Arrived in Venice

We arrived around noon on the train from Bologna and decided to take the vaporetto to our hotel instead of trying to navigate all those bridges and stone streets with the carry-ons. I think anyone who arrives in Venice for the first time must have a reaction like mine -- jaw drops and you are awestruck.

We were lucky to snag a table near our hotel at Zucca for a delicious lunch. Joe's tagliatelle with gorgonzola, walnuts and pears was yummy. We made dinner reservations there for Jan. 2 at the only opening they had for the next week. Then we walked to San Marco to see the main square and get our bearings. It's about a 20 minute walk from our hotel and we were happy to see that even though reading a map is pointless, there are lots of signs pointing you to Rialto Bridge, San Marco, Train Station, or Piazza Roma. So with a little bit of a sense of direction it actually isn’t as hard to navigate as I thought it would be.

Several hours walking around, and we knew we would have no trouble filling the days here. The crowds are pretty huge so I can’t imagine what high season is like. Traffic jams of gondolas in the canals!
People shoulder to shoulder on the Rialto Bridge! But I understand why.

I don't want to overdo it with the superlatives, so I will let the pictures speak for themselves.Read more