Venice: A Second Chance...

Despite the issue with the train station we were able to salvage the day and have a fantastic experience exploring this labrynth of a city. A twist here, a turn there and you've discovered yourself the best trattoria that you've ever experienced and will never be able to find again! Enormous calzones for 4 euros and sweet shops that would awaken even Willy Wonka's sweet tooth. Of course you must earn this fabulous cuisine, which we did by navigating the lagoon and the city's many nameless streets. But the true splendor of this city is not found at San Marco or even in a gondola-the charm of Venice is found when accidentally stumbling upon a stone piazza where Italian children play soccer and mothers congregate to catch up on the daily happenings of this floating community.



Venice is 90% tourists and 10% locals-the economy is driven by the many cruise ships that pass through it and the tons of Murano glass that's sold each year. However, city planners dwell on what's to happen to Venetian society since it's projected that more than 1,000 residents will leave this year alone. While tourists seek glass and beaded treasures the business owners invest well in dollys and carts that make accessing the canal bridges more manageable. We watched in amazement as one guy hauled 3 flat screen t.v.s and a DVD player up and over a bridge while tourists and locals passed by without a second glance!



Since the crowds of San Marco were overwhelming the first time we visited we decided to give it a second try on our last day in Venice. What we naively forgot to factor into our plan was what would happen to a square set in a lagoon after a night of heavy rainfall. Why, yes! The whole square DOES flood! And the elevated planks sure do get packed with tourists fast! Since getting to the end of the row of planks was adventure enough for us we decided to head back to higher ground.



We said a final farewell to our beautiful hotel overlooking the grand canal and prepared for our overnight train to Paris...but not without first stopping for a final taste of amaretto and chocolate gelato.