A perfect day in Venice

The next morning we returned to the square for our official tour of the area. This time, much of the square was underwater, as the tide was higher, and the water seeps up into the cracks. We then realized what all of the table like structures that were stacked about the area where all about, as we found many of them set up along the way as a raised walking path to get us through the wet areas.


Louisa, our tour guide, shared the history of Venice with us, and showed us the castle, the prison, and a tour of the Cathedral. After our time with her, we went on a tour of the Murano glass factory that is directly behind the square, and saw one of the artists create a vase and a small horse for us. It was fascinating work to watch. 


When the display was over, we were taken to another room and given a bit more of the story of the various colours of glass, as well as the opportunity to buy. I ended up getting a necklace for myself, thinking that might be the only thing that makes it back without breaking. The other glass was lovely, but just not our style at home.


Our next event was the Gondola ride.  Some folks had advised it was expensive and not worth the money, but for our little group it was a highlight of our time in Italy, and in Venice in particular! We spent most of an hour gliding through the many canals of this beautiful city, our group being serenaded by an amazing singer accompanied by an acoustic guitar. He sang for us almost the entire way, I videotaped a couple of clips, and would love to have had the opportunity to do it all, but I think it would have used up all of my recording space!

After our gondola ride, Mario escorted us to a little seafood restaurant on the outskirts of the square. Not being much of a fish eater, I wasn't particularly taken with the restaurant menu, and the prices were fairly high, however everyone in the group who enjoyed seafood loved it, and the lasagna Cecil and I shared was very, very good.

The greatest afternoon of the tour came after the ride. Ten of us decided to make the walk back from St. Mark's to our hotel, and managed to wile away the entire afternoon doing so! It was one of those days that you know will be marked in your heart as one of the great ones ever. Mike, Betty Ann, Elly, Debbie, Wanda, Buddy, Dane, Samantha and the two of us made our way through the winding streets and alleys, taking time to browse in shops and enjoy a couple of drinks at various stops along the way. There was so much laughter as friendships deepened and memories were made.  How lucky were all were to be sharing that moment in time, on the banks of that amazing city.  


At the end of our day, it was very sad to say goodbye to all of them...hoping that we will have the chance to meet again sometime down the road, but knowing there is a very good chance that our paths will not cross again. The good news was that with today's technology, we can all stay connected virtually, and in fact we all have.  Friends around the world!  What a blessing!


When we got back to the hotel, we checked into the new one we found. We headed up to our new room and realized what a little jewel we had found. The room was spotlessly clean, and the decor had obviously had time spend in making sure each little feature and detail had been take care of. It was the largest, most comfortable room we've had on our entire trip. The bathroom is a little smaller, and the shower a tighter squeeze than we're used to, but those were minor details considering the other offerings.  Unfortunately, I mistakenly erased all the pictures of the hotel from my phone, so I guess you'll just have to take my word for it!  It was lovely!