Romance and a gondala ride in Venice

Romantic looking isn't it?

The sun setting...music echooing off the water....

Now you have the whole picture. But what could be better then sharing an evening gondola ride around the canals of Venice with the love of your life then sharing it with all three loves.

Kaylie, of course found it wonderful as well. Anything special and fancy she totally loves. She was a little adventurous moving her way around our little boat as she pleased. She was delighted about the idea that the people here used boats instead of cars to get around. She was chuckling to herself and then said to me the following...

"I have a funny idea. What if I had to take a boat across the street to get to Mea's - her favorite friend's- house? Wouldn't that be funny? ( She covers her mouth with her cupped hands and giggles into it). What if we had to take a boat all the way to school? Hahaha. She keeps giggling at her idea.

Audrey was a little unsure of it all. She was angry at me when I made her sit by herself for a picture, she prefered the view best from mom's lap. She is such a momma's girl lately. I kind of love it. My favorite is when I go to put her to sleep and she will tell me " no, momma's bed", wanting to come cuddle with me instead. She gets her way about %50 of the time.

This is Marco Polo house. Our gondelier casually pointed it out as we rowed pass. Like....hey, no big deal. It is a house that was built before the country I live in was even discovered. And somehow it still stands. And isn't even worth much attention to the locals. With all the other sights it is understandable. The history of it all still amazes me.

We strolled around the canals of Venice for a better part of an hour and then got dropped off right at our hotel. It has an entrance from the canals. We have had such amazing luck everytime we book a hotel here. I know Europe has some intresting accomadations sometimes, but everytime we blindly chose a hotel it is usually a perfectly appropriate facility in an outstanding location. We actually got off on the other side of the canal right in front of the hard rock. cafe. We had eaten already a ton of Italian food, and we knew we could go there and get a drink with ice.

The romance continued after dinner walking around the piazza after dark and all the tourist had gotten back on thier ships. It was mostly empty. Vendors were selling these little light rockets and lighting up the sky with them.

We bought the girls one and they of course were delighted by it.

I tried to link a video of it, but it wont load. If you could watch the video to the end you will see a couple of guys come up to Jeff trying to sell him some more rockets. We were telling them no when the polizia came over our way and took the two of the guys very aggressively away , shouting and pushing them agianst a wall. We suspect we might have been in the middle of a pick poket attempt. I only regret they would have actually gotten into our goods ( diapers, wipes, treats for toddlers, standard mom backpack affair) and then gotten caught. We couldn't think of anything funnier.