January 2, 2014

Venice!  We made it this afternoon.  Goodbyes were said to Lee and Gary as they departed from the Belluno train station on their way to Rome and finally home; and a goodbye was said to the fabulous staff at Nogherazza; and a goodbye to Chuck.  He wanted us to stick around until Lynne was up but we were anxious to get on the road.

It was just like we knew what we were doing - we drove to the Avis car drop-off at the Venice Marco Polo Airport, which conveniently had a gas station right next door so we could top off the tank and avoid being dinged for a fuel surcharge.  How often does this happen in the US?  Also when we dumped off the car, some other folks were just loading their rental car up for a journey, so we got a luggage cart for free. Score!

Then we bought (what we thought) were two tickets for the water bus (as directed by the Air BnB host).  It was a bit of  a walk and we were thankful for  the cart.  It's some weird law of physics, the more you're on the road, even though you know you have the same luggage you started with, the more it grows.  By the time we get home, we'll be towing the Queen Mary.

Here's something interesting:  there were pontoon boats moored at the dock clearly marked with the routes the boats served. We thought they were going to be un-moored and take us where we wanted to go.  But the choppy waters looked iffy for a pontoon boat.  Know what they were? Waiting rooms! The water bus showed up and people (in the jargon of airport ramp agents, "gate lice") started queing up to board.  It was only then that Jack asked one of the waterbus guys did we have the right tickets.  The waterbus guy responded that what we had were land bus tickets and wouldn't get us off the dock!  Oopsie!  But he had the right tickets in his pocket and they were quickly dispensed to us.  Jack made me promise that I would never, never tell anyone and I know my secret is safe with you.

The weather is cold, wet, and miserable in Venice today.  We disembark at the "ospitale" landing and text the Air BnB guy as to where our accommmodations are.  It's a long cold walk in my opinion and Andrea (another Andrea!) keeps texting us instead of getting off his butt to meet us.  Finally, he does. Venice seems to be a spider web of alleys but after we meet with Andrea we are soon in our room.

A statue in the Ospitale Square

After warming up  we head out for a pizza and prosecco.

The prosecco is very good, as is the pizza.

Now we're back in our apartment.  I'm cold and want to turn up the thermostat but there's a note next to it saying, "please do not touch."  I ignore it and jack that sucker up.  You should've come to meet us, Andrea.