I flew out of Nice at 6pm or so yesterday , coming to Venice. I flew on a cheap European airline that is painful in regards to carry on. They inspect every ones luggage to make sure that it is the correct size or smaller. This is a problem for me as I travel with camera equipment and a laptop computer. I can't check any of this so I am forced to try to compress it down. There are other things that I c
Have to carry on too...any jewelry and make up..also my handbag.
Luckily, the woman in front of me got snagged, so I was able to go past without them seeing. I measured my bag and it was within the dimensions, but something always goes wrong in this area for me.
The weather had been bad all day, but the 60 minute flight was pretty uneventful. The flight attendant asked me to sit in the emergency row as it was empty and I was one row back. He showed me how to open the door if need be. I went over it a few times in my head, but what are the chances I would ever have to do that if the plane went down. None the less, I was prepared. We were all instructed to be ready to get into a bracing position if the pilot says brace, brace, brace....whose idea was that instruction. It does not make me feel very safe.
Anyway, we land. I get my checked bag, no problem...I figure out how to use the machine to by a 12 € bus ticket into Venice. This machine stumped many people that we're standing around hoping to figure it out. It was in 4 languages....get with it people. Then I got on the express bus that smelled of smoke. It was one of those big busses that go to Atlantic City ...all plush and dirty. There were some kind of screens on the windows so you couldn't really see out. They had music playing and I heard the Stones Satisfaction and some Donna Summers song.
Couldn't they come up with a train that took people into Venice? It takes about 45 minutes to get in, but it seems like it should be more efficient.
The bus drops you off at Piazzetta Roma, near the train station . Then you have to find the vaporetto....and figure that out. I stopped and asked a merchant and he helped me. I find that most merchants in Italy speak some English. I bought a ticket and searched for the right boat.
I was just in heaven riding this boat into Venice, down the Grand Canal on a cold night. I just took a few snapshots. I was in awe of what I was seeing.
I arrived at my stop and I realized that I misplaced my instructions as to how to get to the campo is where I was to meet the man that would show me to the apartment. They were complicated instructions too. I winged it and asked an old man, who did not speak English, for help. I walked at his pace for many blocks till he pointed me in the right direction. I said " merry Christmas " ...he seemed baffled for a minute but then understood. He wished me a merry Christmas in Italian and shook my hand.
I made my way to the square and beat the man that was coming to meet me. I checked into a nice pizzeria and had a glass of Pinot Noir while I waited. I went back later and had a pizza ( no slices in Europe, sorry) I had a potato ,sausage and mozzarella pizza...no tomato. It was very good.
I got to bed around midnight...I had a 9 am tour at The Doge's Palace at 9am.
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