Lazy in Venice

Well, with the city transit system on strike, in other words no city boats, we relied on Hilton's boat shuttle which is really great. We took it over to the Piazza San Marco and then just started walking and exploring. It is such a fun place to just head down a street and then have to turn because it ends - you just keep wondering around. Most of the time, you have no clue where you are - and everyone else is standing around with a map trying to find where they are also.

We had a good lunch and then took off again towards the wooden Accadmeia Bridge which is only 1 of 4 bridges over the Grand Canal. Here we crossed the canal and then we were in the Dorsoduro District. We walked to the other side of this district and caught the Hilton shuttle back for a time to chill.

Later in the afternoon we headed back to the Piazza to get a couple of last purchases and then wondered down a street and found an area that we had enjoyed last time. One of the big gondola sites - right next was a Hard Rock Cafe where we sat next to a window for a long time watching the "gondola" enterprise. It was raining so it was a perfect place to be. We watched several large tour groups come and get put into their gondolas with umbrellas up!

We leave Venice in the morning and we have loved our time here and are thinking ahead to our next visit. It is a unique city. Excuse me for quoting Rick Steves again, but what he says about Venice seems to be so true. "Venice's population is half what it was 30 years ago and people are leaving at a rate of a thousand a year. Of those who stay, 25% are 65 or older. Sad... but imagine raising a family here........You can find glass and tourist trinkets, but try to find groceries. Running basic errands involves lots of walking and stairs - imagine crossing over arched bridges while pushing a child in a stroller and carrying a day's worth of groceries." We pictured Michelle, (our daughter in law), trying to do her daily schedule with 3 little kids! I don't think that I would ever leave the house!

The boat strike is over at midnight so off we will go.