Ah Venice!

Istanbul, Santorini, and now Venice. We’re having a run on some of the most awesome sites in the world. These are places that I won’t even presume to describe, as even the great writers can’t come close to capturing their beauty.
So, I’ll just tell you about our activities. Sailing in this morning is enough visual stimulation to last a long time. We dock, and Richard and I decide to explore on our own. We walk non-stop for 5 hours up, down, and all around the labyrinth of alleys and open squares. Over bridges crossing canals and down the crowded waterfront, we stroll. We eat lunch at an outside café at San Marco’s square and goggle at the international tourists as they goggle at the sites. We lick our chocolate and mint chip gelato cones and watch the children laugh as the pigeons land on their outstretched arms. This evening we float down the canal in a gondola as an accordionist plays favorite Italian songs. An older gentleman stands in the front of the boat singing at the top of his lungs, almost falling out when the gondolier navigates a sharp turn between two closely placed buildings. Ah Venice!