Venice and San Marco

Lovely, sunny day. No real issues with jetlag. We had breakfast at the hotel (coffee average, breakfast very American buffet) and walked into Venice. It is pretty special. Some areas were crowded, but then others were almost empty. We followed the signs to walk across the Rialto Bridge, then San Marco Square, then Santa Maria della Salute. A gondola across the main canal, lunch in a little cafe, and back, after going the wrong way many times. Venice has 118 islands and 435 bridges, we read, and we crossed at least 200 of the bridges (okay, 100, but some multiple times).

No organs being played in the churches, but amazing paintings and statues.

It seemed far more crowded in the afternoon, but that might have been us getting tired…. We both felt a bit jaded by the time we were back at the hotel- perhaps not quite used to walking 7hrs almost, despite breaks, so we sat around, and had dinner early in the hotel as the lag set in. It's a Hilton, so mid-level expectations met, but the staff immediately agreed to put Pandora's freezer-gel in their freezer overnight so we have it for the train.

Around 25,500 steps, 19km and 18 flights… all bridges.Read more