il bello Venezia

We were talking to some friends the other day, reminiscing about our trip to Greece and Italy last fall, and I realized that I hadn't finished sharing our Overseas Adventure.......so, here is the first instalment of the rest of the story.

We spent the last three days of our vacation in Italy, and if I do say so myself, these were my favorite days of all.

We spent a day in Florence, a day in Venice, and a day in Rome. Of course, only having a day meant that we could only see a portion of each city, but I enjoyed it none the less.

Of the three cities, my favorite by far was Venice......the canals with gondolas sailing up and down, and the old brick bridges that allowed us to walk over them. The ancient and beautiful buildings, with vines trailing from the roofs, and moss growing on the walls. The narrow cobblestone pathways that twist and turn throughout the city, with the scent of the sea on the air.

After a day of exploration, we enjoyed a late supper at a restaurant that we discovered was a favorite of the locals. The interior of the place was an experience I won't soon forget......dark wood paneling and stucco walls, yellowed with age......chunky wooden tables and mismatched dining chairs......the scent of wine and garlic, seafood and coffee......a family eating a birthday supper together, complete with gifts and a cake......there was even a dog resting under one of the tables waiting for its owners to finish dinner. The food was some of the best I have ever tasted........the freshest seafood and a juicy steak, with the ever present side of homemade pasta. We had a coffee and walked back to our hotel in the romantic light of beautiful wrought iron lamps.

The next morning, after breakfast, we headed to Piazza San Marco, where we boarded a water taxi (there are no motor vehicles in Venice) and headed to the train station to catch the early train to Rome.