We left for Venice in the morning...driving the autostrade (fast/toll freeway). I never once saw a post for the normal speed limit, I'm pretty sure I was driving very slowly since cars kept zipping past me. It took us about 4 hours. We're relieved to have turned in the car safely, having no accidents, tickets, nor running out of gas (though we got uncomfortably close).
We had a little difficulty connecting at first with our airbnb host here in Venice, but once we met up and he walked us to the place and directed us around town we were excited to explore this charming city! We walked the Main Street full of shops and tourists all the way to San Marco's square. All the while we were crossing little bridges with gondolas coasting by. There is so much character in the architecture here, fancy facades as well as water-worn surfaces. I couldn't stop taking pictures.
We love our apartment, it's just far enough away from the main thoroughfare and our back windows open over the water. From our room we hear seagulls, water trickling, and people unlocking their doors.