Return to Venice

Sunday, July 13th. Today we return to Venice.

We made our way topside about an hour or so ahead of entry just to ensure a good viewing position. A wise decision as topside became jammed with people keen to catch a view of the city. We were located close to the bow on the starboard side. We overlooked the pilot house as seen below. Click on any photo for a larger image and slideshow.

About two hours before we finally docked, a pilot ship came racing out to meet the Disney Magic. The entry into Venice takes a considerable length of time.

Our first sighting of land. Venice is not too far away now.

The channel itself is very narrow for a ship the size of the Disney Magic. As you can see from the photo, the channel is very clearly marked.

The towers of Venice come into view.

There are very few trees in the old city of Venice. The forest on the right is an exception although it is quite far from the core of Venice.

The first Venetian canal comes into view.

The main tourist attraction of Venice, San Marco square, comes into view.

We slowly pass the entrance to the Grand Canal of Venice. Our hotel is only a few hundred metres from the entrance.

A beautiful sky highlights our return to Venice.

A view of Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute.

The feast of Redentore is the most important feast for the Venetians. The Redentore began as a feast to give thanks for the end of the terrible plague of 1576, which killed 50,000 people. This pontoon bridge is set for the celebrations and allows Venetians to cross the main channel on foot.

The weather forecast had called for rain and overcast skies. Fortunately, we had wonderful weather coming into the port  of Venice.

Another Venetian canal comes into view.

And our final turn into port. It looks as though a couple of other cruise ships arrived here before the Disney Magic.

Although this marked the end of our cruise, we still had a few more days in Venice. This evening will be a special event. I’ll share the event with you tomorrow.