Farewell Venezia!

After lunch on Lido, we headed back to Venice aboard the vaporetto once again, this time to visit a factory where Venetian lace was made. Afterward, we had free time once again to wander the city's numerous byways to shop, browse, or just soak up the unique culture of Venice. Mr. Smith and I met up after each of us had ridden separately to the top of the campanile tower to enjoy the magnificent views from way up above San Marco. As we wandered about afterward, Mr. Smith decided to take a long walk with Colin over to the section of the city once known as Geto, but long since Italianized into the word we all now know as Ghetto. I wasn't with them, but according to Mr. Smith there was an extraordinarily different, almost other-worldly feel there that was especially prominent to him. 

While he and Colin made their way on their own, I chose to wander about near the Rialto bridge, and as I did so I met up with Sophia, Kim, Hayley, Allie, Pam, Katherine, Molly, Andrew and Jeff as they, themselves, sauntered about looking in the many shops and outdoor markets for items to bring home as souvenirs of their trip. Jeff told me he was looking specifically for a certain kind of hat which he'd not yet been able to find. Well, soon after this photo was taken, I'm happy to report that he found it, and proudly wore it for the rest of the evening!

I soon left them once again, and since we had another hour and a half or so before we were to meet in St. Mark's square for dinner, I headed in that direction. After a good bit of walking, and as I arrived alongside St. Mark's Cathedral, I heard guitar playing and singing just ahead. Right in front of me I saw John, David, Marina and Gabby sitting on a low curb playing and singing a la Greenwich Village, with John's guitar case opened on the floor and and beginning to fill up with a good amount of euros inside it! Not bad for their first European gig, huh?

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel. The kids are outside most likely enjoying Mr. Smith's promise of "gelato on him" before curfew comes around, and we head back to our rooms to sleep off these past few days here. Tomorrow we wake at 7:30, have breakfast, and board our bus at 9:00 to sail (yes, sail -- the bus will be aboard the ferry with us!) to the mainland and onto the road to Verona.

So it will be farewell Venezia, and farewell to an experience never to be forgotten!