Wake Up ~ We are in Venice and Lets Start our Day Nico!!!!!!!

Wow...we woke up from a really good sleep...a lot of traveling takes a toll on you!  We must admit it! 
And traveling every 3 days or so...is hard too of course...but we gotta do what we gotta do...right?  Jim would say "not me!" OK Jim - I hear ya!


We dressed and went down to breakfast...and oh what a luxurious breakfast it was!  A Feast!  And then the setting...was extra special too...Nick & I were able to get a table right on the deck on the water..yes we did!

 Breakfast on the Grand Canal...yep I was a happy girl...can you tell?????

And all this activity going on all around us...boats loading up and delivering...taxi's & boat buses...coming by...

  A lovely morning it was...so mild weather and there we sat...with the boats passing by! 

It was a wonderful breakfast with lots of choices and we even had pidgeon's join us on the deck!

And sometimes "if" you walked away to get something...they would swipe your bread...naughty!

We were warned by the waitress!

 Yeah...we both looked around and felt so' spoiled!!!!!!!!!

 Although we were in Venice, and really excited to go sight see...
We had a priority FIRST...to do the wash!  We had loads of it!  It needed to be done!  We found out there was a Laundry mat close by just across the bridge they said!

OK with laundry bags in hand...we walked out of the hotel to find it!

And there it was...after walking around a church a couple of times...we found a narrow road (which sure didn't look as if there would even be a laundry mat there....) and went inside!

We did a white & dark load and it turned out the complete cost was almost $30,- yes - majorly expensive!  Well it was either using the hotel service where they charge you per item OR this!

 While waiting for our loads - another person walked in "Jack" from Australia!  He was on a 3 month trip...going through Europe.  We asked him what his origin was and Jack said his father was Italian & mother was from Greece.  Both parents had immigrated to Australia as children and later met!  Jack spoke a little Italian he said.  It was fun to talk to him he is 23 years and had also spent one year in the LA area attending Pepperdine University - nice!  Yes he said "very much!"

Well off we went with a clean load of clothes again!  Ah....!!!!!!! So nice!  We headed back to the hotel..to drop it off ....and then....Spread out that map...and lets see what Venice is all about!!!!!!

We were where the RED dot was and then you have the Grand Canal...and the inner island and the outer island..and you have Murano & Brano...oh my where do we start Nico????   

WALK he said!

...Got it! 

Oh we saw such beautiful little waterways..up bridges and over again...and turn left & right...like a maze...and just keep walking!

 Here goes a boat again...with a load of veggies & fruit!  We found out a bit later where he was going to! 

There was a market going on - further up!

 A father & his daughter..is she going to school???

 We came to the canal again & realized we had walked along the Grand Canal through the little alley ways...and arrived at the Market they hold...both for fish & vegetables! 

 Rialto Market

It was a busy place and so fun to walk through.  Especially noticing all the veggies and the size and color...very nice indeed!

 What a cute sight huh?  So neat to see how the boatman works his oar! 

As we turned another corner...yes there was this bridge...a very large one!  We realized it was the Ponte di Rialto - the bridge that later that evening would bring you to the other island where the palace Palazzo Ducale!  Oh my - so much to see!  But just taking in this sight...was already a lot!  It was a big bridge...and so many people on it! 

 So many people going over it coming this way and that!  We didn't realize yet...where they were going to...but found out later that evening! 

 But the sight was already just beautiful to see...so much activity...people enjoying themselves!

 We walked and we walked....and we walked....some more!

We saw the gandola launch and walked over to see the price...the Travel book had warned us it would be expensive...

Well it was....80 Euro during the day an 100 Euro in the evening.

So for a dollar $1.00~   we get .73 Euro for it. 


 The boat ride is $104,- dollars a ride...and I did not go further then that....but most likely an hour.   No we don't think so!  Way too expensive for us!

 We walked and walked and....

came back to the bridge by the train station and our hotel!  By this time our legs were pretty sore...and we were both tired! 

Let's head back to the hotel for a while and then later go out for dinner?  A great idea!



We did just that...at 8 pm we walked out the room & decided to stroll some more and then we had a flash idea...."let's take an evening boat ride...down the Grand Canal...so we have a good overview of the area?  And how nice it will be to sit and relax and see the sights all around us "comfortably?"

OK~ Great idea!  It was 7 Euro to enjoy the ride...we bought the ticket and waited in line and soon a taxi bus arrived.  We got a front seat too! 


We found the "bus boat" and did a half trip...which is a one way to the other side of the middle island...and and then it loops around to the 2nd island.  We enjoyed the ride...seeing all the harbor and going along some big cruise ships...and then we came to our end point which turned out to be a popular area.... Piazza San Marco 
Piazza San Marco which is where the  Palace of Venice is called Palazzo Ducale   Palace Venice
is and the Basilica di San Marco 
St Mark's Basilica

Wow we said...as if we haven't already seen a whole lot today.....and Nick & I just gawked...

 The Basilica was gigantic...

 

 The Palace was beautiful! 

 A photographer was taking some pictures of this couple..so sweet...leaning against the column! 

 We turned a corner into the plaza and saw this LARGE open area again...and there were musicians playing...and the sound of the music was just so inviting and sounded so pretty!  Violin & clarinet...

Campanile ~ My Goodness Look how Tall!!! 

You can click here and read up on this monument too!  Tall huh?

 Can you take in any more?  We sure couldn't...it was just amazing to see all around us!  Venice is a city to come visit for sure!!!

 We had to start walking back towards our hotel...it was 9 pm and we were tired from our long day...but filled with such awe of it all!

So now the question is...how do we walk?  We had forgotten our map at the hotel...well we figured "lets just follow the "crowd" they must be going somewhere too? 

 Ah...the bridge we had come to this afternoon where the market was held...good!

 There was people just standing lined up on the Bridge...and so we stopped to see what they were looking at!!!!  Couples were smooching on the bridge too!  Ah Nick...look at this!!! Can you believe it...how beautiful is that!!!!!  So pretty!  For Real!!!!

As we continued to walk along many narrow alleyways & corridors...we again came to a open area...and we heard music....a live band playing old Beatle songs!  And those Italians were good too!

Hey Jude...Sargent Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band...and so many more! 

 And the crowds were gathering and "we" our generation...which were a lot of us around here in Venice...started singing along...and then the rest of crowd joined in!  It was so' special!!!

Oh is was a special night alright!  Nick & I felt so spoiled! We stood there for a while just taking it in!  We actually were tired but just didn't want to loose the moment!

So as we walked just a little further - we decided to stop for a snack - which we did!

Oh Nick you are a sweetheart...I knew he was bushed...and I was too...but hey..how often is a person in Venice in their lifetime???

So there we sat...listening to the Beatles music coming down from the plaza area...and we were setting together at 9:30 pm enjoying a drink & a snack and the weather was soft with a evening breeze!

Yep Yep...we were two happy "kids" enjoying this!  

By the time we got back to the hotel...well you can imagine...again our legs were like "jelly" and we crashed!  Yep - a wonderful 2nd day in Venice alright!  WOW! WOW! and WOW AGAIN!!!!