A bus, a train and a boat to Venice

We arrived in St Mark's square where the famous basilica and bell tower are, as well as hundreds of pigoens cover the ground. It is really quite odd to see so many birds in one place. Their sound echoes off the buildings and you basically have to walk through them to get from one side to the other. Venice is famous for Murano glass and lace. We were able to see a glass blowing demonstration. It is amazing how easy it looks, but people study years to become a master. The lace making is just as amazing and becuase it is a dying art, it is subsidized by the government. After a little shopping, we walked through the streets where we found an Italian/Chinese pizzeria. Hmmmm? It was good and cheap. Just what we wanted. Venice wouldn't be complete without a gondola ride through the Grande Canal. Our gondolier didn't sing, but he sure did talk on his cell phone alot. I guess it's just not as romantic as it seems....he did wear stripes though! We saw Bridge of Sighs, Ponte de Rialto and ate dinner at another Italian\Chinese restaurant. Apparently in Venice, they're more common than you think. We took a boat, to the train station, train station to the hotel and got plenty of rest before the long trip back to Rome. We are getting really good at this whole public transportation thing.