Flight to Venice and Venice--Day 1,2,3

I flew to San Diego and James and I flew to Atlanta--no problem but we spent 6 hrs in Atlanta so we were very tired by the time we arrived at the Venice airport. However, we had breakfast while flying over the Alps and I was so impressed. I had never imagined how extensive they were. The many lakes of turquoises, blues, and greens were like little jewels and the Alps seemed to go on and on forever. Another venture someday, maybe. At the airport, James hired a water taxi to take 8 of us to our hotels, which were on canals and near the famous St. Marks Square. The captain's driving of the water taxi was extraordinary as he turned the corners and passed the Gondolas. The water was very dirty and buildings old and watermarked on the outside but the hotels and shops were amazingly clean not damp at all inside. After showering at the Calvalletto Hotel we walked through St. Marks Square and saw the Basilica (Cathedral) and then met Mike and Mary Anne Hinsvark and Jarrod and Monica Hendricks. We wandered through the small streets and looked in the shops while looking for a restaurant that Mike remembered by the Rialto Bridge. We finally found it and it was worth the search. We sat under a lighted veranda by the canal so we could watch the Gondolas and lights on the water and across the canal. The food and service was wonderful and the Creme Caramel (flan) the best I had ever had. It was a magical place. I slept well that night even with the shutters open and noise from the street below in the early am but James did not so I shopped all morning while he caught up on his Z's. There was so much beautiful murano glass, laces, handkerchiefs and leather purses plus lots of touristy type things. It was fun to watch the people in the Square --though why they would let those dirty pigeons land on their arms and hands was beyond me. When it was time to check out a man appeared with a cart and loaded all our luggage and then maneuvered the cart up and down the stairs over the canals. It was only a 10 minute walk from our hotel to the pier hotel where we left our luggage to wait for the water taxi. There was still time to shop so I found the leather purse I had come to buy and James went crazy for ties, soccer shirts for the children, tapestries and table cloths for Camber. The streets are very narrow and many, many tourists but the shops are very nice and some of them are very, very expensive (purses for $400) etc. I did not buy that kind. It is easy to see that Venice or Venezzia survives with the tourist trade but it is well worth the trip.