INNSBRUCK TO VENICE - Friday

It was still raining as we left Innsbruck and headed south. Once again we were surrounded by mist covered mountains as we crossed the Tyrolean Alps from Austria to Italy.  

Once we had passed through the Alps, the change in weather was amazing. The clouds cleared and the outlook was considerably brighter.

The scenery en route consisted of quaint villages nestled in valleys, surrounded by steep mountains, with old castles regularly perched on rocky outcrops. 

Small fields of vines lined the road, with very little land area available for large crops.

As we neared Venice, the countryside became much flatter, but the villages and castles were still frequent.

On arrival in Venice we took a boat to San Marco's Piazza and then witnessed a glass blowing demonstration by a master glass blower. 

The rest of the day was spent wandering the narrow alleyways of the city, crossing bridges and weaving in and out of the crowds of tourists. We found our way to the Rialto Bridge, stopping constantly to look at the souvenirs along the way.

Venice is a unique city, very beautiful, but very crowded! There were tourists everywhere, in their thousands!