flat is probably my favorite. We did this trip everyday. A bus ride like no other!

Below are some of the magnificent houses along the canal. They were built by merchants because this a city built on commerce of the sea and the world beyond. This was a gate way to the Middle East and Asia. The Grand Canal was the front door to their palaces. One would arrive by boat! The bottom floor would contain the business, shop and workshops. The family home would be on the floors above. Some of these buildings go back to 11th and 12th century, to the beginnings of this great city. The upkeep is extremely expensive and ongoing. It has turned many of these architectural wonders from family homes and businesses into hotels, government buildings and museums.