Venice 10/27/2021 | c-kadventures.com

First some farewell photos of our hotel in Perugia. Hotel Sina Brufani is a beautiful and elegant old hotel. Many features both big and small made this hotel a home for our few days in Perugia, including large marble columns, statues, parque floors and even dark chocolate candy on our pillows at bedtime turn-down.

Two trains later we arrived in Venice, greeted by the winged lion, the symbol of St. Mark. Exiting the train station we were bombarded by offers for overpriced water taxis. Chris went to search out information on a water bus, while I stayed with the luggage near the water's edge. It was decent weather, but we were tired and hungry...so imagine how pleased I was to suddenly be the target of a very loaded and accurate seagull! Plop, right square on the top of my head he dropped his part solid, part liquid load. A laser-guided missile could not have been more precise. Finally, something I could thank Covid-19 for: anti-bacterial wipes! Yuck, it would be another hour before I was able to wash my hair.

We started our morning walk by first crossing the Rialto bridge on our way to St. Mark's Basilica. The Basilica was massively grand and opulent, unusual in design and impact, clearly showing its eastern influences.

We enjoyed a nice lunch at the Gran Florian Cafe with St. Mark's Square. The Gran Florian Cafe is the oldest coffee house in the world, founded in 1720. This cafe was one of very few such establishments that served women as well as men. The famous Italian ladies man Casanova was therefore a regular customer. The cafe now serves a mint hot chocolate drink named for him.

The Doge's Palace is almost too lavish and too grand for words. Many rooms contained large unique clocks, wall sized paintings and ceilings so ornate that it boggles the mind as to how they were created. Attached via the Bridge of Sighs is the adjacent prison. The bridge is so named because prisoners being taken across were heard to sigh in despair because they knew their last days would be in prison.