And that’s a wrap

The night before arriving in Venice, I didn’t sleep. I got myself into such a state about whether I would find the apartment (I had booked something more local and less hotel-y this time). The owner was going to meet me at the water taxi stop in Venice but then because of my flight times changed to meet me at the airport instead.

How many times had I been to Venice? At least half a dozen since my first visit in 1984? I am not really sure to be honest. I had been many times to the airport as that is where I had flown from all but twice when visiting my Nonna. To the city- I had done quite a number of day trips over the years, often stopping before heading on to my nonna’s house. This would only be the second time to stay – the other time in 2015. Needless to say, I had visited many times before without any problems; all my experiences in Venice had been positive.

So, I put on my big girl pants and sucked it up. After my cousins left to fly home I had many hours in the airport to sit and think and plan. I would be fine. Even Luciano the property owner messaged to say the same thing.

He met me at the airport to give me instructions and keys and helped me get all the transportation organized to get to the city. He was a chatty man, full of information and recommendations, and by the time I went to get the bus we realized I had missed it. So he drove me to the water taxi. Very kind of him. Saved me a bus ride!

When I got off the boat, my phone started ringing. Apparently during all our talking Luciano had forgotten to give me the keys to the apartment. Luckily there were other ways in. By this point I was wandering aimlessly and taking photos, remembering how much I loved being in the city and all my worries vanished. I was reminded that I need to have a little faith in myself… I generally figure things out.

I got to the apartment much quicker than anticipated and had just enough time to run to the supermarket which was just at the corner. I decided on a snack of marinated anchovies and potato chips, with a glass of Prosecco. Perfect start to my little Venice visit. I settled in quickly- the apartment was perfect! Great location, beautifully decorated and spacious! I would definitely stay again.

I slept well. I think I was so tired from not sleeping much the nights before that I just crashed. The apartment was clean and quiet and peaceful and had delicious aromas of aglio and sugo (garlic and tomato sauce) filling the corridors. I had sweet dreams and woke ready to take on the city.

First stop was Marchini Time for a coffee and apple pastry. Luciano told me this was where the locals go- while I was no local, I could certainly pretend.

My day was spent wandering and taking pictures, eating and having coffee while people watching, wandering through shops and talking to Italians and getting lost as I took turns that my map didn’t advise, all with my travel friend, Rick Steves in hand.

I have always been a fan of an appetizer dinner so when I read Rick Steves’ suggestion for cicchetti for lunch, I was all over it.

Gelato, a Banksy… while the temperature had dropped the sun was shining and my shoes were comfy so I walked.

I slow down here. I check my phone less (unless using my map) sit quietly and watch and feel no sense of urgency if I need to wait. It’s hard to adopt the same ways when home- life is busy, things are hurried and I always feel on call. I need to channel my Italian experience and figure a way to make it more a part of my everyday life.

I returned home in the late afternoon, had take away snacks in my apartment and then headed out for a Vivaldi performance at a church. It was wonderful- stringed instruments and a piano in an old church turned into a concert hall. The city was so beautiful at night that after the concert I headed back to wander around and take some more photos before finishing up.

In some ways it felt like I had been away for ages while in other ways it felt like my vacation had just started. Trip number 5 had come to an end. That was 5 trips in one year- the most I had ever taken. I figured it was one special trip for each decade I have been alive.

Here’s to the next 50! Can’t wait to see what lies in store.

I Didn’t Know Cinque Terre Had Five Towns!

I knew today was going to be busy, so I made sure I was all packed and ready to go before going to bed last night. I set my alarm for 6 to do some last minute bits with the idea that I would head to the market at the Rialto for 7am when they opened. Imagine my surprise when I stopped in Piazza San Marco to take some pictures and found that it was unusually foggy and wet towards the water. Men in funny hats and clothes were milling about, the fog was rolling in and the sun was just coming up over the gondolas bathing everything in an eerie glow. Of course, I had my camera out and at the ready.

What an awesome location for a movie set! And what a surprise to come upon it. I think I might have taken the picture that will make it on to the wall above my bed. I think…

I made my way to the markets only to find that most weren’t open yet. I wandered around the area congratulating myself for having found my way so easily and only getting lost once. I wished I could stay longer and wait for the stall owners to set up (they were all coming in with their boats laden down with fruits and vegetables and such) but there was so much to do and I had a schedule to keep. As Henry A. Kissinger once said, “There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.” That’s how I felt today. If I hadn’t had my tickets bought and someone to meet, maybe I would have been more flexible but that just wasn’t the case.

Shockingly, (or not so,really) the water transportation workers were on strike today, just during the hours that i needed to buy my tickets. I managed to figure out the self-service machine and got my ticket and was on my way. I was starting to wonder if I should have just braved it and walked the way to the station. In the end I was happy I hadn’t as I thoroughly enjoyed the ferry ride along the Grand Canal to the station. As I watched people sipping coffee on their balconies overlooking the canal, I thought that I could definitely live in Venice. There is a magic about the city. Everything is done by boat-from mail service to laundry service for the hotels, to construction workers bringing all their materials to sites to people mover across the canal.

It was a good thing that I arrived early to the station. I needed to pick up all my train tickets (I had 6 in total) and the line up was long. I took a number for tickets and then went back for a number for the information line. I had numbers for both lines, figuring whichever got called first could surely handle my questions. Good strategy as my first number hadn’t been called by the time my second number did. With tickets in hand, I boarded my first train for Florence.

The train was clean and quiet and before i knew it, I was in Florence. The next connection was just as easy and I easily found the train for La Spezia. This was a different experience. There were homeless people asking for money, women giving cards for you to read about their families and how they needed money, loud families running up and down the aisles and some rather shady looking young men who were up to no good. I had debated choosing a quieter, emptier car but realized afterwards that it wouldn’t be wise to be on my own with all my luggage.

I was doing so well, proud of myself for all my preparation and how it was all paying off only to hear a woman yelling at some man about the wrong trains etc. I got off to look at the board, the doors shut and the train started moving. Luckily I took all my stuff because it turned out that I was on the wrong train! Not sure where I would have ended up but I was happy the crazy lady scared me enough to send me off the train. The ride to Vernazza was uneventful and quiet. It was through a lot of dark tunnels and when tree was suddenly daylight, I gasped, jumped up and grabbed my camera. It was like I had never seen the sea before- I couldn’t stop grinning and snapping happily.

We haven’t made it out of the town yet. We wandered a little, ate some dinner (fritter mista and apple cake), did a little shopping and are now back at the hotel to blog and plan our day tomorrow. We are hoping for good weather as we have lots of ground to cover, even more than Nina had imagined as she really didn’t know there were five towns in Cinque Terre!