Rainy alley...

Our first full day in Venice started with continuing drizzle but this did not stop us from getting out and about. We started by walking out our window past the enormous Queen Victoria which had docked outside our hotel. The whole Venice / cruise ship thing is kind of a bummer. Crowds rush off the ship and a wave of tourists sweep towards St. Marks square for the day. At dusk the tide goes back out and often as night falls you see the ship being towed out to sea as we did on our first night.

It is what it is I guess and one thing is for sure: it is huge.

Given the influx of tourists on this rainy morning, we headed away from St. Mark's and into the nearby residential neighborhood. We had found dinner at a family place the night before. The food was simple and delicious and the entertainment was great: a gentleman and a guitar who got much of the local clientele singing along before he was finished.

As we wandered away from the great canal through rainy streets we found many alleys like this where clothes had been unsuccessfully hung out to dry.