Just arrived in Venice

This morning we took the 9:30 train from Orvieto, transfered to a high speed train in Bologna and arrived in Venice mid-afternoon. The train tracks actually go out along a bridge for a couple of miles so it feels like the train is running on the top of the water. There must be at least 50,000 tourists here. The train was packed, but nothing like the station where we bought a three day vaporetto pass. This card will allow us to hop on and off the vaporettos, which are Venice's buses. We've had a great time in the past week, two days in busy Florence and five days at the farmhouse in Umbria. The farmhouse is halfway down a canyon with a steep and narrow road full of switchbacks. Our first night there it rained so hard that Fasco, the handyman who comes by every morning advised us not to try getting up the hill. It wasn't too much of a hardship though to stay in such a beautiful and rustic place with its view of magical Civitta across the canyon. I wish I could post photos as I've taken hundreds, but that will have to wait until our return. For the past three days we've been driving around visiting several different hill towns in the area, all with narrow stone streets and tall stone buildings. Yesterdayl we visited Villa Lanti, an amazing Renaissance garden that climbs up a hill from the little village of Bagnaia. And today--Venice. It's 6:40 pm and we've unpacked. All the bells of the city are ringing now so I think it may be time to head out and find a glass of wine and some dinner.