Venice....Day 2...Part 1

Good Morning Venice

This is how still it looks in the morning before everything gets busy...no people...no gondoliers...no taxi's and no vaporetto's (the water bus).

I never tired looking out from our balcony.

 After we got up and moving we just decided to walk

we just wondered and wondered with no real direction

 looked at the souvenir stands along the water

 once we tired of walking we headed back towards our hotel and decided to do lunch there on the terrace....we actually had reservations for dinner that evening but decided to try lunch.

After seeing the menu prices and the limited choices we opt to just do lunch and cancel our dinner reservations and just head back to where we were the night before in San Marco square...after all we had such a wonderful time there the night before.

We ordered a bottle of wine (duh!!!) and enjoyed our view looking out over the Canal.

I had the assorted fish...was good but could of done without the heads on my shrimp

After lunch we went upstairs to our room and freshened up and put our packages in the room and decided to head out for a taxi tour on the canal.

Now I have lots of pictures from our hour on the canal and it was really hard to decide what to post and what not to post.

So....I decided to end this post here and tomorrow and the next day I will split up the pictures of what I would love to share with you.

It will basically be a picture post with very little commentary...only when needed.

See you on the canal!



Happy 1st Birthday Noah

We interrupt the Italy post for a very important event....

Noah's First Birthday!!!!

 One year ago today August 5th Jennifer and Paul blessed my life with my 3rd grandson and my fifth grandchild, Noah Todd Marker...He truly is a blessing and a handsome one at that.

 Here is big brother Liam helping Noah with his new ride he got for his little brother.

 Jenn made Noah's cake, the #1 with different race cars on it as a symbol that this year has raced by.

 Jenn had kept Liam's 1st Birthday hat and now Noah got to wear it.

 Noah and his birthday cake

 It's time to dig in

 Noah was so into discovering his birthday cake and having cake for the first time

 I think he approved that his cake was GREAT

 and clapping his hands and going yeah cause today is my day...

I'm The Birthday Boy

the same shirt Liam wore when he turned 1

 Happy Birthday to me!!!

Noah is just so sweet with a happy personality and just a smiley little boy.

What a joy this past year has been.

***I will return tomorrow to continue with the Italy blog***

A Night In Venice

So after an afternoon of sightseeing we wondered back to San Marco's Square.

I had read lots of reviews that this was the place to grab a table, have dinner and some wine and just people watch.

So, we decided to try it out and see what it was all about.

Early in the day this place is jammed back with people and up til around 6-7 but as the night sets in it clears out but still with the right amount of people.

 So, this square is famous for the pigeons that come and mingle with the people. Kids are trying to play with the birds, people are feeding them and then holding feed in their hands for the birds to come and land on them...there are bitds in people's hair and some people are laying on the ground and letting the birds cover them up.

 Not sure who's idea it was that we take pictures with the birds but looks like I thought that was a good idea....really? It was a little freaky...everytime they nibbled or moved it just freaked me out.

Can you tell?

 But it was fun and then again...only in Venice.

 Isn't that a beautiful sight...the church in San Marco's square...makes for a lovely back drop...

Don't you think?

 My chair was only there for the picture...I sat where I could out to the square and see the people with the church to my left...a good view for both...I loved looking at that church.

We had wine, talked, people watch and listened to the band, kicked our feet up on an open chair....what a wonderful night it was...and what a way to just chill.

the breeze was wonderful and before the sun went down we were on the side of the square that was shaded.

 Cousins enjoying the night...not a care in the world except for did we get the right wine shot.

Wine was our theme through this trip.

I think we ended up having 2 bottles of wine and a extra glass each...I knew we couldn't do 3 but needed that last one to end the night right...I didn't want to leave...I think I could of slept in my chair for the night right there in the square.

Looks like it's time to go....Lonnie is ready to pay the check

Afterwards we went around the corner to a deli place and got a sandwich to share, as we hadn't had dinner....we took it back to the room andate in comfort, our jammies.

Today was a successful first day in Venice and a wonderful sixth day of our trip in Italy.

Join me tomorrow as I take you through our journey on Day 2 in Venice.

Welcome To Venice....Day 6

Welcome To Venice and The Grand Canal

 Once we got off our train we headed out front to catch a taxi...a water taxi that is to our hotel...there are no cars I Venice...only water craft....and this was our first taste of how expensive Venice is.

20 minute water taxi = 80 Euro = about 100 US dollars

 We got to do a little sight seeing by water on our way to the hotel...I think we were both like kids in ahhh of our surroundings.

I love the picture above with the Italian flag 

 and the lonely gondolier

 and here we are arriving at our hotel (picture below)...there is a dock right outside for us to pull up to and be let off...not all hotels have that...some you have to be let of in a spot and then walk...some short distances and some further....so glad we didn't have to walk.

 Once we checked in we just couldn't help going to the view from our room...it was just so cool....we could of stayed in the room with wine the whole time and we would of been happy campers.

 when we arrived in our room we were greeted with a bottle of wine which we did not hesitate to open and enjoy on the balcony looking out to The Grand Canal.

 after we unpacked, finished our wine we headed out to explore Venice...it is a beautiful city...I think mainly cause it is just so different....and it did have a wonderful vibe.

 I don't have a lot of commentary for these pictures but I hope you still enjoy them as much as I do.

It was so hard to choose what to post cause there are just so many wonderful candid shots.

 Then in the picture below we stumbled upon someones home....hanging from the second level window were all kinds of things hanging...wind chimes, witches, the pope, spiders, animals, and more....not sure what it all meant or if I even wanted to know...it seemed evil but then their was a picture of a past pope...so not sure what was going on but it warranted a Kodak moment.

 shopping

 lovers who are in their own little world....and I will say these 2 were really getting it one...I wasn't sure how much they were going to let us all see.

 you can go in and jar your own wine

and Lonnie and myself at San Marco square...who would of known that when we arrived and saw this place that this would end up being our favorite place and where we would end our evenings while in Venice.

because I have so many pictures to share I will end this post here...I hope you enjoyed the pictures and I will be back tomorrow to share our first evening in Venice.

A Night In Florence

After arriving back to Florence from a full day of Day Trippin' we got in a cab and had him take us back to the area we were in the day before.

We walked some of the streets we hadn't walked the day before and then looked for a place to spend our evening.

We found a nice little spot just off the main street that was nice and quite and not busy.

As how any good evening should start we ordered a bottle of Vino

and toasted to a wonderful day.

This became my favorite part of the evenings.

It was a very good bottle that we had to order another.

 Here is Lonnie with our waiter....we had 2 guys taking care of us...one who brought the food and one who brought the wine.

 We had decided after dinner we wanted a little music and asked our waiters to sing us an Italian song...they declined but sent this young gentleman to handle the request.

He's singing to Lonnie.

.

 After singing he sat at our table and visited awhile...he offered to take us back to our hotel...the waiters called him the limo driver...we were told the only cost was tip....so we figured we would let him drive us home, after all we had been there a couple hours (I actually think closer to 3) and we were feeling the effects of the Vino...we might of had 3 bottles.

Our waiters and the cook were there to see us off us we prepared to take off with our singing limo driver.

and our chariot awaits....

We laughed so hard but thought it was pretty cool.

 The wind felt good as he whipped in out of streets and people.

 This little car drove so fast that we laughed the whole time.

We tried to take pictures but between the fastness and the vino they were all a blur.

He got us back to our hotel and I felt generous that I gave him 25 Euro and he was a happy camper...it was worth it for the thrill of the ride and a good laugh.

My cousin Lonnie kissing her date good-night.

Again, another successful day Italy....it had been a very long day and we were ready for bed....tomorrow we travel again and this time to Venice.

See you next on The Grand Canal.