On to Rome

We finished our wonderful stay in Venice with a memorable moonlit ride
on a gondola. We departed from one of the small canals and snaked our
way along until we went under the Rialto bridge on the Grand Canal.
The water was perfectly smooth and most of the time we felt like the
only boat on the water. The gondolier guided the gondola very well.
Some of the corners we cut pretty closely, and yet we didn't once hit
a wall. Going along the canals was a lot like going along a street--
one narrow canal leading to another, doorways lining the canals with
boats parked in front, city walls going straight up from the water's
surface. It added even more to the surreal feeling of being in Venice.

One thing that was kind of funny is that lots of people took pictures
of us as we passed under bridges, almost as if we were celebrities.
Other than that, we were unknown in the dark canals of the City of
Masks.

Leaving on the train this morning was bittersweet. Hopefully we'll go
back to Venice. But we have more fun adventures in store in Rome.