Italy

Summer may not be in other parts of Europe, but it has arrived in Italy. We flew into Venice, stashed our raincoats and fleece, donned our sandals and boarded a vaparetto for an evening in Venice.

The evening light of Venice is magic. The crowds have thinned and the business of food and wine begins.  After disembarking at Rialto. We wound our way through the streets to a Piazza for some refreshment.

The boys ran around and tried to get lost, but always found their way back to us breathing heavily and laughing that they were successful again. Dinner was a great little pizza place in a garden setting. We could have eaten the olive oil and bread for dinner. So good!

We took the long boat home on the water taxi and were treated to light show Venice style.  Giant chandeliers light up the enormous windows of the palaces letting you only imagine what these homes are like on the inside. 

Next day was warm and there was no rush to get into the city and see any one thing as much as we just wanted to enjoy the magic of the place some more.

Boat rides, Doges palace, gelato, bridge of sighs, picnic by the water AND LOTS of art. The Venice Biennial was in town showing small exhibits from artist all over the world. Each exhibit standing alone in hidden old buildings and palazzos all over the city. You would be wandering around and fall upon one, go in and be blown away by some artist from Azerbijan or the Maldives. Some really rich and thought provoking works that stretched your sense of the world, being international and how alike we all are in our needs and wants.