We had originally planned on taking the train to Milan. We had a rail pass, so it would have been "free". Rather than spend time going to a large and busy city, we decided to spend another day in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We walked miles and miles. They were holding a regatta of various forms human powered boats. Large crowds lined the canals to cheer them on. It was a fascinating sight.

We spent a full day sightseeing in Venice. Sometimes when you go to a place with high expectations you are disappointed when you get there. Venice is just the opposite. We loved the city. The city is young and vibrant. Great architecture is everywhere and interesting alleys and canals wind throughout. We had the free continental breakfast at the hotel. It was excellent. No hot food but it included hard boiled eggs, cereals, fruit, cheese and cold cuts. Coffee and...

We took a bus from the airport to Piazzale Roma, the last place that cars/buses can drive in Venice. Our hotel was located just across the Grand Canal from there, near Santa Lucia train station. We wanted to be near the train station since we planned to go on day train trips with the rail pass we purchased. Since there was no land transportation available, we decided to walk to the hotel with our luggage. It was quite a picture of us struggling to get our 4 suitc...