Through the Canals in Venice, Italy

Moving on to Venice, James and I were very excited to travel in Italy. Based on the recommendations from friends, we decided to spend the day in Venice and then make our way to Florence in the evening.  Despite being extremely touristy, Venice was a neat place to visit and experience. From the train station we needed to get across town to visit the most popular attractions. There are two ways to travel in Venice: by foot or by boat. We opted for the water taxi, and toured the canals for a while just to see the structure of the city. Although the structure of the city is surely doomed to fail at some point, it was really neat to see the water lapping up on the shops, homes, and hotels along the canal. The weather was beautiful and the water was sparkling.

We hopped on the water taxis to weave us to and fro in the canals.

Views from the water taxi

The rows of gondolas are mesmerizing and charming.

After our boat tour, we were ready for coffee and breakfast. First, we found a cute little cafe. The cappuccino was delicious. It was probably the best we had on the entire trip.

Next, we needed food. When in Italy....what better food is there than gelato?
(Particularly for breakfast.)

We searched and found the perfect geleteria.

The gelato was phenomenal. It was, hands down, the best gelato we had in Italy (even though we had it at ten in the morning). We probably would have gotten more had we known how outstanding it was compared to the rest we would have.

Breakfast of champions.
Mango and mixed berry flavored.

Gelato as big as your head!
Cookies and cappuccino flavored.

The sweets were enticing.

We moved on to explore the city. The architecture was fantastic.

 It was impossible to get any photos without hundreds of people in them. 

Standing in the Piazza San Marco

We visited the incredible Basilica San Marco. 

I am very thankful that a guide book advised me to purchase tickets in advance so that we wouldn't have to wait in this super long line.

 The golden ceiling is millions of tiny golden mosaic tiles. Absolutely incredible.

 The entire church is covered in mosaics depicting biblical scenes. The interior of the church covers a massive amount of scripture. By studying the beautiful and descriptive mosaic scenes displayed in every direction, people who were not able to read the words of scripture would be able to understand scripture and the gospel of Christ. Praise the Lord!

 I sat in a chair soaking in the majestic masterpiece of the artwork. I imagined all the people who were reached because of the unique way this church shares the good news. I am in awe of the different ways the Lord works to reach His people. What a marvelous God!

The boat rides to end our time in Venice were relaxing and unique.

We were very glad to have stopped for the day in Venice. If you are in Italy, we definitely recommend it!