Venice, you stole my heart!

We started today off by enjoying the breakfast provided by the hotel, where the proprietor actually served us our choice of coffee and we could enjoy croissants, yogurt, boiled eggs, small sandwiches and breads baked with meat and cheese in them. The breakfast room is as pretty and well decorated as the rest of this hotel. We were given direction to the laundromat, which we have been really needing, so we decided to start our day by getting that chore done. I was a little opposed to the idea of wasting warm, sun filled hours sitting at a laundromat, but Cecil convinced me that we needed to actually do some 'work' for a change, and that it was important.


On the way back to the hotel to get our duffle bag of clothes that needed to be washed we gave the old fellow who was begging on the side street 4 Euro. He had caught my eye on the way past the first time.  He was older, thin, tired looking and i noticed he was missing a leg. He said Gracia, but when he realized how much we'd given him he repeated it with a warmth and appreciation that told us that he wasn't used to more than a few cents. 


An hour later we passed him again as we were leaving the laundromat.   He looked up and realizing it was us, gave me the biggest, most genuine smile I've seen on another person's face in a long, long time. Made me even happier for the decision that we did make.  We made his day, and in return, his response made mine.

As the last of our laundry continued to dry, we went and sat at a little cafe across the street and two doors down from the laundromat.  At the quaint outdoor table, able to watch the coming and goings at the laundromat, we enjoyed what was to us, one of our most authentic Italian experiences....enjoying a cappuccino on a small, Venetian street, watching the people go by, the pigeons explore, and the world carry on.  It was quaint, and quiet and perfect. Exactly what i had pictured time in Italy to be like, away from the touristy crowds, and breathing in the moment! Two cappuccinos later, our laundry was done, and we headed back to our hotel, to put the clean clothes away, and enjoy the rest of our day!

After having a lunch in the square a few blocks away, we meandered the streets and alleys until we finally made our way back to St. mark's square. We'd seen most of what we wanted to see there, and knew the crowds would be much worse then in some of the places we've been exploring, but still there was a hoodie that we'd seen on sale there that actually noted most of the cities we've seen since starting our tour on Saturday, and Cecil wanted to get one for himself, to remember more of our tour than having something that mentioned just one place would provide.

As we made our way back, we stopped for a rest, a water and a beverage at one on of the hundreds of cafes along the way.  It was time to rest long enough for Cec's leg to quit hurting, then headed on again. We added to our wine-cork collection, finding some that had masks on them, my focus for today, as being the cheap souvenir shoppers that we are, everyone was getting a wine cork! 


We looked into dozens of purse stores as well, as I really had it in my mind that I should have an authentic Italian bag to take home....I knew it wasn't imperative that I did, but still it would be kind of neat to get one. 

We came back to the hotel to relax for an hour or so, prior to heading out to meet with Beca, Craig and Haiden from Australia for dinner tonight. We've not had a lot of chance to connect with them, although there has been a bit of relationship, and certainly with Haden after yesterdays adventure, but when we were saying goodby to the rest on the tour last night at the restaurant, they mentioned that they too were staying here, so we decided to meet at 6pm and have dinner together. I am looking forward to getting to know them better.


I loved the little hotel we stayed at. I asked the lady at the front desk for her name as we came back up, so that I could mention it on 'TripAdvisor' and her reaction was Mamma Mia...I think it was a good thing! Anyhow, she gave me her name. Everything about this little place is great...it's so clean, the tiling is so tasteful, and the little touches are awesome. I will be the first to admit I'd likely not have taken a second look when passing by.  I am glad Cec thought we should, and pushed to go further. 


As I sit here writing prior to our meeting with the Australian family, we have the window open, and I am listening to the sounds on the street below. I love that there are no motors, or honking horns or motorcycles buzzing around here. Just the sounds of footsteps and voices wafting up through the open window. There is a certain magic to that, because where else can you experience that? Certainly not in any other place I have ever visited, except maybe home! I have decided that without a doubt, Venice is one of my favourite places to have visited, and could definitely see trying to get back here some time in the future. But in reality for me the future holds the hope of continuing to explore and see many other places that we've yet to discover. 


A month ago, Italy was a priority for me, Venice maybe just something interesting while there. Reality, in Venice I feel that I have found much of what I imagined would be Italy for me....small winding streets, interesting colours, smells, sounds. I think I have found what I came in search of. I just hope that when I get home, and have some time, I can make sense of the hundreds of pictures, and notes, and scraps of papers I have accumulated so I can share this experience with those that are interested in expanding their own horizons.


In the final 10 minutes before we head down to meet with Beca, Craig and Haden, I have reread my top 5 passions and the markers I created for them. They feel very good, and very right to me. I need to keep reading them, and refining them, and living them. That is what this journey is about. To create and live in a world that is joyful and wondrous on a daily basis, making it meaningful at each bend in the road. That is how I choose to live my life daily from here, and I am blessed that I am able to do that. Life is so good!

We had a great evening with Becka, Craig and Haden, new friends from Australia at a lovely, but overpriced restaurant on the canal.  It was great, but it was sad, knowing as much as we enjoyed our time with them, we'd likely not get to spend time with them again. Bittersweet, but amazing that we are blessed with these meetings and experienced.  Life is so great.