Day 16 Two weddings and a funeral Up early on our last full day in Italy. Caesare, our host, is up early as well to get us breakfast. He tricks us. First it looks like there is a small cereal, yogurt, juice and fruit fare ...then, when we have started that, out comes the good stuff. So, one hour, two croissants, and 2 cups of coffee, eggs, fruit and bread, yogurt and more fruit later we wiggle/waddle back to the room for a nap before we catch 4.2 to Font. Nuove and into the heart of the Venice canals. Rumor has it George Clooney is getting married today so we join at least 30,000 would-be paparazzi with cameras on sticks looking for the happy couple (I guess Brad and Angelina, Matt Damon and Bono are in the wedding party as well!!!!). Guess my invite to the bachelor party got lost in the mail. We had searched the entire city when at 11:30 the church bells went nuts. We were close by too. Well as close as you can get while winding in and over canals. We get there though and find a large group next to a bridge with a canal boat waiting in the water directly in front of them. We flank the group and … a funeral. I guess instead of a hearse there is a gray canal boat with casket on an hydraulic lift lowering it onto the boat. Actually very touching. So it’s noon and believe it or not we are hungry, thirsty, and tired. Time to sit and enjoy watching life on the canal. Then after quatro stagioni, water and wine the real wedding party shows up, well sans, Brad, Angelina, and George with what’s her name, oh, the bride. This has to be the only wedding going on today where it is not all about the bride.

Oh well, by 3 not even two scoops of gelato could revive our aching legs. Back to Murano and find those earrings Kathie saw yesterday in one of the 75 glass shops we were in. Took a while, then ... Success. Woke up in time to go find more earrings and lass gCherries. Glass cherries are our tree ornament for this year. Then off to find dinner because bodyguards are not letting us go to the “B” restaurant we have gone to the last 2 nights. We went to Duomo across the canal from our host’s church. My-Oh-My. Did we have the 3 hour 5 course great local restaurant or what? Bellini peach prosecco , bresaeola with arugola and parma, Sea bass with tomatoes, shrimp with skinny tagliatini, house wine, coffee gelato, tiramisu, and limoncello. Sorry, I can’t be expected to remember anything more. Be thankful we made it back to #77. Check on the M’s, read the mail, and shut ‘er down for the night, to rise at 3 a.m. to catch the water taxi and plane. See you all tomorrow (give or take a few time zones).

Love Mark and Kathie