Week 3: Venice, Italy

I have to apologize (again!) for the late blog post. This trip is flying by and there is so much to do and see. I haven't had much chance to sit down for a few hours and write about the past couple of weeks. I'm back at Mom's apartment today and we are leaving for Seville, Spain tomorrow, so I will try to cover the last three weeks the best I can. I will start with the third week of my vacation: Venice, Italy.

On May 5, my brother Michael arrived in Switzerland. He was at Mom's apartment just long enough to nap, have a wonderful lunch with John (Mom's friend from work) and me at L'Hermitage in Clarens, and repack his stuff into a tiny backpack for a two week trip. I really wish I had a picture of his luggage, because it was amazingly small! I was impressed. I don't think I'd ever be able to pull it off.

A lovely outdoor lunch with John and Michael at L'Hermitage

Michael and I showing off our delicious French food at L'Hermitage

On May 6, Michael, Michelle, Tim and I took a flight to Venice and stayed there for four nights. We had a nice hostel in a less busy area of the city, Campo San Geremia, but we were still able to walk around to all the major attractions, such as the Rialto Bridge and San Marcos Basilica. We also visited the National Gallery and took a gondola ride (had to!). We bought a boat pass, so we were able to take two day trips to other islands, including Murano (famous for glass making), Burano (famous for brightly colored houses), and Lido (the beach island).

The Rialto Bridge - very famous and very crowded

Michael and I in San Marcos Square with the Basilica in the background (right)

Me, in front of St. Mark's Basilica

We walked around the inside of St. Mark's Basilica, but it was not allowed to take pictures inside. Also, if you are planning to visit old churches in the future, note that shorts and tank tops are not acceptable. We had to make two trips to the basilica, because we were ill-dressed on the first try and we were not allowed inside!

Michael and me, at the top of the Bell Tower in St. Mark's Square

We watched glass-makers at work in Murano

Michael and I in Burano - loved the colorful houses!

Michelle and Tim, exploring the side streets in Burano

Lots of big kites flying on the beach in Lido

Michael, strolling through Lido

Boat rides make us sleepy

Michelle and Tim, on the gondola ride

Michael and me, on the gondola ride

Since we were in Venice for four nights, we certainly were not strapped for time. Most of our sightseeing activities ended around five o'clock, at which time we took a power nap then went out for apertivo (wine and snacks usually for us). This was followed by a late dinner and wandering the streets to enjoy the city without the crowds.

Michael and me, awaiting our drinks at apertivo time

Wandering around Venice

We had sweets every day, delicious!

Venice at night

On May 11, Michelle and Tim returned home to Indy, and Michael and I set off for Amsterdam. It was a great trip, with some great friends that I hadn't seen in quite a while! We enjoyed Venice very much and since it was near the top of my list of places to see, I am happy to say that I saw a lot there.

Read the next post to hear about Amsterdam, Prague and Berlin! :)