"Surprisingly, it's just like you thought it would be."

That's how my guidebook introduced the city of Venice. Not very encouraging! It became a huge joke between Wade and me as we traveled together.

Venice conjures up images of gondolas, with handsome, singing drivers in striped shirts. The waterways are busy. Little footbridges jut out above the watery streets. The sights, the sounds, and the colors are, in fact, just as I expected and hoped they would be.

I found, however, that Venice is way more touristy than I imagined. Wade and I were badgered about taking a gondola ride, and we simply wanted to explore on foot. When we were on main streets near some of the sights, the amount of people was unbearable. Tourist shops were everywhere, and prices were high. Call me naive, but it's not what I expected.



I was also not prepared for the amount of dry land on the islands that make up Venice. We found some wide streets, courtyards, and piazzas. It was good to get away from the swarms of people at Piazza San Marco and the Rialto, but the quiet areas had few waterways.

Instead of spending a relaxing afternoon at the square, the church, or a waterside cafe as I had expected, Wade and I walked and explored. We got completely lost one time, which was an adventure on the rambling islands.

Venice was beautiful, and although there were some surprises, I guess the biggest one was that the guidebook was mostly right.