During my travels I was surprised to find that not everyone loves
Venice. Although some people find it beautiful, romantic and
inspiring, others have called it dirty, smelly and boring.

Dan and I liked it, but it was definitely touristy. If you like buying
nicknacks, strolling aimlessly, and eating, you will love Venice.
After one day, we sort of found ourselves kicking our shoes
mid-afternoon and wondering, "alright - what now?"

It definitely was one of the most pictureque places I'd ever been to,
but something about it didn't feel very authentic. There was very
little indication than anyone actually lived there, or that there was
any other industry besides tourism.

In a way, Venice almost reminded us of its Las Vegas replica. We
walked around a lot of smoke-filled corridors, got lost repeatedly,
ate good food, and were hassled by vendors to buy expensive stuff we
didn't need.

We left Venice this morning looking for the real Italy, and hoping
that Flornece will give us a break from the constant stream of
tourism.