Venice 2013 - Piazza San Marco

Finding the police station in Venice is like going on a wild goose chase. We went to the police station at the Train Station and were told that we had to go to the one at Piazza San Marco to make the report. Once we got to the Piazza San Marco police station, we were told we had to go to another station 2 bridges down from Palazzo Ducale. We got hopelessly loss as the police station was nowhere to be seen, and asking around didn't help very much. Finally, we managed to find a helpful hotel reception staff who pointed us in the right direction. The Police Station is actually in Campo San Zacaria, which you reach through a narrow alley.

While rushing around to find the police station, we felt like we were in a movie as the setting was spectacular. If it was anywhere else it would have been a drag, but in Venice it was actually quite fun!

 Piazza San Marco is the biggest square in Venice - and the only one called Piazza. All the other squares are called Campo. Surrounded by 3-storey buildings with an arcade on the ground floor, this is literally the heart of Venice, a gathering place for both Venetians and tourists who arrive by the tens of thousands every day.

The arcades are filled with shops and cafes, mostly catering to tourists. Some of the establishments such as Caffe Florian is a local institution and has been around since the 17th century - and the decor probably has not been changed a bit.

Some of the cafes feature live music to attract customers. There seem to be 2 main rivals on the Piazza - one featuring red chars, and another featuring yellow chairs.

At the eastern end of the Piazza is the famous St Mark's Basilica, and the impressive campanile - one of  the tallest structures in Venice.