Venezia. Bene!

Ah, Venezia! I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful visit to Venice. It is a place everyone should visit--the city was just as unique as can be. We started the morning early--7:30am! We ate a quick breakfast, and then hopped aboard a water taxi that took us to the island of Venice. Quite literally, Venice can only be accessed by boat. People can take trains over the water, but the city was made to be inaccessible (unless you were privileged enough to have a gondola). By the way, we were able to ride our own gondola later in the afternoon. More on that in a minute. :) We started at a glass blowing factory where we watched the famous Murano glass get made by the artisans. INCREDIBLE. I wonder at how they can master such amazing and intricate work. Afterwords, I bought a beautiful charm for my Pandora bracelet. I'd rather remember Venice that way than with a tourist-y something catered towards American tourists. The glass store was incredible. There were blown chandeliers, goblets, figurines, and vases all beauituflly handmade (and priced for a salary of a celebrity). But they were fabulous to look at.  We continued on the water taxi to the main square of Venice--San Marco. As in St. Mark (of the big 4). It is said that he is buried here--the Italians stole his body from his original grave to make the beautiful church more special. Our guide, Antonio, gave us some others great information about the city while we walked with our local guide before freeing us for lunch before the gondola ride. My mom and I ate at a panini shop and took our sandwiches with us as we walked through the square. We were even serenaded by a man singing opera with his accordion on a Gondola. The essencence of Italy, ladies and Gents.  Then it was time for our gondola ride! Our gondolier, Andreas, took us through the tiny waterways and onto the grand canal. I could only imagine how it was living in Venice many years ago when it was firt built. These narrow waterways wewre probably filled with all sorts of people. The police rode on boats, the ambulances were boats--EVERYTHING.  After the gondola, we went into the Dodges palace. This palace was home to many famous rulers--the Dodgeses varied. But Napoleon was there, and event the fascist Mussolini. If only those walls could talk. The art was beautiful, and the great room is home to the world's largest canvas painting: in paradiso. It's massive. No ifs, ands, or buts. (but add another "t" to the last one and there were quite a few of those. Sorry, I had to.) Then it was back to the hotel for a yummy dinner of more pasta, and then a walk along the Adriatic Sea. Beautiful and wonderful. We are bound for Florence, or Firenze in TUSCANY tomorrow. The next post I write will be from under the Tuscan sun. Can't wait to continue traveling! So long for now!