Take my breath away!

 Mom & dad go to Europe has reached its final leg-Venice



Questa è l'Italia!

We are welcomed with our first bit of weather this entire vacation 

Rain rain and more rain. I don’t know how we figured out which way to go or how to get to our hotel but we did 

First off we couldn’t get thru the turnstiles once off the train  Don’t ask me why  Our tickets weren’t scanning  So we were forced into our first overseas criminal act- slipping under the turnstile. All I could think about now is I’m spending the next 10 years of my life in an Italian prison  

Now we board the 5C water bus from the train station. 






Tried to pull out the camera once on board but couldn’t get a good pic. Hard downpour and rough canal conditions made it impossible. 

We make our way to the hotel Liassidi Palace. The rain intensifies.  The air is cool. Puddles are everywhere as our shoes and the rest of us are now soaked  But we continue our way zigzagging thru the main streets of Venice 

                                      Main Street 


                         

 
  Hotel Liassidi Palace

New stat of the trip  Devine interventions  This is #2  The rains have ceased and the sun is out. It’s gorgeous outside. Let’s explore Venice   

They say Venice is a floating masterpiece. We couldn’t agree more. 





Bridge of Sighs
Over the Rio di Palazzo
It connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms of Doge’s Palace
The last view of Venice convicts saw before their imprisonment 


Getting lost in Venice 


As we walk thru these twisting tiny streets barely wide enough for 2 people to pass each other we can smell the Italian leather. See the sparkle of authentic Murano hand blown glass and view the hundreds of small cafes and shops 










Doge’s Palace 











Rialto Bridge








Cacio e pepe  Let me tell you something. As simple as this dish is (grated pecorino romano and black pepper with spaghetti) this might have been our favorite meal the entire trip. Delicious!



Say when








Those guys are our chefs. All that is for us





It’s time for a cafe-concert.   There’s 3 little orchestras in the square-never overlapping each other as they take turns playing some of the most beautiful music you’ll ever hear. I wish I could describe it better but when they started playing Now We Are Free from the movie Gladiator and then the most incredible James Bond medley you’ll ever hear, we just wanted to stay all night and let our ears feast. Which is what we did. It really was an experience that was deeply moving and exhilarating 








Sun setting on St. Marks Square 




So sitting on those steps listening to our mini orchestra and drinking our wine got me thinking. What was the most memorable experience we’ve had here in Italy 

Here’s our list 

The Colosseum 

Everything about Venice.  The Grand Canal, the gondolas and the music in St.Mark’s Square 

Sistine Chapel 

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Statue of David

But that’s like saying the Great Wall of China is more impressive than the Taj Mahal in India (haven’t seen either of them just for the record)



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