I’ve been to Venice twice, and my only regret the first time was that I didn’t go with a girlfriend. That first time I went to Venice, I knew that this was the place that I would propose to my future wife. Of course, at the time, I had no idea who that would be, or how lucky I would be to find her. I just wandered around for a few days, getting lost in the back streets, popping in and out of churches, museums & shops, but I could not shake the feeling that this is where I would get engaged. Imagine, a single head-in-the-clouds 20 year old wandering around the city with this on the mind. There was just something about the city of Venice that moved me.

Skip foward a few years. Marie and I met in Pittsburgh, PA, where we live. (Not, might I add, convenient to a proposal in Italy) We fell in love, and our courtship stayed more or less local. I began to think, how on earth am I going to manage (let alone afford) this. At just the right time & just the right circumstances, I get the chance to extend a school trip in Europe, by staying behind after the students went home with another teacher. We booked the first ticket we could get for Marie & when it was all ver, we found ourselves in the Munich airport, me nervously fingering the ring box in my pocket.

Making matters worse, we didn’t rush straight to Italy. We had a wonderful visit in Germany with some friends. But I was anxious to get to Venice. July 12th, 2005 we arrived by train in the late-afternon and checked into our hotel. A late dinner and an evening stroll gave us a chance to explore a little.

The next day was perfect, the weather was beautiful, we got started nice and early. I began to plan. Around midday, after a long stroll through the city, we made our way to the Grand Canal, and the place I had long picked out. . . the Rialto Bridge. We had the picture you see above take, and just then, i got down on both knees (yeh, I know) and asked her to be my wife. She said yes (whew!) and kissed me. You couldn’t have wiped the smile of her face if you tried. Big romance points for me!

So, do I recommend Venice? Yeh, it’s definitly worth the trip.