So what did I learn?

Venice although pretty during the day is rather dark on the canals at night
The gondolas are gorgeous but I kinda like a bit more speed, hence you can do these when you retire
Best coffee truly does come from Italy
I stuck out as a tourist with my lack of leather, boots or Gucci anything
The sound of rolling luggage bags is a constant on the cobbled streets
Venice is HUGE! So much larger than I expected
You can find quiet spots for a moment of down time
Venetians don’t live in Venice they scatter at night to the mainland and leave the tourists to the island

Finally, as a post would not be right without photos, here are some more.