So Venice. Kinda incredlble.

Oh, so many stories to share!
Today we left Innsbruck which is such a beautiful city.  I do hope to return there one day.  It's funny the places that different people encounter that they both love and hate.  Brussels?  Meh.  Innsbruck and Heidelberg for me?  Thumbs up.
Regardless, we left Austria and crossed over into Northern Italy.  The landscape changed drastically as we passed through the Dolomites.  Little villages and castles were sprawled everywhere, as our driver navigated the serpentine road with steep drop offs and mountain faces.  It was amazing.
We stopped briefly in Cortina D'Ampezzo where we had yet another brilliant cappuccino and shared a panini.  Look: whatever that smashed, grilled sandwich is that we eat back in North America?  It's not a panini.
Soldiered on to Venice where we had a bit of a cruise around before walking around St. Mark's square and then hopping on to a gondola with four other people from our group.  Our ride was simply astounding. 
I had high hopes for Venice, but my expectations have been blown totally out of the water (no pun intended).  I don't know when Venice was built or how it was constructed, but rest assured I will be doing a lot of Googling tonight.

It's stunning and ethereal.  It's historical and aging and like something out of a fantasy.  Venice is hands down one of the most amazing places I have ever been in my life.
Hilariously, the hotel we are staying in is out of Venice and is quite sub-par to what we've been accustomed to (say it with me: first world problems!) and the food tonight was rather terrible which is rather ironic given where we are.
On the flip side, we've free WiFi and, more importantly, we had dinner with a bunch of "young people" (I love how I no longer fit into that category) and they were Australian and very delightful.  They absolutely salvaged the dinner and were very pleasant as are most people on the tour except for a couple of (gasp) Canadians which actually got into a small domestic dispute on the tour today, and failed to show for dinner. 
Also: he cries a lot.
It's just very odd and I'm disturbed that we're from the same country because people are going to go away from this thinking that Canadians are highly dramatic and emotional, where in fact we're really not.
Although I suppose it's like the two American couples we've met: one from Ohio and they're very liberal and pro healthcare and the environment and the middle class; and another from Omaha who are very (at least he is) conservative and still aren't sure about "climate change" and can't seem to figure out why Europe doesn't operate like the good old US of A (again, it's namely him: she's got her Master's of Art and is very open minded and articulate and so basically I'm not sure how their marriage works).
However, not to get bogged down with petty stuff, I do feel that this trip is just sort of taking off.  Venice is just simply staggering.  I'm sure Rome, Florence and Nice will be similar, as will Switzerland.
We are passing through countries at an incredible place, but the places I know I would like to return to are (so far): Brugges; Heidelberg; Innsbruck; and Venice.  At least I'll be batting 25% later this month.
Actually, words fail me as far as Europe is concerned. 
I knew I would like it, but in reality I love it.