Our first day in Venice started somewhat cloudy, a little chilly, and with rain in the forecast. Gino showed us the way to the train station and by 9:30 we were standing in Venice.

Our hosts were correct, the moment you walk out of the train station you are in another world . The scene on the front steps of the train station is stunning. Even the morning rush hour was something to behold - boats of every kind jostling for an open path to head up or down the canal.

We went to the information office next to the train station and purchased a 3€ street/canal map of the city. (It turns out this map was quite flimsy, so we bought a second more durable one later in the day.) Armed with a map, we went straight across the Ponte degli Scalzi, through the San Croce district and over to the San Polo district, the location of the Realto market. With its wonderful selection of fish, the Realto market was nearly as impressive as the one we saw in Catania. Sitting, as it does, alongside the Grand Canal of Venice certainly makes it one of the more scenic markets we have ever visited.

From here, we took the Ponte di Realto across to the San Marco district. The Piazza San Marco was every bit as magnificent as one would expect - even more so . We had the good fortune to be there relatively early in the day, when it was not too crowded. From there we wandered west along the Grand Canal through the San Marco district and crossed at Ponte Academia into the Dorsoduro district. We walked back eastward along the southern side of the Grand Canal, past the Chiesa Santa Maria della Salute toward the Punta della Dogana. Located at the eastern tip of Dorsuduro, Punta della Dogana has fantastic views of the Piazza San Marco and the Chiesa San Giorgio Maggiore, as well as the San Marco and Giudecca canals.

We headed west again along the southern shore of Dorsuduro toward the university district. Near the Campo Santa Margherita we stopped at a sidewalk café for lunch. We had pasta with vegetables and spaghetti with cuttlefish. Later we stopped for gelatto - mango and red grapefruit!

Wandering back through the San Polo and San Croce districts, we got back to the train station just as the sun was setting. Tired after a long day of walking, seeing churches and enjoying the views - the intimate, as well as the grand - we were ready to head home. We only hoped that we could remember the way back from the train station to Gino and Goretta's. With over 300 pictures on our first day, we are ready to see more of Venice tomorrow.