Looking east along the Grand Canal from the Accademia Bridge

We arrived in Venice to bright blue skies and perfect temperatures.  It has been over 18 years since I was last here in April of 1996.  As we stepped out of the train station  and saw the Grand Canal I remembered why I loved it so much back then.  There is no city as breathtaking as Venice when you first see it.

Our meeting with Victoria to pick up the key to the apartment went without a hitch.  We are staying in another property found on VRBO.  It’s gorgeous,  a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment located near the Accademia Bridge.

Our first order of business was to find the Super Marche and purchase provisions.  It’s hard to walk a steady pace as you pass one photo op after another.

It was blue skies with no hint of rain as we walked along the Canale della Giudecca towards the grocery store.

Looking west along the Canale della Giudecca as we walked to the Super Marche for groceries

As we exited the market with bags of food and wine, an ominous dark cloud was rolling over the top of the city.  We didn’t get far before lightning was flashing and the first drops of rain and hail stones began to fall.

The same view looking west as the storm clouds rolled over Venice

As we hurried along Fond Zattere Ponte Lungo with bags of food, the hail stones increased to the size of marbles.  It was necessary to take shelter in the portico of a bank teller machine as the deluge came and darkness fell.

Storm clouds rolling over Venice

Teresa captured the lightning strikes

Deluge

On our return from the super marche we stopped in the same spot and took another photo looking east along the Grand Canal as lightning illuminated the clouds

After the rain slowed to a light drizzle we continued back to the apartment for dinner.  The storm picked up again and was pretty steady all evening.