The mosaic inside the Baptistery of St John. Created in 1270.

With Rome and Florence down, we were off to Venice. I am not going to make any friends among the Rick Steves disciples, but Venice is my least favorite European city. While very picturesque, it is expensive, packed with impatient tourists, dirty, stinky, and the food was extremely horrible. I know Venice is a must-see for most tourists going to Italy, but just be warned; make your trip there short.

This was the submarine that torpedoed a container ship, two canal commuter boats, and four gondolas three weeks before we arrived

There are also a few sleepy little residential streets.

This Baroque church, right on the waterfront, is the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, built between 1631-1687

And despite my opening rant about Venice, the architecture is spectacular. Here is the St Mark’s Basilica, built between 1063 - 1094

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Venice is more than canals. We did find a quiet little park for a picnic.