Venice

I have barely straightened out all my thoughts about Florence when I find myself in Venice... What a fantastic and surreal city. We caught the afternoon train from Rome, this is a picture of the kids playing cards on the Frecciargento: 

By the time we got to Venice it was dark. We walked out of the train station and there it all was - the things you understand theoretically will be there - gonzolas, water taxis, water... water water... But seeing here, and seeing all this? Wow. All four of us felt blown away all at once.  

We hopped onto the nearest ride (via canal of course!) to our hotel... It was dark, so it's barely worth posting this picture:

We checked in and went for a walk to find dinner and stretch our legs. Already we are getting a strong sense of the city as a stage... It is very fitting that Carnivale is starting up here this weekend, the city feels like the home of very theatrical things... Around virtually every corner is a square/piazza, or an enclosure, a path or steps, beautiful raised platforms interspersed in the walkways. I could see vignettes being played out in my imagination. Perhaps Pantalone walking us cheekily through the scenes... 

But for the rest of today: sleep please. More on Venice to come, though I will leave you with this great Henry James quote befitting our arrival in this great city:

...for though there are some disagreeable things in Venice there is nothing so disagreeable as the visitors... 

;-)