Tuesday, April 14: Milano to Venezia

Had breakfast at the Brunelleschi, which was very good, as always. Said "good'bye" to our Apple-loving waiter friend, who had waxed quite poetic about his new uni-body laptop and iMac when we'd had dinner at the hotel our first night in.

Chet went to get the car and couldn't figure out the payment system; fortunately, a nice person helped him out. He went to the hotel to pick Lynne up - patiently waiting with the baggage - and we set off for Venice! The drive to Venice is easy, and we parked the car in a garage in Mestre - on the mainland - and walked to the train station to go to Venice proper.

Chet, who'd never been here before, was almost in shock with the beauty of the city when we first arrived. There are beautiful sights in every direction - from the costumers and masks to the gondolas and water taxis, the Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge. It just goes on and on. We also plan to visit the "Chet Bar", which is named after Chet Baker - and for whom Chet Shannon is also named.

The Piazza San Marco is amazing and jaw-droppingly beautiful. There were at least three different groups playing music on the square in front of the various restaurants. The beauty is just amazing. We got back to our hotel room ar4ound 7:30, and Lynne wasn't feeling well (the pesky cold Chet brought home from the midwest!), so Chet went out to get some food for dinner.