VENICE

We started our tour of Italy in Venice, one of the most romantic cities in the world.  What started out as a near-disaster, with historic flooding on the island, turned into a fun adventure, thanks to our intrepid Rick Steves tour guide, Patricia.  You can see why we'd be nervous if you look at the top row of photos. When we first arrived, we thought that the neon-blue knee-high latex boots were the next Italian fashion statement, but they turned out to be a necessity.   The next day the weather was glorious, and we were able to walk around Venice.  We walked through town and ended up at St. Mark's square.  Our local tour guide told us all about the city's rich history.  In our free time, we took a tour of the Doge's Palace in all of its ornate glory.  We enjoyed the sights, sounds and tastes of this island city, including our first gelatos.  One of the many highlights of the whole tour was our twilight gondola ride, with a musician and singer.  At the bottom of the page is a brief video of the singer.  It was a night to remember!