I woke up at 5:45 and quickly decided to get dressed and go on a solo explore. Really worth doing if you ever have the chance!
I walked first to Rialto but only stayed a few minutes. Got this shot of the little campo that is always teeming with people:

Then I hopped up to the Rialto. What a thrill to be the one and only person at the top, looking out on the million dollar view with the sun at my back:

I started towards San Marco. Everything looked new to me. No people. When you’re short your view is always obstructed in crowds. The light was spectacular on the buildings:

Piazza San Marco—I wasn’t alone there. To be fair I think there were about a dozen other people, most taking photos, some with tripods and professional looking gear.
Here’s what I got:





Did you know that the sanitation department sweeps, with old fashioned brooms, the streets of just about the whole city every morning?

Because I have so many photos in this post I’m going to make a new one for the rest of the day.