Lost in Venice...

As much as I loved being with Jeff & Karen and Pam & Andre, I knew I was ready for some alone time. We had discussed going to Venice and I wasn't sure if I should go or not. It is outside of the mission boundaries, so Karen & Jeff couldn't go. The train was very expensive and we would only be spending the day there. The more I read up on Venice, the more I wanted to go.

It was a perfect day. Pam & Andre went along with me on the train, but then we split up once we got to Venice. We met up at the rail station that evening.



My guide book said that the best thing to do in Venice was to "get lost"... and I definitely got lost. I purchased a water taxi ticket and went around to get a view from the water, then I got off and just started wandering. It is not hard to get lost in Venice. The walk-ways at first are wide and well-populated, but as you wind into the middle of the city, they get more and more narrow. All of the sudden, you don't see any people for 15 minutes, hit a canal that you can't cross, or a dead end in a dark alley way. It is really interesting. I decided that it wasn't a place that you would want to be at night. I was even a bit scared at some points during my adventure in the daylight.




Venice was built on top of a cluster of 118 islands. The buildings are held up by wood piles underneath the lagoon. They have said that Venice might not be there for much longer, as it is sinking.



There are no cars in Venice, you can walk or use the canals. I did not ride on a famous gondola, I didn't want to spend over $300 on something that would only make me miss Rick more. So, I took lots of pictures of strangers riding them!



The tourists mainly stay in the more populated areas, so it was great to go wandering. I did step into St. Mark's Basilica, which was beautiful. It was fun to look at the view of St. Mark's square from the top of the Basilica.





I had read all the food reviews in my guide book and decided to have lunch here. It was fabulous, and a little off the beaten path, so I had a great view of the Grand Canal.



In St. Mark's Square there are thousands of pigeons. This little girl and her dad were playing with them. It made me miss my family.

This was a beautiful shop with Venetian glass chandeliers.



















I'm very happy that I chose to go to Venice and spend some time alone. It was good for me. I would love to go back someday with Rick, as long as it doesn't sink while I'm trying to earn the money for my next trip.