Venice Last Day

We have a great little hotel but unfortunately the noise and commotion on the street can be rather dismaying. The party crowd seems to pass by our room to all hours of the morning with no respect for our desire to get at least a few winks of sleep. Then the market people start their preparation at about 5:30 in the morning so that they can be ready for their clientele early in the day. I suppose that one has to put up with some problems to justify visiting a most beautiful and romantic location. There has been some requests for pictures of the romantic gondola ride and so we will accommodate those who have asked. We went on a hour gondola ride this afternoon and it was amazing experience. Our gondolier Marcos was a real perfect choice. He is a young man studying at university part time to be an engineer while taking part in a family business. The gondola license is passed down from father to son and he is the sixth generation to be in the business. He was extremely knowledgeable on the history of Venice and a real charmer as for Gale's comments, "a real hunk" All seriously he made our little visit through the back waterways and the grand canal an experience that we will both cherish.That was the highlight of a day that included walking endless miles once again over the streets and alleys, many that I am sure that we had passed over before. We went to an excellent restaurant this evening. It had been recommended by the hotel owner. When we arrived without a reservation we were told that we would have to be finished by 9pm. We thought that 90 minutes would be enough. I have to say that we enjoyed one of the best meals that we have ever had. The staff was so very friendly and the food was beyond description. A very nice memory to keep as we leave in the morning for Tuscany. We say goodnight and hope that we can sleep just a little longer than last night.