Italy : Venice Part 1

I left off on our second day in Florence. You can read my recaps of Rome (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) and Florence (Part 1, Part 2). 

We headed out early to Venice the next morning. Taking the trains were by far the most stressful part of the trip. The train stations are huge with at least 20 tracks/platforms all going to different places. The platforms update with the destinations only 10-15 minutes before, so you really need to pay attention and then hustle to get to your train. On top of that, all the intercom announcements are in Italian. But once on the train, you could literally see the stress relief on my husband's face.

Once off the train, we took a water bus (vaporetto) to get to our apartment.

First views of the canals of Venice!

We got in pretty late and spent the evening getting settled into our apartment. For dinner we wandered down a little street and picked up some locally made tortellini, pasta sauce, wine and cannolis.

The next morning we went out exploring.

Such a beautiful view, can you imagine it in summer? Breathtaking.

The Rialto Bridge

The oldest bridge to span the grand canal in Venice. It has stairs on both outer sides as well as in the center where all the shops face.

A fountain in a square.

We stopped at the Rialto market early in the morning. One of my favorite parts of our trip.

Fresh local seafood!

Pig shaped salami?

Venice is truly a city where wandering is mandatory. We found this little square/area near the market that led us to the grand canal. The tide was rising, during a time they call "acqua alta" or high water. 

It's a little hard to tell, but I'm actually standing in the rising canal water. Yup, I planned ahead and brought my rainboots! 

I'm pretty sure I said "Omg! I'm standing in the venice canal!" Haha :)

Stay tuned for our next day in Venice!