"Ah... Venice!"

Steve and I watched several movies in anticipation of our European trip before we left, including "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (see my quote in this post's title!) and "The Tourist." We also watched a bunch of travel documentaries, but it's always more fun to see how Hollywood romanticizes different places.

Anyway, we are here in Venice, and will be leaving early tomorrow morning, but I feel like I've seen and done everything I would have wanted to in this romantic and colorful city. The last couple of days, Steve and I simply got lost in the city... we had a map, and used it to get back to our hotel, but otherwise, it was fun to simply wander the streets, especially when it was picture-perfect with the turn of every corner!

Unfortunately, the light wasn't the greatest during our stay, and so I only managed to squeeze one painting in. With the humidity, the crowds of tourists, and somewhat cliche gondoliers whistling cheerfully as they toted tourists down the canals, I felt that I would have little or nothing new to offer in my own artistic interpretations. However, I still feel that Venice is extremely beautiful and worth visiting, and I'm hoping that as I begin to absorb all these new experiences, I'll be able to share them through my paintings, both now and later on when I return home. Here are a few pictures from our stay:

The day of our arrival: crystal blue skies and calm canals.

An amazing frame shop. I really enjoyed seeing all the specialty stores, especially the beautiful paper mache Venetian masks (I picked up a couple!).

Another lovely scene, colorful in spite of the gray skies.

Steve took these pictures of me on a bridge that was less-travelled, so I was able to paint in peace.

Dusk on the Grand Canal.

The expensive but worthwhile gondola ride. Where else can you do this? It WAS as romantic as everyone says it is. :-)

"Ah... Venice!"