Marty’s photos of the day #2762—today features Venice part two of two: I remember learning about Venice, when I was in high school, and being absolutely fascinated. Also, several years ago I stumbled upon a wonderful novel by Megan Chance, “Inamorata,” that took place in 19th century Venice. So when the Within Temptation concert enticed Deb and me to travel to Italy earlier this month, Venice was another irresistible temptation. Just how does a city of a quarter million people function in the modern world without cars? What’s it like to walk through a maze of narrow alleys—and get lost like so many others before us? Two immediate observations were that the city felt extremely safe—even walking alleys at night—and I was so glad we visited during the off-season. I’d much rather put on a coat and share the city with sparse crowds than enjoy warmer weather while fighting swarms of tourists.

For today and yesterday, I’m taking a break from my usual wildlife photos to share with you a series of pictures I took in Venice. Enjoy!