When in Italy, go to Venice. So we took a side trip, an hour and a half train ride to Venice and then an hour and a half back. Our train got delayed on the outbound trip by a half hour. The train goes over the causeway right onto the island of Venice. We left the station and immediately started walking. As we left it started raining. We had out raincoats on and that helped with the wind. The rain stopped almost immediately and after lunch we had sun and little wind
The coffee is flowing at the station
Sugary treats abound
It was a blustery day on the train ride up
We are crossing the causeway
Pilings are the foundation of the entire city
The City of Water begins
Busy Station
A big green dome greets us as we exit
A stone bridge right away
Owl you doing
A park across the way
Laura still has her coat on
Beer delivery
A rainy gondola ride
The flag of Venice is fantastic
We made it to the park
Green and lovely
Flower beds
Better have your Venice congestion pass paid for
The wind is still blowing
I wonder what the boat to resident ratio is for Venice
A window that looks like a porthole
Is this the Pomei red
Walking the canals
Our pre-selected lunch spot
It had a 4.7 rating and was scheduled to be open!
The view from our table
Tubby wiener dog
Elegant setting except where are the paintings, the frames are there?
Bruschetta to start
A pasta and pesto and scallops
She knows gnocchi
The steak, for two, was perfect for me
Nice sea salt on the top
The seagull was eyeing my steak
So I finished it off
Our waiter was fantastic
The porter service had an ingenious system for handling the stairs
The grand canal is much wider
We are now on the other side of the canal from the station
Entering the park
Imagine how hard it would have been before this new bridge was built
With the older buildings is is not always clear if it is a church or not
The Papadopoli Gardens
Taxis
This was the gondola stand. No one was there to help us
The gondolas were all there and ready to launch
Very fancy
So much bling
Will no one take us out on a gondola?
Asked for a Venice flag and the vendor had to climb up a ladder into his store room to get one
