After a long bus ride, we arrived in Venice shortly after 2:00 pm on Thursday. As usual, the beauty of the city caught us all off guard as we caught our first glimpse of the Grand Canal. We quickly checked in to our hotel, the Principe, and made our way to St. Mark's Square, snaking our way through the narrow streets and crossing over tiny bridges. Along the way, we made a few stops to learn about the history of this remarkably unique city.
Upon arrival at the Square, our students were told the story of St. Mark, whose remains were stolen from their resting place in Alexandria and brought to Venice. They are now kept in the basilica.
Afterward, students were given free time to explore the city before meeting back at the hotel for dinner. More tours followed that evening and in the days to come. You can see more on the second part of this blog.
