Venice...

There was complete confusion on the faces of everyone getting off the trains in Venice! No one really knew what to do; people were just sort of funneled toward water buses or water taxis! Luckily we found the right water bus to get us to San Marco. We were packed on the boat, but it was a gorgeous ride! For the past two weeks we have experienced several "luggage pulls", but none like this! Of course Venice is the city of bridges, but these bridges are made of stairs! You pull up, up, and up, then bump down, down, down, hoping not to break the wheels on your luggage! We were rewarded when we found our hotel; very old but full of charm and character! We have a corner room facing a canal and a side street, so we opened the windows to the sounds of the city! The hotel

Is very close to The San Marco piazza, so we headed there for our afternoon spritz and potatoe chips! There are live orchestras on each side of the plaza making for a fantastic environment! We people watched for a long time and enjoyed the area as the crowds thinned out. We took the elevator to the top of the San Marco Camponile. We were lucky enough to be at the top when the bells rang!  What a view! We walked and explored and found a beautiful restaurant for dinner "a beccafico". It turns out it is one of the best restaurants in Venice. The food was so amazing that we are headed back tonight.  After dinner we caught a sunset gondola ride. It was perfect! Today we got up early to walk and see the city come alive. It was so nice to be out with just a few locals on their way to church.  I stole a few handfuls of cereal from the hotel breakfast buffet, and we headed to the pigeons. I did it! There was a lot of squealing and screaming involved on my part, but I have pictures to prove I let them land on me! John was totally calm with about 6 birds on him! We went in several gorgeous churches and found an awesome lunch place. We took a 2 hour boat tour out to Murano Island to see the glass making. The boat ride was awesome as was the tour. John got all caught up in the moment and I had to talk him down from a crazy purchase!  After the boat ride back we toured the San Marco Bascillca. It was beyond description! We enjoyed the view from the top, too!  Tomorrow is an early morning as we head to the Amalfi Coast! I'm so thrilled we got to experience Venice! It's like nothing else!  It's impossible to imagine a city built on water without seeing it! It was the most crowded and most expensive place we've been, but it holds incredible beauty for water lovers like us!