Many have said that a tourist in Venice can wander the tangled streets and alleys of this ancient city lost for hours in search of a destination. They should say it louder. The street maps squeeze 47-character Italian names onto each represented alley in 4-point type, making a high-powered magnifying glass a requirement to determine that street names on any map have little in common with the names posted on the sides of buildings. 80% of streets are deadends and several bridges serve only one large building. Such is Venice’s charm.
There are alleys in Venice so narrow that Walmart shoppers can only navigate them with hired flagmen at each end to prevent blockage.
Our hotel, when located, turned out to be quite charming.
We bravely left our luggage, after a quick shower, and headed out for dinner and a stroll about town, certain to get lost again. In that regard, Venice never disappoints. Nevertheless, it was wonderful to see St. Mark’s Square in after dark:
You might be able to see a blue spec in the upper left sky. It is a strange new toy that is being flogged in all the open squares. A slingshot-like device hurls it far into the air. An on-board light traces the gentle fall to earth using some spinning mechanism that acts much like the seed of a maple tree.
Sambandar 
Wow! The trouble I run into when responding to your impression and experiences roaming through new places, is to NOT attempt to out-write you because I can’t. I’m not witty, clever, or artistic and my skills on a laptop leave a LOT to be desired.
However, I must reply because I enjoy your descriptions, sometimes of cities I’ve had the pleasure of visiting and sometimes places I dream of seeing sometime in the future. At my age “future” is not long-term.
You’ve started off your voyage in one of my favorite places and you’ve already pointed out some of the endearing qualities that I witnessed but didn’t articulate. I want to hear about your first dining experience, and if Rod’s multi-language capabilities came in handy.
We’re in rainy Madison, WI, just rising up from one of my best sleeps in months. Gavin keeps me hopping. Hope to hear more really soon. Thanks for taking us along with your write-ups.
Your writing skills are impressive. I love taking these journeys with you.
Some of us write, some of us play bridge. If I am adequate at just one, then I am happy.
I’ll leave commenting on your prodigious writing skills to others and simply point out that your photographs add flavor to your post as well, which make the entire package worth viewing. Thanks for bringing us all along on your trip! I look forward to reading about your coming days.