We got to Venezia on the 8:30 train from Firenze. It was a very picturesque train ride through parts of Northern Italy. Once we got to Venice, we took a vaporetto (water taxi) to Ponte Accademia, where our hotel was located. We started to climb the old wooden steps of the bridge with our heavy luggage in tow. Halfway up we realized that our hotel was on the side of the bridge we were originally on, and had to turn back. The hotel was right on the Grand Canal by the bridge. We had a big spacious room with a half circular window view of the canal and bridge. We met an American couple leaving the hotel who were on their honeymoon too (they got married a day before us). The hotel room was great, except for the toilet lid which did not stay up. Sitting on the bowl was a funny experience.

We went to lunch near the hotel at Taverna San Trovaso. We had the house wine, scallops au gratin, tortelloni, and I had the liver (a traditional Venetian dish). The food was not that good, but relatively cheap.

After lunch we took a walk to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. It had a lot of modern art including some Joan Miro and Dali paintings, and a nice sculpture garden.

We walked towards the Rialto bridge and had gelati at Gelati Paolin (known as one of the best in Venice). The coconut and chocolate/vanilla gelati were incredible. We walked up Ponte Rialto, which was very hot and crowded. This is the bridge under which Theresa’s Uncle Kevin proposed to his wife Mary in a gondola.

We walked back to the hotel and got ready for dinner. Getting anywhere in Venice always involves a nice walk. You can take vaporettos around but usually walking will get you there more pleasantly. We ate dinner at Casin dei Nobili and it was excellent. We had melted cheese with spinach and ham, ravioli stuffed with eggplant and cheese, monkfish and steak, and breaded fried stuffed olives.

Next we walked to Piazza San Marco and were blown away by the size and grandeur of it. I had been there before and was impressed all over again. We sat at Laverna, had coffee and tiramisu, and listened to the orchestra. There were four bands spread across the square who took turns playing. As they played, the crowd of people listening went from one to the other. They played tunes from the Sound of Music and other well-known pieces.