The one thing I'm quite proficient at in Venice is getting lost. Virtually as soon as I start…read moreambulating I'm done for. One nice thing about this park is it's so close to the Piazzale Roma that it's impossible to become displaced; simply amble across the bridge toward the center of Venice and you've arrived. In addition, for a small garden, it has a fair amount of seating, grass, and shade when succumbing to an afternoon nap. It's definitely worth a quick stop before roaming aimlessly as you venture from the Piazzale Roma toward more notable sites in Venice.

Roach hotel. Worse ever. Garibaldi hotel in Italy. Smells like feet. No elevators, no one to…read morehelp with luggage to go up the stairs. . This place should close down. Not sure how they stay open.

Strolling around the back streets of Venice, we ended up wandering through the Castello district,…read moredown Calle Larga Rosa, which led to a bridge that we used to cross a canal. Ships were docked on either side of the canal, for a picturesque viewpoint. Even better: a quaint, lovely park was on the other side of the bridge! This park was the Campo San Pietro ("campo" roughly translates as "fields"). A rare open expanse of grass in Venice, beautifully lined with large shade trees throughout. Convenient benches beckoned to us, and as it was midafternoon, we plopped down and enjoyed a relaxing snack. This mid-September day was hot and humid, and the shady park bench was just the restorative we needed. A few locals were on the other benches, one stretched out and napping. Campo San Pietro abuts to the impressive Basilica San Pietro, which we took time to visit after relaxing in the park for a while. Should you desire a quick return to civilization, a vaporetto stop, Via Canale delle Navi S, is on the east side of this small island. If you're looking for a serene, cool and shady place for a picnic Campo San Pietro is a solid choice.

The waterways are the lifeline of Venice and the Canal Grade, or Grand Canal, is the main water way…read morethat connects everything in Venice. If you look at the map of the islands, the Grand Canal connects everything with a graceful S shape. In the medieval and renaissance times, Venice was a major trade area and an essential route for merchant ships bringing spices, silk, and other goods from the east. Our gondolier told us how there weren't bridges until Napoleon came along. Everyone traveled around by boat and the closer to the water the richer they were. Even today, traveling by water is the main method of getting around the city. When we first arrived, we saw movers with a crane on their boat hauling furniture. On our last day there, we even saw ambulance by water. It was also such a treat being able to take a gondola ride as part of our experience in the city. I enjoyed the day to day moments of walking around and exploring the city and taking photos on the Grand Canal. Every scene was so unique and stunning.

This waterway runs the entire length of the Lagoon of Venice! There is much traffic on the…read morewaterway: water buses, water taxis, gondolas and private boats and amazing to see how they navigate it all. I purchased a 3-Day Water Bus pass and it allowed me to enjoy the beautiful views, massive buildings, Rialto Bridge and exquisite architecture of all the other buildings along the waterway.

At its peak, the Arsenal in Venice was 110 acres, about 16 percent of the island, employed 16,000…read morepeople and produced about a ship a day. The Arsenal towers are modeled after the Arch of Sergii in Pula, Croatia. It's still a state owned facility so only government and military personnel are allowed. Worth a look but not much to do.

I'll give this place a decent rating, even if there is pretty much nothing left of it, and nothing…read moreto actually tell you what went on here. Then again, the contents of the Arsenale were a pretty big secret and maybe much of it actually died with the empire. Still, it is nice to wander around, and there are even a couple of coffee shops as well (though they are more a part of the modern art museum). It is a shame though that they had done little to capture the history of the place.

(Traveled 11/11/17 SA @ 12:00pm & 11/23/17 TH @ 9:00am): Nothing terminal about this place for…read moreanxious and excited cruise passengers! Set to embark on a nearly two-week roundtrip cruise that covered the countries of Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, and Greece, a friend and I had the pleasure to come through the Venezia Terminal Passeggeri S.p.A. Located no more than 30 minutes from the Hilton Garden Inn where we stayed with a provided shuttle service, this was ideal. Here was our brief experience with this cruise terminal as we arrived and later departed at the end of the vacation: SERVICE Upon arrival having been dropped off by a personal hotel shuttle, two young male porters happily greeted us, gladly took our luggage, and directed us inside, up a long escalator, and where to go. Once inside, we were then graciously greeted by a Princess Cruises hostess who proceeded to direct us towards the correct line and counter to check in. The check-in process was a breeze (again, Princess Cruises employees helped us out), and once we had a short wait in the security line, we were off and running to board the Pacific Princess and the awaiting buffet https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=HhW79kwTLPQoQabOVHdknw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! When we returned nearly two weeks later, the disembarkation process was just as easy. We gathered our baggages which then led out to waiting coaches that took us directly to the airport. No worries at all! PARKING (Varied; not applicable this instance) There were parking lots with both short- and long-term options. However, this cruise terminal had a very good transit system that consisted of buses and water taxis in addition to taxi cab service...so why would you park!? ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE A seemingly quaint building with a decent amount of open space with nearby parking lots, terminals and a aforementioned convenient transit system that made it simple for all travelers! There was an easy drop-off point in the front https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=I-6_etaoyHasAiY4SgpSVA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. Once inside, you noticed a "welcome" monitor and greeted by a hostess as you stared down a long wide path with some bench seats https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=nWKRHqmo6I4_FGi7eEIkmw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. You followed the marked lines and stanchions which led to a long check-in counter https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=mYWsKGeqDYzqaHwpNJXybg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw, and once you were done here there was only the security checkpoint left. An industrial but modern terminal, a good combination of natural lighting came in through the many windows while large electric ceiling lights covered the rest. Aside from the many information monitors, there were no TVs nor any background music (local Italian music would've been a nice touch). ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL Venezia Terminal Passeggeri S.p.A was perfectly situated for our needs and those who either stayed at a nearby hotel (like us) or came directly from the Marco Polo Airport (VCE) who embarked or disembarked from a large cruise ship (there was another port around the corner that handled much smaller vessels) https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=eqt97IVt8laFg188MkblVA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. It was a fairly new terminal, sparkling clean aesthetics, and easy getting in and out of - convenience...convenience...convenience! I found total value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $0.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). I actually didn't notice any businesses where you could've spent any money, so I couldn't say whether or not they accepted my credit card of choice...AMEX! 5.0 STARS

This Basilica is small but beautiful. Make sure to follow the dress code, knees and shoulders…read morecovered. There are additional features that you need to get separate tickets for (or get a bundle) so make sure to do your research beforehand and and book appropriately. It will be a short visit given the venue isn't large but it's worth it when you're in Venice!

Basilica di San Marco or the St. Mark's Basilica is dedicated to St. Mark, the patron saint of the…read morecity and a house for his relics. This is without a doubt the most important religious site in the city of Venice. At the time of our visit, there was construction on front of the building, but it was still beautiful. It is a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture with Gothic influences. There was so much incredible detail that went into every inch of the building. I did not get to go inside but the outside was already impressive. A great spot for photos.

So we have this magical talent. When we visit a country, we always end up staying each city…read moreone-day-too-long. Ever done that? So here we are in Florence. We've done it all, over stuffed with food, needing to walk it off. Somehow our backsides end up on a water taxi and we're now at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini. WHAAAT? It was worth a visit. Lovely little island that is connected to other little islands by wooden and metal bridges. It feels like a magical little city in the middle of the ocean. Little boats are parked along the water as naturally as cars parked along a curb. People are polite and delightful. The food (albeit we were full and not near hungry!!!!) was absolutely stunning. The smells were intoxicating... I was near anger that I could not eat again... despite me having an extra 17 pounds of pasta floating in my belly. Next time you're in Italy and need to burns some time in Florence, hope a water taxi and I'd love to hear what you think of Fondazione Giorgio Cini!