Venice

Wow!  Pretty amazing to be in Venice!  A city that is unlike any other.  Just by looking at a map, you realize how unique and different Venice really is - there are no roads. . .just canals.  Certainly, with rising sea levels, Venice is at a threat like few other places on the planet. 

We were grateful that there were no predicted storm surges that might have put many of the areas under water.

We finally figured out the water taxi system after mistakenly thinking that the bus ticket pass might cover transportation in Venice (A Venice pass covers all buses and water taxis; so it was silly to buy extra bus tickets - something to be learned for next time - and a price for not speaking enough Italian at the local tobacco shop.). 

To get away from the cold wind and the bitter chill which we were not accustomed to, we managed to duck in for the most expensive hot chocolate we may ever have!  Right on the Venice square it was a welcome retreat from the elements.