From one body of water to the next…
After our time in and near Cinque Terre it was hard to get in the car and drive away… but we did it in anticipation of spending time in Venice or Venezia which is its Italian name. The city itself is made up of 118 small islands connected by bridges and canals… and cars, mopeds, bicycles anything of the sort are not allowed on the island. Yes, you can drive to a large parking lot or take a bus over in which there are awaiting water taxis, water buses and gondolas to take you to your destination or like the father and son we rented our ‘penthouse’ here in Mestre from recommended to just walk. Walk and get lost. In doing so we came across the touristic spots…dark ‘alleyways’ or teeny tiny roads… what seemed to be mostly residential areas…the Venice University…and around almost every corner another ‘photo’ opportunity to try and catch a glimpse of the city’s treasures.
Mestre
The day we arrived was a Sunday and everything around us was closed-so we were grateful we had been given a bag of pasta and sauce to make ourselves some dinner and enjoy the apartment. We didn’t realize that we had missed on its listing that it fit up to 8 PEOPLE! As soon as the guy and his son started to show us the three bedrooms, two bathrooms, large kitchen and two outdoor patios-I thought this would be a perfect place for a group of friends or even two smaller families to enjoy the area with!!! From where we stayed to get on the island is a 1.30 euro bus ride that takes 15 min-you can’t beat that considering how expensive the rates go up just to be amongst the hustle and bustle of the ‘spots’ to go to. We walked the streets of the neighborhood even though everything was closed and just enjoyed being in a new place once again.
Piazza San Marco
Our first day on the island we literally booked it (walking) to Saint Mark’s Square to get there earlier than later in hopes of shorter lines to enter into the church-we thought the map we had we get us there… def wrong but thankful for the graffiti on corners and walls to direct us through the maze of streets. We arrived to the square and it was PACKED full of people but nothing compared to what we had previously experienced in Rome. It was actually surprising to come across so many other tourists while being in Venice as it was more cold than hot every day that we were there. We were happy to not have to wait in line for very long and to enter into another beautiful church… However, they were also very strict about not taking any photos so we do not have any from the inside! 
Lost & Loving It
After our ‘touristic’ time we wandered and wandered some more… had an ‘okay’ lunch.. then wandered some more you can see pics below of the various places we stopped to just indulge in our surroundings. We did the same thing the following day after we spent the morning on the water. 
It was very cloudy and foggy out but we both wanted to see around the city so we took about an hour ride (the water taxi stopped for others to get on and off) along the Grand Canal to an island called San Giorgio Maggiore to go up a church’s Bell Tower that looked back across the canal to St. Mark’s Square… they recommend you to go on a sunny day so you can see farther and the city is clearer…yet with it being fall…rainy and wet weather we took what we could get and LOVED every freezing minute up on the tower to look out over a such a wondrous city. You would think it would be frustrating not knowing where you are going… but once you notice and appreciate all of the little details surrounding you… bridges, wrought iron bent in all shapes and sizes… the leaves of the vines clinging against the building changing colors and just being within another culture and consuming it… ‘being lost’ is totally worth it. Venice is one of the more expensive cities we have visited but there was still plenty to do for low costs! (There is a lot a lot of shopping one can do… so be prepared if you have a hard time saying NO! hah)
We are now onto our next stop before heading back to Jacksonville, Florida… Paris, France! Thanks again for reading and understanding how good vs bad wifi can determine when things get posted or don’t!
