Up and at ’em at the genteel hour of about 9am — we both had fantastic sleeps and are completely stumped at where to start. This is partly due to the lack of coffee and minimal food yesterday, as sleep was a priority.

We leave the apartment and head in the direction of the closest main street, where we slam back a coffee and something ridiculously sweet. They do have a mighty sweet tooth, these Italians!

There’s a Billa supermarket close to hand so we stock up on Lavazza coffee, bread, cheese, and some jam so we can brace ourselves for the world proper. We take it back to the apt (about a 3 min walk, one canal) and form a general plan to take in the main square, San Marco,

and generally wander about getting to grips with the place and how long it takes to get places.

The answer is not long — unless you do what we do and look in many of the ridiculously over the top shop windows selling venetian masks, glass baubles of every thing imaginable (and some you haven’t imagined), lace, racy lingerie, more masks, in case you forgot you were in Venice for a few shops,
and sunglasses. There are a lot of sunglasses shops.

Gondolas abound, with the striped-shirted chaps touting for business.

Bridges are everywhere, sans dire,  and I have my own personal tour guide with Anne volunteering factoids at every square we come across. If only I had the memory for detail she does! She’s handy, I’ll keep her ;-)

Being winter, it’s a bit chill out, but not crazy-cold like we we’re expecting. Well not today anyway.

And then there’s George.