Last night there were several thunder showers in Aosta. Although we did not see any lightening, the boom of the thunder echoed off the mountain peaks. But by this morning the rain had stopped and we were able to dine outside for breakfast.

Our drive through the mountains from Aosta to Turin was breathtaking. Tall rocky peaks towered above us and the landscape was dotted with small hill top castles. We took a train from Turin to Venezia which was a modern train.

Entering the causeway to Venezia is magical. The train slowly winds over the causeway and the skyline of Venezia appears. I will never tire of this moment. You are truly entering a different world.

To get to our hotel NH Collection we took a vaporetto from the train station which wound its way down the Grand Canal from one stop to the next Dodging wooden water taxis and long sleek black gondolas until arriving at our hotel which is just beyond Rialto. We stayed at this hotel last year and liked it very much because it is right on the canal, yet not in the hustle and bustle of all the tourists.

Using the GPS on our phone we walked to an outside restaurant near Rialto. We used to see people with little maps of Venice but now you can see everyone walking around the maze of streets guided by their phones. It’s been a long day so we decided to head back to the hotel early. We look forward to exploring some new areas to us in Venice tomorrow.