It's hard to visit Venice and not feel like you've stepped into a postcard -- especially in winter when the waves of tourists are thin and the sun hangs low, casting an orange light over everything.  I saw the city briefly a few summers ago, but this time was even more taken with it; travel seems to delight me most when the stress of squeezing in all the famous monuments has been removed, and I'm free to wander aimlessly and lose track of time.  It is not hard to imagine Venice in the 1500s as you're strolling along the canals.  After all, the city is depicted in many paintings at the Accademia.  We only stayed in the city two days, one of them fresh off the plane and without sleep, but since it was a second visit I feel I managed to see what I came for.  I even managed to wander into some artisan book shops, which you'll get to see once I get further along in my photo editing.

We've since taken a train to Florence, where we're staying the next few days before heading to Rome.