Venice certainly wins the award for "best trip from train station to hotel"! We walked out the front door of the station to be greeted by the Grand Canal - gondolas, vaporetti and atmosphere! The other cities we have visited were sometimes "just cities" but there was no confusing this as any place but Venice!
We got the #1 vaporetto and cruised as far as Rialto Mercato - the Rialto Market. Our hotel was just around the corner. Pensione Guerrato was built in 1289 and was used as a convent until 1748 so elevators were not a convenience included in the building plans! 60 stairs up to our room but we are fit and healthy so not a problem! And we had a view of church steeples and the rooftops of Venice!
We headed right back out to find some place for dinner. Again, right around the corner was a piazza with tables for several little restaurants that line the canal. An amazing meal at twilight on the Grand Canal in Venice. Life doesn't get much better than that!! 
I had a crepe like pasta (cresselle?) stuffed with swordfish, pine nuts and raisins and topped with an artichoke sauce. It was delicious - and the surroundings made it an even more special meal.
We walked back to our hotel just as the sun was setting. The church bells were ringing, gondolas were floating by and we were in Venice!
We slept a bit later this morning to make up for some very early mornings! A leisurely breakfast in an elegant dining room to the strains of opera music! How will I ever go back to toast on the run!
What a difference morning made to the area around the hotel! We stepped outside to the hustle and bustle of the market...set up right along the canal!
The stands that stood empty last night were overflowing with fruits and vegetables 
and fresh fish! Anything you could possibly want was right there - and so were the pigeons!
Stalls lined most of the streets and alleys in the area 
and we browsed the shops as we made our way towards the Rialto Bridge. 
Venice may be easy to navigate by canal but the streets twist and turn and sometimes even having a map is not much help! There are signs pointing towards the major attractions so that does help! We wound our way towards St. Mark's Square. It was another of those "turn the corner and WOW!!" moments!
I thought there had been a lot of people in the streets we'd travelled so far but the population on the piazza far outnumbered the streets!
The Basillica is an eclectic mix of Roman arches, Byzantine mosaics, French Gothic pinnacles and onion domes! Marble from all over blankets the building and frescoes adorn the fascades. If one gets tired of people watching, hours could be spent just taking in the detail and design here!! HUGE lineups to get in and only a certain number are allowed in at a time. We had "places to go, things to do" so opted out of that experience!
The Doge's Palace was home to Venetian rulers for four centuries (1150-1550). It is a Venetian Gothic building sometimes called "The Wedding Cake", "The Table Cloth" or "The Pink House". Again, lineups and a gorgeous day, made us decide to forgo any tour!
On to The Bridge of Sighs. Prisoners who were sentenced in the Palace were supposedly taken over this bridge on their way to the prison. They took one last look at Venice and sighed!
We walked along the Riva - the promenade - and observed the action there! One interesting sight was the hawkers on the bridges and along the promenade. They were selling knockoff designer purses, belts, sunglasses etc. At one point, we noticed they were packing up their wares. A few minutes later, two policemen came by and as we moved down the street, we saw the hawkers setting up once again. In moments, the steps of the bridges were covered with purses and business continued?! Quite slick! There must have been a spy somewhere!
We found a boat tour to the islands advertised for the afternoon. A quick gelato stop at one of the restaurant patios on the promenade then onboard for our tour.
Murano was our first stop. It is famous for its glass factories. Due to the dangerous furnaces and to protect Venetian glass secrets, a law in 1292 restricted glass production to this island. An artisan demonstrated the art from the oven to the final product - quite an amazing process.
We were then, of course, taken to the showroom! Incredible pieces of all sizes, purposes and prices!
Dad's grandmother, Granny Chambers, came to Venice as a nanny for the daughters for a wealthy English aristocrat, Sir George Farrar, in the last decade of the 1800's. She told stories of her adventures in Venice to her grandchildren so visiting Venice is particularly special for Dad. She was a proficient lace maker using the traditional bobbin. Our visit to the island of Burano, known for its lace making, was reminiscent of her skills. We were fortunate to see a woman making pin lace - (RESEARCH THIS!!!!) One piece would take several months to complete and is a dying art. Exquisite pieces were available for purchase but were almost too delicate to use!
Burano is also famous for its colourful homes - painted in bright colours to help the fishermen find their way home! 
Burano also has a famous leaning clock tower! It's leaning...because it's sinking?!!! Who needs Pisa?!
A visit to the island of Torcello - famous for being the beginning of civilization in this area as refugees escaped marauding barbarians! There is a 12th century church on the island - a 10 minute walk from the dock. Since we only had 30 minutes on the island and didn't want to spend 20 of it rushing to get to the church and back, we sat on the dock and enjoyed the views and the glorious weather! Several people almost missed the boat so I'm glad we stayed put! One couple did miss the boat in Burano! Fortunately, the vaporetti stop by on a regular basis so hopefully they made it back to the mainland.
