Arrived at Santa Lucia train station on a Frecca from Verona and started looking around for the #1 Vaperetto to get to the apartment.  On our way to the ticket booth we were stopped by the Policia and asked for our tax payment paperwork to be on the island. We told them we had rooms and had already paid.  They said fine, not even waiting for us to find the email that was sent to us to prove the taxes were paid.    We found the ticket office and it was 9.5 Euros each for 75 minutes on the “bus”.    After getting the tickets we walked over to the Dock E, a short way to the platform to get on the next “bus’.  At the validation machine on land there were a few guys trying to look official with lanyards and some white card with something written on them. They grabbed our tickets and validated them and then grabbed our luggage and rolled it onto the dock. Then the clowns came to me and showed me a receipt for 50 Euros and said we had to pay for our luggage.  I called their bluff when I stood up saying lets get the policia to straighten this out.  As I walked out behind them up the gangway, one guy turned to me and said, Never-mind and they all walked away.  A few moments later when I turned back around after getting back on the platform they were all gone, no where to be seen.  No an auspicious start to our stay in Venice.
Got on the next Vaporetto and with in minutes it took us to our stop. We walked off and went down a very narrow alley out to one of the larger streets and maybe 100 yards to the right, I stopped to determine where the door to the apartment was. Then I guy standing there asked if I was william… He lead us to the room and explained everything we needed to know.  This place even had a washing machine, GREAT!  We were tired of washing clothes in sinks when a laundromat wasn’t convenient. (which was a lot of places)
Anyway, this is one of the nicest apartments yet. We are on the 6th floor, but no real view to speak of. Nice elevator were all four of us could fit in at once (not many of those. (Only 2 if you had luggage)  The bedrooms were Miniature with that capital M…  It had a nice living room and small kitchen, but as we are finding almost everywhere, no Microwave. So far, only the apartment in Genoa had a Micro.  There seemed to be plenty of outlets in the kitchens. But not many in all the other rooms. I think the standard in the us is an outlet every 6 feet, I think in Italy, its maybe every 20 feet, if there is a standard.
First afternoon walked over to the Rialto Bridge, it was mobbed as expected.  
Went back to the room for a nap. Later went out for dinner as a small fish place, but none of us had fish. The pasta was very good though.
Second day we left early for St Marks Square.  Not very crowded. Saw the 
Bridge of Sighs again. Then they went into St Marks church. (I was church-ed out by then)  I walked over to the bell tower as there wasn’t much of 
a line. But I wasn’t planning on going up into it as I assumed it was a zillion stairs up.  When I asked how many steps up, they 
replied no stairs, they only allow folks on the elevator.. YEAH!!  I ran over to the ticket line, of about 6 people and within minutes I was whisked to the top. What a view of Venice and the surrounding islands.  So glad I asked. The rest of the day we just wondered around the alleys and canals.  On the first afternoon we took a Service Gondola to get back across the Grand Canal where our apartment was located. Talk about tippy canoe… (wheres Tyler?)
That afternoon we set out to find a good gelatto shop on the island. From what I could tell there were two of 
them. (viewing the pictures on google maps) we headed over to the service gondola with Tami and Scott. It seemed even tippier… if that’s a word.  You sit on the gunwales, which are about 5″ wide. Its quite a rocking thing as all the Vaporetto and boats motor by causing all sorts of waves..   One thing you will notice in Venice, there are no 
straight routes to anywhere.  Lots of T intersections on the walks where you must decide which way to go. You must 
have a good sense of direction as the narrow walkways don’t allow much GPS signal to get to your phone.  Its quite an experience you just have to like, otherwise its a bit frustrating. I love it, apparently the only one who does in our group. About 8/10th of the way to the first listed shop we lost two of our group to go back and take more pictures of the Rialto bridge. (I was done going back into that chaos) We had already been there 3 times during our 2 night stay. (which only gives you one full day in the city) About 5 minutes later we found the 1st shop, they did not 
sell any gelatto, none it was a pizza shop.  It was another 5 minutes of walking to get to the other one that was in the train station. We got there, Luckily Kathy found a church just prior and wanted to go inside.
There is a chain of Gelatto shops called Grom that has the non tourist gelatto. (In the covered pots)   We enjoyed our good gelatto and then bought tickets to ride the Vaporetto back to the apartment.
The next morning we had an early train to get to Venice Mestre (on the mainland) so we were able to purchase tickets at the machine on the dock for the Vaporetto ride to the Train Station, board a Regional train and in Mestre we caught the Frecca to Trieste.
