Sunday we drove from Rome to Venice, we made a couple of rest stops and still arrived ahead of our schedule. It was our first day of less than perfect weather, it was cloudy and cool but not raining.
To get into the city of Venice, you need to take a water taxi, so we headed for the docks where the taxis run all day long. All but 6 of us signed up for a canal tour. so their taxi ride would be a bit longer. June and I just taxied straight to St.Mark's Square and waited for the others.
This is Jean and Ed getting on their taxi/tour boat.
Everyone stood up to take in the views.
Even in cloudy weather the views from a water taxi are unforgettable.
The famous Rialto Bridge.
Arriving at Piazza San Marco. It is kind of a zoo where the taxis load and unload.
Once off the taxi you are greeted by Piazza San Marcos, it is a site to see. It is so huge you can't capture it in a single photo.
We walked around the square some before the others did their gondola ride. There is so much to see.
The Bridge of Sighs was the bridge that prisoners crossed before being locked up in the Venetian prisons and from which, sighing, they could see the sunlight for the last time.
It is the third bridge in this photo, Jean would not smile, she only sighed.
Ed and Jean set off on their Gondola ride while June and I went into the Hard Rock Cafe for a hot toddy.
Venice is known for being romantic, a couple in our group got engaged on their gondola ride, Ed captured the moment.
Congratulations Sam and Stephanie!
Ed and Jean enjoyed their gondola excursion.
After the Gondola ride, we walked the streets.
We came upon a 12th century church, San Salvador. Like most churches, it was open to the public.
It is lent so statues and crosses were covered in preparation of Easter.
June lit a candle and we all thanked the lord for the safe return of Margarita.
Lucky for us, the light rain that had started passed and we continued our walk.
We made our way to the famous Rialto Bridge, it was not nearly as busy as it was when we were last here in November of 2018.
We eventually were hungry and stopped at a nice restaurant for dinner, Osteria San Lio. We shared a meat platter appetizer and all had pasta, it was another excellent meal.
After dinner we had time to roam about before our pickup at Piazza San Marco.
Venice is very picturesque.
The girls liked the Red Marble Lions that guard the Piazzetta dei Leoncini. They are from the early 1700s and give the square its name.
As we walked to our water taxi we went by The Bridge of Sighs one more time. Having to leave Venice will make one sigh.
By the time we departed it was getting dark, of course Venice is also beautiful at night.
We took a short bus ride to our hotel and called it a night, it was a long but good day.
Monday we will make our way to Austria.
