Venice, Italy - September 2007

Last week my friend Sherri from Chicago came to Madrid to visit me. We spent a couple days in Spain and then took off for Italy where we spent one day in Venice and the next 2 in Florence. Although we were exhausted at the end from our very full days of walking around nonstop, it was totally worth it.

Since we only had one full day in Venice, we opted not to go inside any buildings and do the tours. Instead we roamed the streets (canals) in Venice and then took a boat trip to Murano, Burano, and Torcello. Burano was especially charming with its brightly colored houses and pedestrian only streets.



Before I went to Venice I hadn't really heard any rave reviews. People always seemed to be neutral about it so my expectations weren't set too high. However, I think Venice is one of my most favorite cities yet. It is hard to imagine a city with no cars and instead a lot of little tiny canals. The streets are very, very tiny and we got lost more than a couple times. But I thought it was a beautiful city and the whole time Sherri and I kept saying that we felt like we were on the set of a movie because at times it really is that surreal. Below are some pics of the Ponte di Rialto, a bridge built in the 1500's and the view of the Grand Canal from the bridge.
Below are pictures of a normal sized canal that runs through the neighborhoods and a picture of houses that are built along the Grand Canal:


Last are some pictures that I took of random things while walking around. Venice is a playground for those with a camera. Everything is picture-worthy (well, at least to me). I am especially fond of old folks and love to snap pictures of them when I can. Sherri became very good at helping me find my "victims" by the end of the trip.