Venice My dream come True!

We final arrived in Venice, the bus pulls into Piazza Roma and the nice bus driver announces, last stop in his all out Italian. There we stood, starring at each other, looking like lost puppies. (where do we go?) The locals scattered in different directions and since I have never been to Piazza Roma and from the moment we landed, I had lost all sense of directions. There is nothing worse than not knowing which direction to go when you get off a bus and there is no signage. Kary and I sat there for a few minutes looking around in Piazzale Roma with a few other lost travelers, who had no clue either on which direction was the Grand Cannel. So I did the next best thing, went up to some nice folks and hoped they spoke English, and actual they were from England but they were just as lost as we were. So its time to step up to the plate and make a decision. I took a quick 360 degree look around and said we need to go straight ahead and hoped for the best. With our luggage in hand we managed to cross the street down a flight of steps. And there before us was the Grand Cannel. As we stood looking at Venice in all of its glory, it all most did not seem real. I had to pinch myself. It was like being in Disney World, in Orlando Florida. I was in total shock as my memories of 25 years ago deceived me. (it's a wonder that when we are young how things seem to be and what we perceive to be; are so much different when you return as an adult!) Venice was bigger than life itself, back in those days. To truly experience the indescribable beauty, charm and mystery of Venice, you must become one with the city. I have had this ongoing love affair with Italy as long as I can remember. This city has been calling my name for years, her hypnotic trans slips into my dreams and with her magical powers, allows me to remember those cold January days when the carnival parties would go all weekend long, filling Saint Marc square with music and thousands of people dressed up in costumes. Venice has and endless amount of maze streets and even if you get lost since your on an island there is no way getting totally lost. Just follow the yellow brick road! If you have never been to Venice and experienced its magical powers or wandered through the endless maze of streets., you have not lived!

We are on Our Way

We Left on Wednesday May 24, to Fort Lauderdale to spend one night and then take a the blue bus to Miami airport. By the time we arrived in Fort Lauderdale it was real late in the evening, it was all most midnight before we went to sleep. The hotel had a very nice pool and jaccuzi that allowed for us to unwind and get all the kinks out before our long journey.

We arrived at the Miami airport on time, 3 hours before the departure time of our plane. Well that was the plan, until mother nature took a turn for the worst and a lighting storm took hold of the airport and all airplanes were directed to Ft. Lauderdale. This 2 hour delay would cost us 5.5 hours delay in Milan and miss our morning flight to Venice. The food on the plane was actual very good. Tastey to say the least.. Now that we had full tummies it was time to take the little white pill and a snooze for the next several hours. Hours later just as the light was streaming through the windows, we awoke to a new time zone and fresh orange juice, (blood orange juice, so good1) and coffee. We departed the plane and made our way through the maze of long tunnels and then it hit me, for a second i felt helpless, then realized we were no longer in Ozz, but in foreign country and it was time to stop speaking English and use what little Italian I had learned over this last year. All those creatue comforts of home, like how to get from one place to another, were suddenly vanished. Our adventure had just begone!

There were all kinds of beautiful shops in the airport, filled with all little goodies. I had to stop even though Kary wanted to eat. I couldn't help myself. There were all kinds of stuff to fill your buggy up, from perfume to wine.

We needed to make a quick exchange of money to make our purchases. The dollar is not very good right now and for $314.00 the machine spits out only 250 Euro... Ouch!! well off we went to find something to eat, the last thing I wanted was airport food. W e found a bar that served sandwiches and soft drinks. Soft drinks in Italy are outrageous! 3-4 euros for a can of coke. We had our firs panni and shared a can of coke, what they call coke anyway. Kary found a seat and decided to sleep awhile while (since we had an 5 hour lay over) I found an internet spot to write to our hotel that we arrived in Milan but we had missed our flight and we would soon be on our way to Venice. We spent the entire day at the Milan airport. (what a waste of time) If i could of got our bags, we would have taken a train to Venice. The endless hours of waiting had come to end and finaly board the plane and then as we pass the security stand in line to the bus, we and all the other passengers are hauld off. At this point in time we really think someone does not want us to go to Venice. Fianly after another delay we board the plane and it wisk us off to Venice. The country side was amazing, big beautfull mountains with all kinds of new homes and building going up.

We arrived at the Venice airport around 3:30 or so and it took us awhile to get into the turn style for us to collect our bags. As you leave this controlled area which is like a big room and then you must push the doors open and then there is the small airport filled with vendors and at last we entered the world I have so long to back to. Our Italian adventure was just now starting.

I gathered up our tickets and found the bus stop and we ran like hell to catch the last bus. Not much had changed since the time I wa here last nearly 25 years ago. The little towns were still filled with the old ways of doing things in Italy.