Venice

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For me, Venice has always been the archetypal honeymoon destination of Europe. Thoughts of canals, gondolas, and moonlit strolls set the bar pretty high on arrival.

While the city did offer a lot of beauty and charm, it came at the price of huge crowds, high prices, and an intense summer heat to boot.

The city didn’t just offer romance, though. Worth mentioning was the Basilica of St. Mark, where the famous apostle’s body is said to reside. While it was quite moving to see the purported tomb of such a monumental figure of my faith, it was sad to see it set up like some sort of an amusement park attraction – admission was two Euros.

Though we did get some moonlit strolls in, I’ll be glad to head off the beaten path a bit as we steer toward the cooler climes of the Italian Alps.

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