We've been to Venice twice previously. Once before Berkeley East and again, four years ago, with BE. As we often say, we aren't good about going back to places, but Venice is one exception to the rule. We love that city.








And on our third visit, we were able to berth Berkeley East in a new marina just a short walk from the city through a local Venice neighborhood called Castello. The Castello neighborhood grew up around the Venetian Arsenal, the largest naval complex in Europe. It is the eastern-most district of Venice, encompassing several islands, including Sant'Elena, BE's new Italian home.












We spent a couple of weeks wandering in the hood, finding small shops and restaurants, and local sights, including the neighborhood church Sant'Elena, on our way into the city.















We explored during the day, and at night, and even ventured out before dawn to watch Venice come to life. We bought a valporetto (water bus) pass for when our feet were tired. We sat in parks and cafes and listened to music. We spent time in the outer islands. We shopped but bought nothing. We flew the drone. While we couldn't resist peeking at the most famous landmarks, there was no pressure to sightsee, as we had seen most everything before. It was as if we lived in Venice. And we thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.








Enjoying the evening in Piazza San Marco listening to music and admiring the views of St Mark's Basilica without crowds
























Rush hour traffic in the canals




Enjoying sunrise over the Grand Canal






Visiting the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, our favorite Venetian church. The basilica is full of works of art including the giant monument to Titian















Visiting the Burano, a four island archipelago, known for its brightly colored buildings and lace



Touring the glass factories on the island of Murano



We often talk about what to do when we stop cruising, and one idea is to live in different places for a few months at a time, in order to become immersed in the local culture. We're making a list of destinations where we would like to do that. Venice is at the top of that list.