After a 90-minute bus ride from Verona we arrived in Venice in the early evening. It had rained most of the day but there were only intermittent sprinkles to contend with as we walked from our bus to the hotel. We stayed at the Carlton, which is located on the Grand Canal, and the first thing we noticed was the lights. Twinkling lights of different colors from storefronts, buildings and of course boats traveling up and down the canal. It was love at first site with the magical city of Venice and we knew immediately that this was a place we would want to explore and return to over and over.
As our luggage had not yet arrived, we checked into the hotel and just a quickly turned around and headed out the door to begin our adventure. To stand on one of the many bridges that cross the canal and drink in the sites was delicious. The urge to investigate a few of the hundreds of small shops that line the narrow streets selling colorful glass or delicate lace was tempting as we set out to find our way around. Of course, the glimpse of sparkling glass also attracted Chuck's rather clumsy hands which ended up costing us 30,000 lire by the time we ended up paying for the breakage! There are no cars in Venice; you must travel by boat or on foot. This is one of the great charms of this city. The vaporetto ride the next day in the sunshine was exhilarating. Have you ever seen the movie the movie Summertime? The history and the beauty that passes as you cruise down the Grand Canal are breathtaking. You could choose any one of the stops to alight and explore allowing yourself the luxury of getting lost and you would not be disappointed. You are bound to come across a special spot or small bridge or even a shop, which will make you feel as if you were the first tourist to come upon it.
After an awesome tour of the Doge's Palace we settled down for a glass of wine at one of the open-air cafes in Piazza San Marco. There was a pianist nearby playing popular tunes as well as Italian favorites. This was one of my favorite memories. After all of the tours and all of the history, it was nice just for an hour to sip on good wine, listen to good music and watch the world pass before us. After all, isn't that what vacations are all about?
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