Vince=Rediculous!

We had a little extra time in Florence that morning so we headed over to the Duomo to do some sketching. It’s such a complex beautiful building, with so much detail at every inch. It was so interesting to try to convey that into a 4x8” paper! Last little joy in Florence, we waited outside Grom for them to open and had the last best gelato ever! We hopped on a train and headed to Venice the next location on our Grand Tour. We waited in the train station and then hoped on the train, the stress of making sure we all end up on the train is ridiculous…worse than the airport scene! But thus far we are good…no one loss, all ridiculous bags in hand! After a very relaxing train ride…okay, yes I did fall asleep for the whole ride, but when I did open my eyes there was lots of lush green streaking past my view, the beautiful Tuscan valley. Next time I go…and yes there will be a next, as soon as possible, I really want to spend some serious time in the Tuscan Valley. We stepped out of the train station and…oh, my goodness what an amazing city, who’s idea was it to make a city out of all the Venison Island…genius! It was so great getting onto a water taxi and traveling along the water. The city reminded me oddly of Lake Powell, everything is accessible from the water, other than that, no red rock or fish jumping in boils, but the whole water thing was so fan-freaking-tastic! We waited for a bit outside the building that was our hotel, I thought, oh great another hole in the wall!...it was such a great area though, the water reflecting the bright stucco buildings with beautiful flowers flowing out window boxes. Such a peaceful felling there…it must be the water, so very smoothing! Well instead of just getting a key to our place, we got a personal escort to our room. And I am dying, this was the prettiest most fantastically designed hotel room. I felt like I was staying in the Palaces we were visiting! Walls covered with a rich champion damask padded fabric, the bed had a corona treatment with beautiful cream fabric and the head board in a delicious chocolate brown material, smooth as butter. The bathroom, lined with striking marble, the fixtures silvery shining and sparkling! I felt like I had died and gone to heaven, especially juxtaposing the ridiculous Florence hotel! So after the best nap ever, we headed out to the city to take a look around. Venice is so crazy, all the buildings are maybe 3 feet apart, just enough room to walk around, and there really isn’t anyway to navigate, so you just walk till you get somewhere, I thought it would be really frustration, but surprisingly it was just a great way to see the city and meander. We headed up the Rialto Bridge to a view that can’t be surpassed…the sun just setting and lighting the sky with magnificent pinks and purples, all reflecting in the water. The over all ambience of Venice is so beautifully laid back and surreal. Gondoliers slowly carting there passengers along, Dinners, laughing and enjoying the overall peace that is Venice. The group of us gals found a great little restaurant and under umbrellas enjoyed a simple Italian meal of Spaghetti, and soders…but sadly, it broke the bank! $6.00 Sprite…that is ridiculous…those small little glass bottles, I should have kept it for a souvenir! We did some fun shopping along the way, I was coined as the master of haggle…the haggle queen, after a few trips to Mexico, I got the grove pretty well. There were these hilarious black guys who would follow you around with Prada and Louis Vitton bags, I got one of them from $50.00 to $15! Not to shabby, Seth would be proud! I loved walking around with the settle lights of the homes reflecting in the water, and the most fantastic bridges at every turn! I have never been so excited to see my hotel room as this night, to climb into my nicely turned down sheets and melt into the softest bed ever…Good Night, I’m sleeping freaking tight!