Say hello . . .

to the newest member of our family. This is Coal. He's a mini-schnauzer

Venice

When in Venice, you absolutely must take a ride in a gondola. If for no other reason than to simply experience something that is so quintessentially Venetian. It's like drinking tequila in Mexico.






Just hanging out with the locals.


Lost in the City
After our gondola ride, Jordan and I become completely and perfectly lost. We found ourselves unable to find our way back to St. Mark's Square. In our defense, the map given to us was totally inadequate. You couldn’t find your way out of a square box using that map. This was not a serious problem as there were so many beautiful things to see and do. We used this opportunity to simply enjoy the city. Getting lost is such a delightful way to experience a city because you simply give in to the experience. You’re not trying to find your way to the next monument or church. You simply enjoy what you might happen upon during the journey – a delightful happenstance of experiences. We felt very European when we stumbled upon a residential area where we were able to drink in the culture and uniqueness of Venice to its fullest. In the end, we joined the Italian fight against drugs in order to gain directions to St. Mark's Square. It was so interesting to speak to the people requesting signatures to elicit the government’s assistance in the fight again drug use. The sexy, young, Italian man told us that, much like in the US, drugs are a problem in his country. As a social worker, I understand. As a tourist, I had forgotten that the magical city I was in might be plagued by the some of the same issues and problems that we face back home. This experience was one of my favorites.


Napoleon said St. Mark's Square was "the finest drawing room in Europe." St. Mark's Basilica allegedly holds the remains of St. Mark. It is said that in the 11th century St. Mark's remains were smuggled out of Alexandria in a barrel of salt pork to prevent a thorough search by the city's Muslim guards.


The Bridge of Sighs connects the Doges' Palace and its prison. It is said that as prisoners crossed the bridge they signed with perfect sadness as they regarded Venice for the last time. Casanova made a daring escape from this prison in 1756.

So, there you have it, a couple highlights from our trip to Venice. There is so much more to share but I'll save it for another day.

It's 12:48 a.m. Why can't I sleep? This is the second night in a row I've been unable to get satisfactory sleep. I can't go on like this. Someone, please help me.