If you have the opportunity to explore Venice, Italy take time to walk the many side streets and canals as you never know what gems you will find. Here are just some of the photos that I liked from our last trip to this fantastic city of old buildings, canal streets, and wonderful Venetian people. We’ve been fortunate to visit Venice a few times through the years and this time we decided to wander off and get lost to see what we could find. As we walked along admiring all of the old buildings, greeting the Venetians as they went about their day and enjoying the cool weather, we were pleasantly surprised to find little shops, restaurants, and Churches we hadn’t experienced before.

The church of Santa Maria Assunta, known as I Gesuiti, is a must-see in a quiet part of Venice not far from the Fondamenta Nuove. Green and white marble adorn the interior of this magnificent building which began construction in 1715 and finished in 1729. There was a church here prior to that dating to 1148, but it was knocked down and the new Church was built.

We then enjoyed the colors of the city, such as blue boats in front of coral-colored brick walls, chipped and worn from previous centuries. Take time to enjoy these special sites and take it all in as you stroll the streets away from the tourists, hustle, and bustle.

At sunset, we found our way back to St. Mark’s square where we enjoyed the quiet as tourists were heading out of the city or back to their hotels and cruise ships. If you haven’t seen St. Mark’s Basilica, you’re in for a real, life-changing experience.

Oh, and if you want a great place to stay not too far from the train station, check out Hotel Palazzo Abadessa. Visit the Web site at http://www.abadessa.com. The rooms are gorgeous and very reasonable. It was hard to find the first time, but after you find it you won’t stay anywhere else.