Venizia!

Well, my hotel is not quite as elegant as I hoped but the location is perfect and the room is clean with a nice bath. I am steps from the Piazza San Marco but on the back side of the hotel, facing a tiny courtyard of some residential apartments. I hear things like the parakeets in the cage on the windowsill across the way, the bells of San Marco, the music from the wine bar downstairs, which is not unpleasant at worst, and quite nice most of the time.

And Venice has blown me away. It is decayed and decrepit. There is garbage in the canals and the crowds in the Piazzo are horrible during the middle of the day, but it is easy to look beyond the water bottles washed up in a corner, and the plastic bage blowing down an alley when the warm colors of the stone and brick intermingle with the worn patina of the painted shutters and the magic incredible antiquity of it all. Every turn is my favorite view. I walked for hours without taking a single photo because I didn't know where to start. Then I filled a whole card in one day.

Now I'm trying to upload pics and have not had any success. I think the wireless here is unable to handle it.

Rick called today while I was touring the Doge's Palace. I'm sure they weren't very happy with my cell phone going off but they didn't throw me out and I answered anyway. Sounds like they are doing well. After hearing the speeches at the send-off about how there would be plenty of places to sleep, it sounds like that wasn't working as well as expected. They decided to get a hotel along the route, get good showers and a few hours sleep. I think Mark Roberts, Bob and Rick are still riding together, but not sure if Jan Erik is still with them.