Venice -- A Look Back

Venice, Florida, that is.
The weather is perfect,
No doubt about it;
High 70s to low 80s with mild breezes.

The road traffic is abominable.
Two six lane highways blast through the town;
One a bypass with all the car dealers and such,
The other stops cars at interminable lights.

You have to know exactly
Where you are going and how to get there,
And become proficient in making "Uies"
From one direction to another.

Venice has the only dog beach in Sarasota County,
To which we took Tippy on numerous occasions.
She didn't like it, or the smelly, wet dogs,
And barked to be taken home.

The Venice island center is beautiful,
With handsome buildings carefully
Designed in Italianate architecture,
Along streets encouraging pedestrian use.

Local shopping is a delight,
Particularly the Publix supermarket.
The Venice Regional Medical Center
Runs a quick response walk-in clinic.

Superb bicycle trails abound in Venice.
A wide concrete trail borders the waterway,
Allowing dog walkers a safe path.
A converted rail trail leads to Sarasota.

The cultural delights of Sarasota,
As well as upscale shopping areas
Are an easy, fast drive from Venice,
Provided your destination is carefully planned.

Fort Myers is about an hour away;
From there it is another three hours of driving
Across the waist of Florida
To Palm Beach on the East Coast.

Renting in Venice is surprisingly easy.
Houses, condos, mobile homes
Are available during the winter season.
Apartments require longer leases.

Would we go back to Venice next year?
Probably not, too many variables to manage.
We are looking at a winter cruise from Miami
To Barcelona, Pisa, Rome, and Venice (Italy).