Venice, Queen of the Adriatic
Venice exceeded everything imagination had built up — and that's saying something.
“If you read a lot, nothing is as great as you’ve imagined. Venice is — Venice is better.” — Fran Lebowitz
The train crossed water over the Adriatic in the afternoon. Post-COVID December meant fewer crowds. A church greeted visitors just outside the main station.
We chose the water bus over a taxi to save money after recent dining expenses — which meant hauling luggage over two high bridges to reach it. We stayed at Sant’Elena, Venice’s quieter eastern tip, in the Indigo Hotel — a converted monastery.
After freshening up, we walked to Ponte dell’Accademia to watch the sunset over the Grand Canal. The city exceeded everything fantasy and film had built up — including Altissia from Final Fantasy XV.
