The Mestre to Venice bus only took 15 minutes and it was frequent. As soon as we stepped out of the bus station in Venice, there they were: the bridges, the canals, and the gondolas. 5 minutes in and we were already in awe by its beauty. Venice is as romantic as we had expected!
The fun didn't last very long. About half an hour into our water trotting the bottom of our new rain boots started to separate from the rest of the boots. Very soon after that our feet were soaked in nasty water that has probably circulated through the sewage a few times. We kept marching on and eventually made it to a shoe store, where these two nice ladies donated their used, but still waterproof, rain boots to us after they bought themselves some heavy duty Hunter boots. We grabbed lunch and coffee at a cafe and waited for the high tide to subside, and we eventually dragged our soggy butts back to Mestre.
We had a great time in Venice. Every corner we turned led us to a postcard-worthy photo. The food was good, and we met some amazing people. However, it is VERY touristy, and November is considered off season. Can't imagine what it's like during the summer when it's hotter, smellier, and more crowded.