I only carried my heavy camera around one day but I have to admit, I do like the photos from it better. It just gets really heavy along with my purse so I mostly used my point and shoot. The day we went through the Doge Palace I had it though.

There is a huge courtyard when you first enter the palace. I have to say that I found it even more impressive than Versailles. It’s hard to beat Italian architecture and design.

The very long and grand golden staircase that couldn’t be caught in just one photo.

The Bridge of Sighs joins the palace with the dungeon. A lot of horrible torture and captivity went on then.

The pretty cathedral across the water from St Marc’s Square.

Away from St Marc’s on the canal are a couple of beautifully mosaic tiled buildings. This is a close-up of one.

I just like this photo of a quiet canal with the buildings reflecting in the water and the two blue and white poles.

You have to take a photo of a gondola when in Venice, even if it’s the 20th one you’ve seen.

We went to the tower of a church, St Giorgio Maggiore, across from St Marc’s Square to see the incredible view.

Part of the cathedral in the view.

A view from our room the day it rained.

The main door of the basillica. I love those vibrant colors.

A really good vegetable dish we had for lunch one day. So good.

I love this drink, a spritz, which is Aperol with Proseco. It just tastes like Italy to me.

The view from our room the day after the heavy rain. Look at that blue sky!

The same view as the sun set. Sigh.

One great thing, among many, about living in France, is the ability to visit other European cities easily. When a friend recently told us about her last minute trip to Venice, Maurice found out which hotel-it is off season and during the week prices are down-and how she got there and, before I knew it, I had a trip to Venice as a present for my up coming birthday-my favorite sort of gift.

The first photo I took of a slightly leaning church tower seen down a canal.

This was our hotel. We had a fabulous view from our window but the hotel itself needs some refurbishment.

Just a lovely building with stairs seen while wandering around.

Gondolas abound. I feel like they are too expensive so we passed on the experience.

I loved this ravioli stuffed with eggplant.

The second day we were there, it poured. I found out that my raincoat is not water proof and, of course, my umbrella was not in my purse. It was sort of miserable out in the rain, as we were here waiting to get into the Basillica, but we mostly managed to stay under cover. There was water standing around the cathedral requiring these elevated walkways here and there.

We went to the top of the tower to see St. Marc’s square down below.

The gondolas went out in the heavy rain with everyone using umbrellas. I guess if you are only going to be in Venice one day, you can’t let rain keep you from achieving a dream.

Hmmm. This is a lot of work but I’ll slowly get it done. I was nominated by Audrey of the blog, The Girl Behind the Red Door. She’s an expat in Norway.

•Share 11 random facts about yourself
•Answer 11 questions given by the person who nominated you
(I’m not doing the rest. Don’t have the time or inclination.)

11 Random Facts About Me:

1. I am a morning person, probably from those years of being at work by 6 AM when I worked in the operating room.

2. I was a nurse when I lived in the States. I worked in the operating room.

3. I hated being a nurse. It was very stressful. I loved English Literature and often thought I should have become of English Lit professor at the college level.

4. I have nine grandchildren! I know-I can’t believe it either.

5. My favorite season is summer. Winter just gets me down with those short days.

6. I love photography. It’s the only creative thing I do.

7. I met my French husband on a blind date in Austin, Texas. You can’t plan these things.

8. I came to France because I married a Frenchman, not because I was madly in love with France. In fact, I was thinking of living in Mexico when I met Maurice. I even thought about teaching English in Japan.

9. I love reading. My favorite books are mysteries, mostly English.

10. I make my bed every single day. I think I got this from my Mother, the world’s best housekeeper. She vacuums her kitchen floor every morning too. I don’t.

11. I’ve always wanted to live by the sea and now I do. I’m writing this while looking out my window at the ocean. Life is good.

Her 11 Questions for me:

1.Which country do you think has the most beautiful/interesting money?
It used to be Greece until so many European countries converted to the Euro. I’m rather fond of England’s currency. As I recall, Thailand had interesting currency too.

2.Is there something special you collect when you travel?
I usually buy a T-Shirt having something about the country on it. I use them to exercise in.

3.What do you do to pass time on planes, trains, or in automobiles?
Read, read, read. I’m always happy to have an excuse to do so.

4.If you could snap your fingers and be somewhere else right this moment, where would you be?
Vietnam or Cambodia. They are both on my list of places I want to visit.

5.Do you consider yourself a good traveller? How so?
I think a good traveler is someone who is adaptable and curious which pretty much describes me. I love going to new places and exploring.

6.Post your favorite travel photo.
Would you believe that I have a new computer in our new place and don’t have access to my old photos? I’ll have to do this when I am back in Paris next week.

Instead, here is my favorite photo from the beach yesterday.

7.Imagine someone is planning a vacation to the city you live in now. What advice would you give them?
Stay in the 6th arrondissement in the center of Paris, make your main meal lunch to save money, give yourself time to just wander around.

8.Beaches or mountains?
Beaches.

9.What’s the scariest/most challenging thing you’ve ever done while travelling?
Riding an elephant, scuba diving? I’m don’t do scary things.

10.One of my favorite essays in The Best American Travel Writing of 2012 is Thomas Swick’s My Days with the Anti-Mafia. How important do you feel it is to travel morally? That is to say, proactively selecting hotels, restaurants, and tours that are not supported by organized crime? Or steering clear of countries which consistently abuse the rights of their citizens, etc.?
I visited Russia before all of the changes, surely a country that treated their citizens horribly. I met so many charming people there who were happy to talk with Americans so, in that way, exposing myself to them and letting them talk to Americans, was a positive exchange. I wasn’t promoting communism by visiting Russia. As far as the mafia goes, I am totally ignorant. I
wouldn’t go to a restaurant or hotel if I knew it were owned/run by the mafia. I’ve been to Marseilles which is known for its mafia but didn’t know enough to know anything mafia-wise there.

11.And this one’s just for me… When it comes to the Hepburns… Katharine or Audrey?
Audrey, mainly because I just love looking at her. Those eyes….

While my son and his family were here, we made a trip out to Chartres, the famous cathedral of stained glass. It was, as always, fabulous but the weather was so horrible with heavy rain and then wind gusts that we only saw the interior of the cathedral, had some hot chocolate and then staggered, into the wind, back to the car.

The front. It was as famous as Lourdes in its day.

By the door as we entered.

This beautiful area is to the right as you enter the church.

Newly renovated, the windows over the door. They are slowly cleaning and renovated the interior of the church.

A dressed statue of the Virgin Mary.

The famous labyrinth on the floor of the church that some people use as a spiritual exercise.

I am still in the midst of jet lag and, except for some trips to the grocery store, haven’t been outside. I found this old post that I wrote in September which I am sharing. I am hoping to get myself moving today. My comments are still messed up. One of these days I hope to have them fixed.

While in Annecy, now weeks (months) ago, we made a quick trip to the village where we were married. It’s changed a bit-the mairie where we were married has moved and the auberge where we stayed is now a private residence.

The village church where we weren’t married, me not being Catholic, and both of us being divorced.

There’s a wonderful castle-like bridge nearby.

One on either end.

Flowers in a window of another village. Beautiful area.