Venice

So we arrived in Venice in the late afternoon.  What better way to orient oneself to a new city than to go for a walk!  And we did.  We headed out into the mild evening into San Marco square and enjoyed the beauty of Venice at night!

Below you can see the famous bell tower and facade of St. Mark's in Venice.  In the evening the square was filled with people enjoying a cup of coffee or playing with toys that lit up when you flew them in the air.

The first morning I got up early to enjoy the morning light on the city.  It was amazing because there were almost no people out at all!  So I walked past St. Marks and down to the waterfront on the Grand Canal.  Unfortunately it was also a bit too early for coffee anyplace so I had to wait until breakfast at the hotel.  But it was worth the wait, the coffee machine made all sorts of fancy coffees from Mocha to Espresso!   

Morning on the waterfront!   Sunrise in Venice - by David Hodel

Across the water you can see San Giorgio Maggiori.  We didn't make a trip over to the island, I guess you have to save something for the next trip : )

This is a view across the water - the gondolas are all in their slips waiting for the new day!  Again, it was amazing to basically have the city to myself and enjoy the beauty of the morning light!