slow in Venice

I think I have a love/hate thing going with Venice. I love the charm, the art, and the food. I hate the humidity and the crowds. It makes me feel Closter phobic. Nicole and I had to push past thousands of people to get to the water bus that took us to the church we wanted to see. The bridges had so many people on them, you could not see the bridge. I would not be surprised if Venice gets a half million visitors a day. And they all crowd into St Marks at the same time! This island is built on a foundation of trees. I’m really surprised it can carry the weight of all these tourists. And of course we are tourists too. It is like living in Disneyland. Total and complete sensory overload. But Jürgen and I went for a walk last night. Most of the crowds had gone. Street musicians played. The atmosphere was magical. These are the moments I will remember. The only time I can get Jessica out of the apartment is in the early morning. So Jürgen and I walked her to the store. We bought fresh bread, melon and ham for breakfast. The market is just next to the Rialto Bridge. I know the place will be a zoo in just a few more hours. But we see it without the crowds and it is really beautiful. Jürgen took the girls to the beach today. I’m going to read and do laundry. If I can get Jessica out again I will. But I think that is not possible. She feels safe in the apartment. I cannot blame her for that. It may rain tomorrow. I still want to see the church Frari . I also have not seen the inside of St Marks Cathedral. And we still want to go Murano and Burano islands. I feel like Venice is worth seeing. It is stressful to see, but worth it. I actually go to Prague next week to pick up my dog Lucy. And a normal life pulling weeds and canning grape juice and tomato sauce sounds pretty nice to me.