We drifted into this tranquil courtyard while exploring behind the Castello zone. I don't know what its history is, but it is typical of the pleasant "discoveries" that you make as soon as you leave the more populated and touristic areas...

This busy "calle" is at the rear entrance to "Giardini" (Gardens), the largest green area in Venice. You'll find nary a tourist there and most of the people will speak the Veneto dialect to each other and Italian to me......

It's time to take a break, munch on an apple, and check out the gondola traffic......

The coffee is very good, the company is great, the music is wonderful, and the prices are astronomical!

This blurry picture conveys what evening is like in Venice better than any other I have...This is where our dear friends live.

There's a "tourist corridor" between the Santa Lucia RR station and Piazza San Marco. It is generally filled with people strolling and browsing the wooden stands for bargains - a good move, as they have the lowest prices in Venice.