Dusk is special for me in Europe. Perhaps you also feel the magic of this grand hour. Things start to get less hectic and the fading light seems to ..... . Okay, I'm no great writer, but you know what I'm talking about.

So, where do you like to position yourself at dusk? What views do you treasure? What favorite spots do you have to people watch or kick off happy hour?

Don't tell me you are still laying around the hotel, soaking our feet after walking too far and taking too few taxis and frantically reading your travel notes trying to decide where to eat!

Venice: taking a vaporetto out to the Lido stop and returning. View back to Venice is wonderful; especially when cloud condtions are right. Sometimes you get lucky and can sit up front.

Do they still allow you to take some wine along?

I'm not a writer, either, or a painter, but while I walked across the Accademia Bridge, watching the sunset's golden colors and shadows on the Grand Canal towards Santa Maria della Salute got me there, as if I were Turner...sigh....Pure magic!

Ceci, yes, that is a super view.

Rome: View from the top of Castel Sant'Angelo lookig back at St. Peter's.

Sunset is also my favorite time of the day. In Florence, I enjoyed two beautiful evenings at Piazzale Michelangelo overlooking Florence. Watching the colors change over Florence is a sight I will never forget. Some good people watching too. People of all ages sit on the steps talking or just sitting in silence with a bottle of wine.

Romance in Rome - sitting on the patio of Camponeschi in the peaceful Piazza Farnese when the facade of the Palazzo is illuminated.

I heard the restaurant is superb, but expensive.

For Florence, as already stated, the view from Piazza Michelangelo. Also great views at sunset both <b>From</b> the Pont Vecchio, and also from the next bridge to the west looking back <b>At</b> the Pont Vecchio. I got some great sunset photos from all 3 of those places.

I second Isabel's locations (I thought that was MY secret locations! ), and the Piazzale Michelangelo for Florence. Basically, any point looking towards the Ponte Vecchio is beautiful at sunset.

For Venice, I would have to say heading anywhere riding on the Vaporetto. Or, standing around St. Mark's Square. I've honestly not been much else in Venice.

Rome: Palatine Hill/Roman Forum, the Colosseum, the top of the Spanish Steps, in the middle of St. Peter's Square, in front of the Trevi Fountain...I can go on and on... And now that Piazza Navona will be a bit more empty of the vendors, MAYBE...

Having a sunset picnic on top of the Janiculum is on my To Do List.

Hi C,

In Florence, take the no. 7 bus from the SMN train station to Fiesole (20 min, 1E)and watch the sunset from the terrace of the Bar Bleu.

Rome: Chill out in the Pincio - a public park that provides a fine panorama of the city.

ttt

Anyone else have some input?

just had to top this for photo taking!

The Campidoglio overlooking the Roman Forum and Colloseum