Our first day was not very successful since the hotel was not ready for us so early in the morning. This was not a big surprise, but it did become frustrating when they kept telling us to come back in an hour. We desparately wanted to have a shower before starting our day, but would have gladly done without had they simply told us at the beginning that it would be 3 hours before we could get our room. We did stroll around and explore the area near the hotel.
The major sight which we saw in Venice was the Doge's Palace, but the magic of Venice is its romance. As cliché as it may sound, the romantic mood is really set by the gondolas, the canals, the bridges, and the many well-lit side streets which make for romantic evening strolls. We also spent an afternoon exploring Murano, the home of Venetian glass, and bought ourselves some crystal!