Little feet, big suitcases

" my feet hurt". It's been cold!! Haven't had a chance to be adorable in flats. Boots only!

Buona Pasqua! A few days ago, we started out our Easter morning with a traditional Italian breakfast: cappuccino, flakes, yogurt, cheese, ham and a bun. From there we walked and walked and walked to eventually find Piazza San Marco. Continued to walk (heehee) and walk and came across the cutest alley way. We partook in the Venetian norm of a midday aperitif and cicchetti (small tapa type foods). Every Venetian bacaro & corner "snack bar" advertise their Campari & Aperol "spritz." We've noticed Venetians walk into a bar, order & literally chug this pure liquor (mixed with a spritz of soda water), while it takes us Americans about an hour to drink. Don't worry, we're sure we'll get the hang of it soon.

After the rain stopped, so did our aperitif time. We ended up back at Piazza San Marco in line for the Piazzale Ducole. Here we learned a ridiculous amount of information about the Doge of Venice (still not sure what a doge is), self-electing governments and a huge fire of 1577. We DID see the world's largest canvas painting, Il Paradisio, and some amazing 15th & 16th century architecture. Gold specks everywhere, except the dingy prisons (not somewhere we'd want to be when Venice floods!) We popped out of the Doge's palace & realized the entrance for St. Mark's Basilica was right around the corner & free!!!! We eagerly hopped in line to find out the Basilica itself was closed due to Easter weekend.

The sun was out now, so we tried to " get lost" in the alleys and ended up right back near our hotel with a Spritz in hand (internal compasses??), sitting at the Grand Canal with the Ponte Rialto in sight. Yes... It really was that perfect.

Tired as heck & suddenly very cold, we found a nice pasta dinner and went to bed. Yesterday's journey is a whole other story. We'll spare you the details... Until we write up that post.

We are now in Riomaggiore & enjoying a pre-dinner spritz. Campari & soda. A seafood dinner is in the very near future.

Ciao for now!

Time to take our feet to dinner,
Belle & Mack