SNM Venice

 Our first dinner together. We had an amazing bottle, or rather bottles of Arrone wine in honor of Dave who we all wished could have joined us. I was so excited for my two mothers to finally be in Italy with me! Even though Megan periodically fell asleep in the middle of dinner, it was a great way to kick off their arrival!

 S and M on of the bridges on our way back from dinner...such cute best friends.

 The view outside of our hotel room. We stayed at Hotel Flora which was an adorable historic hotel, really close to Piazza San Marco and of course in the middle of all of the best shopping. I could expect nothing less from my mother. The interior of the hotel had a courtyard, shown above.

 Another view out of our hotel room, the dome in the distance is actually belongs to a cathedral across the grande canal. We had an awesome location!

 Piazza San Marco...they cried. 

 Doge's Palace

 And then there were three.

 St. Mark is the patron saint of Venice hence San Marco Cathedral. After I took my mom and Megan through the church we had lunch and a glass of wine in the piazza. It was the most beautiful day in Venice and we were so lucky. The day before M and S arrived, it was pouring rain and freezing. I stood in a museum and said a little prayer that it would clear so that Megan's first experience in Italy would be beautiful. There was obviously someone watching over me because we could not have asked for better weather. 

 At an old palace across the canal.

 We took a gondola ride on Friday afternoon. It was so much fun. We got a bottle of wine and Maurizio led us through the city. He even let me drive after we came out of the grand canal which was hysterical because in the process of stepping back to where he was and trying to not rock the boat too much I kicked my mom's glass of wine all over her. But Maurizio reassured us that it was good luck to have wine spill on you. As much as I would love to believe this, I think it must be a pretty common thing to happen in Italy considering all of the wine that is consumed or maybe Italians are just super lucky!  

 View from the gondola in the grand canal

 Don't they look angelic! 

 After our gondola ride, we went to the famous Harry's bar near piazza san marco to have a bellini. Despite that they were extremely overpriced, the ambiance was great!

 After dinner, we found 'The American Bar' which only played Sinatra so of course S and M were in heaven! I have a great video of them singing for viewing at a later date! The singing didn't even stop in the bar, the girls sang all the way home. It was a great night!

 Courtyard out of our hotel again. 

 So after much anxiety from my mother, about getting to the water taxi, our bags getting to the water taxi, getting onto the water taxi from the dock, her passport falling in the water, and her money falling out of her change purse we finally were comfy and safe and on our way to the train station to head for Florence. This was about the moment when Megan and I just looked at her and said...seriously?!

I was all smiles because compared to the vaporetto that is usually full of people, the water taxi was quite relaxing and an awesome way to leave the city. 
I really loved Venice and I hope to go back sometime soon. Our adventure had only began and I knew life was about to get even better!