It was one beautiful street after another.

Here are a couple of gondoliers on break; the striped shirt is a requirement for their job.

We made our way to St. Marks Square - the hub of the city.

We then visited the Cathedral and Doge’s Palace. It was interesting to learn about the Doges, who, for over a century, held the position of most power in Venice.

This part of the tour finished at 1, and when we came out, between the cruise shops and day trippers, there were people everywhere. It was shoulder to shoulder in many places, but we managed to find another good restaurant for lunch, off the beaten path.

And some more gelato!

We then met up with our tour group again for the next half of our tour - a boat trip to the island of Murano, which is know for their glass blowing.

The demonstration was really good and we were invited to shop in their showroom, with a 30% discount. The 1st vase I picked up was $12,000.

I didn’t touch anything else after that.

But a sales woman kept following us around, pointing out pieces that would be a bargain, at only $3200, with the discount. 😳

We climbed on board our boat again and headed to Burano, famous for their lace and colorful town. The lace demonstration was just okay, but their prices were WAY better and Mckenna purchased a small keepsake.

Our guide on the boat explained Burano was originally a fishing town. The women learned their famous skills for making beautiful lace through making nets.

The men were known not only for fishing, but also drinking. Legend has it they painted the houses different colors so they could find their home after a night of drinking.

It was a really cute town, and worth the trip. We had a nice boat ride back, and the best part of the day was meeting up with good friends from back home!

How crazy was it that our trips overlapped and we actual found each other!

It was a wonderful way to spend our last night in Venice - great food, with great friends!

But this leg of the race is not quite over. We have to make our way home, which will involve lots of walking, a water taxi, plane ride, bus, finding Amanda’s car in the satellite parking lot in Frankfurt, and then driving ourselves home on the Autobahn.

Pray for us. 😊