We took a quick five day trip to Venice in early November after I completed the Camino de Santiago. The last time we had been to Venice was 2001, eek, 22 years ago. Patrick and I had just met, and it was our very first trip to Europe.

After the solitude on the Camino, there was a bit of an adjustment to the crowds of Venice. They were large, even in November.

In order to get away from the crowds and touristy parts of Venice, we hired a local guide, who was fantastic. She took us through some of the quieter neighborhoods of Venice — Cannaregio and Castello in particular — where we walked for hours, learning about the history of Venice and stopping along the way for cicchetti and wine, of course.

I always enjoy getting up early before sunrise and wandering the streets before the crowds emerge, finding a different spot each morning to watch the sunrise. So peaceful and spectacular.

Venice in photos…

Rialto Fish Market

You can’t take a trip to Venice, without visiting the Rialto Fish Market…

Venetian Art

Building Bridges

This sculpture is called Building Bridges, an installation by Lorenzo Quinn consisting of six pairs of hands arching 50 feet over a waterway at the Arsenale former shipyard in Venice’s eastern Castello District. Made from white resin to mimic the white marble seen around Venice, the hands symbolize the need to build bridges and overcome differences.

The Venetian Lion

The Venetian lion normally has wings, very often holds a book below its paw, and sometimes is completed by a halo around its head. These three elements — wings, book, halo — reveal it as a symbol of Saint Mark the Evangelist, patron saint of the city.

The Colorful Island of Burano

Burano island is a small, picturesque island in the Venetian lagoon, famous for its lace and colorful houses. As legend has it, island homes were painted in vivid hues to help fishermen find their way in the fog as far back as the 6th century.