Daily Journal Continued November 22,1998, William Thomas Thompson Venice,Italy,a city built in the AdriaticSea at the North point. The exciting city of water,music,boats and art plus Venetianglass makes for charm that interest kings and queens. The biggest money here is the porter that rolled our luggage 3 blocks,3 bags for$10 on his 2wheelcart,this is higher than a taxi even a Europeantaxi. Give us wisdomandknowledge DearLord that only comes from thee! Our drape laced window faced toward the East and the waterway for a perfect picture sunrise as the boats motor by in the distance,I like this place,this hotel,these little shops and the little Ita- lian restaurant we ate thincrust pizza in last night with all the art hanging including a parachute and man. We had a fullbreakfast in the dinningroom looking over the garden where the housecat was performing. The maskfaces here promoting masks in all the windows of all the shops I do not understand. I never like a mask to hide the faces of real people. I hate sunglasses that make people look like criminals. This is a city of performances obviously,the pig- ons are performing outside our veranda and we fed them sweetcrac-kers from the assortment we brought along to eat on this trip. We eat the nonsweet ones but they have lots of sugar in them also in peanutbutter and the ritzcracker,our time here is too short tosee very much. The tourist are offered a walkingtour to see the clock tower with a zodiacclock,the DogesPalace and SaintMarks's Square. Gal5-25"If we live in the Spirit,letus also walkin the Spirit" We left the hotel wandering through the street to the Pontedi Ri- alto bridge over the grand waterway at the dock for watertaxi and public boat transportation. At this point we were offered a free ride to see that glass blowing factory and took what were offered as a 10 minute ride that turned out to be 30 minutes one way. The little taxiboat went through the narrow streets and then out to a open high sea of waves spashing water all over the enclosed cabin and bouncing us to the otherside wideopen motor ride to a faraway dock where a row of glassfactories are and a showroom of venetian glass lamps,chandeliers up to$10.000.00 each. The pressure to buy was heavy,they wanted a deposit on anything but we didnot want to purchase anything. Finally we ask to leave and the man pointed us East to walk along the waterway to the public dock and to catch a boat number 52,we waited while otherboats came and went and tried to hire a watertaxi but was quoted $80.00 to boat us back. Boat # 52 finally came and motored what was a full load by then of tour-ist empty handed(no glass)back to Venice with so many stops arou- nd town and finally stopped at a boat terminal where we waited on another boat that stopped off by the train station after making a round of many stops. This tookup to much of our time,we went into the station and had lunch at their cafeteria right good,we caught the 2.30p.m.train to Florence for another 3 hour trainride partly in snow. Everystop took on passengers that had reservations for a seat we occupied and we moved 5 times but stayed in the same car. Reservations are required on Sundays and cost about asmuch as the the tickets cost. We arrived Florence well after dark and waited in line for a taxi that took us to the hotel near by and near the statue of David in a Catholic church,this is the highlight of the stop here in Florence although there are lots to see here,the bed head has this great painting printed on it of school of art 1510.