A first time and truly unique experience. On stepping out from the Venice Santa Lucia Railway Station, there it was... water traffic of all kinds - vaporettos, speed boats, launches and graceful gondolas crossing the pale green water of the Grand Canal. A breathtaking sight.

Peeling stucco, tired paintwork, decorative poles, quiet canals, small stone bridges, shuttered windows, fine Renaissance and Gothic architecture, spectacular cathedrals and churches, Piazza San Marco, Basilica di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale, smaller uncrowded piazzas, lovers of all persuasions, tempting and beautifully presented cafes and ristorantes at every turn, embankments (fondamentes) along the canals, boutiques, bars....

See my blog post.