Venice is wonderfully mysterious

We went to Florence and were overwhelmed with beautiful things to see!  What would our lives be like if it weren't for the support of the Renaissance by the Medici Family???  We even visited our first museums- The Uffizzi and the Pitti Palace.  Two in two days was too much!

And then we went to Venice!  Ahhh, shrouded in coastal fog, winding streets and canals that aren't even as wide as my arm span, no cars, bustle of real life in the midst of the thousands of tourists, eastern influence in the crumbling architecture, a certain mischievousness to their history/personality (sort of like the renegade cowboy image in the US...I did say "sort of"), not as proper as Florence.

I didn't remember Venice being so magical...looking down the Grand Canal, the scene must be the same today as it was 500 years ago.

I can only imagine what it is like here during Carnivale!  Everyone in fantastic masks with electricity in the air created by anonymity.







We found a great little bar on our last afternoon here- Osteria de Baco- dark wood, low ceilings, gondoliers having a pop before heading home, small tables, wooden benches.  They didn't have the hot wine we asked for (we now think this is a German thing...)but offered us a taste of a "surprise".   A shot of hot brown liquid with a slice of lemon.  DELICIOUS!   They called it Punch Rum- Spiced rum, warmed up with lemon.  After we each had two... we vowed to try to make it at home.

I really enjoyed Venice!
More pics of Venice will be up on Facebook shortly...

Blue skies!