Saturday, 12 May, 2001 - Venice, Italy
It is another hot day, approaching 80. I am thankful there is no rain. We met for breakfast at 9am. The hotel has a complimentary boat to (but not from) Murano, where they make the famous glass, so we took advantage of it and went there for the morning. Included in the free price was a tour of a glass factory. We saw the furnace and a guy making a pitcher, then toured (also free!!) the shop where we could buy things. It is amazing what they can make with glass and also what they can charge (we were special and got 40% off). We left that place and walked the streets of Murano, ducking into every glass shop we saw. Except for Paul, we all bought something to remember Venice by, but they didn't make much off us. I almost bought GGMur a Bart as a gondolier.

I stopped for a beer at an outside café while the rest continued shopping. We stopped at S Maria to see the church and hit it just after a wedding, before catching the valporetto back to Venice. We were on the penultimate stop before they turned around and they kept going past us but never seemed to turn around and pick us up.

Back in Venice we saw a Carabinieri building and I was trying to explain what the difference was between Carabinieri and Police when the Commander of the Garrison stopped us and gave us the proper explanation. He was only 30 years old, already the commander and very articulate. I asked him who would arrest me if I was fighting him, police or carabinieri, and he said the garrison would empty to get me.

Lunch was very near the hotel, spaghetti vongole for me, salad and shrimpy shrimps for Lucia at Trattoria Da Bepi (not Buppo de Bepi!). Then a nap. Everyone did his/her own thing after naps: I walked the streets along the canal by the Rialto and then to St Marks Square; Lucia wandered around and shopped, as did Kay. Paul also went to St Marks.

We met for dominoes, cheese and wine on the patio. It is very pleasant out there. Dinner was near the hotel, right on one of the canals under a portico along the street. There are no real streets here, just sidewalks. I had some nice salmon at Al Vagon, Lucia had chicken and we had some Valpolicella Classico Domini Veneti 99, like last night. This was a sad meal, as it is Kay's last night with us. She had been fun to travel with, as always.

Kay here - Thanks to Jeff for his great descriptions! Since I left early the next morning, I'll end here, but if you would like to know more about Jeff & Lucia's trip, please email him at hagander@whidbey.com.