Note: Please read the previous blogs to make sure you haven't missed any adventures!
Friday, October 13th- Sunday, October 15th
After another tasty breakfast spread, we were on the road to Venice. It was a crisp fall day and the sun was shining. Actually, the weather was great everyday that we traveled….cool mornings/evenings, sunny, highs in the 70’s during the day.
We left at 10:05am and got to Venice at 1:00 - 1:30pm! It was all highway but after the traffic we hit around Florence yesterday we were mentally prepared for the worst. However, it was so easy it was kind of scary!
The hotel we were staying at in Venice was actually on an island called Lido. We had to take a water ferry to it and saw signs for the ferries as soon as we pulled into the Venice area. The boat was just about to pull out but waited for us. It was the coolest thing…you just drive right onto this massive boat and off it goes. We got on and were cruising over the waters within minutes!
Our little smurf was doing okay and I am sure it was happy to have a rest on the boat for a bit.
The ferry was a decent size and had a bar and area to sit up on top. The ride was about 30 minutes and it was very scenic. You could see the San Marco Basilica from our angle, boats were cruising all over, it was just an amazing city to see!
We docked, drove off of the ferry and headed to our hotel. It was located in this really, really cute village area that had shops and restaurants lining the streets. There was a huge beach area and there were cabanas lined up in the sand. It felt like we were in a small resort town; Ag and Steph said they felt like they were in the Hamptons….(must be nice to those who have been!)
Anyway, we checked into our room and then went to a pizzeria, Gran Viale, and had a few pies and beers. We then walked up the street to the water taxis. We got on and were on the Venice island in about 20 minutes.
The way the town operates is just amazing. There are no cars in the area and everyone seriously gets around by boat or by foot. The streets are so small, narrow and tiny that you can get lost very easily. The water taxis are set up like a metro train or the Chicago Loop trains. Gondolas were everywhere too. Also, there are not a ton of sites to see in Venice, it’s more the experience of being there, being around something totally different, that you take away from it….
With that being said, we went to the famous Piazza San Marco where the St. Mark Bascilia is…the plaza is also the home to 1000’s of pigeons! They were everywhere and Ag has a fear of birds so this was just perfect for her! It actually works out great for me because she holds on to me really close! No really though, I get a kick of seeing her freak.
The Bascilica was impressive and the inside was very dark, yet filled with art and beauty. After we walked though that, we grabbed a few beers and just walked in and out of stores, winding our way to other things to see. We got to the Ponte di Rialto which is a famous pedestrian bridge. We crossed it and then ran into a ton of vendors on this main street. We turned down a side ally and ended up in a small plaza area. At this point, we decided to uncork a bottle of Chianti and give our cheers to Venice! It was around 7:00pm and we were having a great time just hanging out, exploring and absorbing our surroundings.
After our bottle, we found a outdoor restaurant that had pretty good food. We all had our own meals, but shared one pasta dish, the cannelloni. It was the best cannelloni I have ever tasted. The pasta melted in your mouth! After dinner we took a water taxi back to the San Marco square. It was about 9:00 or 9:30pm at this point.
The pigeons were all gone and the square was alive with lively restaurants. The restaurants had outdoor seating that put you on the outskirts of the square. Musicians at these restaurants were playing beautiful instrumental music. We listened to a few peaceful, relaxing songs and then started wondering down a side street again…this time in search of a gelato stand! We found one, but not before I ran into the secretary of one of the partners in our office! She was there for the weekend to celebrate her birthday. Talk about a small world!
We walked back to the water taxi and were home and in bed by 11:30pm. The next day didn’t turn out as planned but was a success to say the least. After breakfast we went to where we had to board the ferry back to the main Venice island. We had planned to park the car and explore Venice a bit more, grab lunch, etc. Unfortunately, we were 4 cars short of making the cut on the first ferry and had to sit for an extra hour and wait for the next ferry.
Once we did get to mainland it was close to 12:30pm and traffic was really congested getting into the parking areas. We decided to go to a town right outside of Venice for lunch and then headed to the airport. K-our hotel guy said it would take about an hour or so to get to the airport. Plus we had to return the Shiat Smurf. We were there in 20 minutes! The car was parked and returned, everything was fine done and we were finished within 5 minutes. Seriously. It was crazy!
So, we sat for about 3 hours in the smallest airport I have ever been in. Honestly, they had 2 gates. We got out with no problems though (which was the good thing) and landed back at Frankfurt Hahn around 6:00pm.
My buddy, Robert McEwan, met us there at the airport and together the 5 of us drove back to Amsterdam. Two reasons we went back to Amsterdam: 1. Steph and Pete’s flight left from Amsterdam the next day, and 2. the Amsterdam marathon, half marathon and 10k were the next day. That was a long drive….just because we were all tired. When we got to Amsterdam, we all stayed with our friends Jacob and Annette (thanks again!). Jacob and I drove Steph and Pete to the airport the next morning and thus the Tuscany trip was over….
That day, Agnes and Annette ran the 10k and McEwan, Jacob and I ran the half marathon. The race went well but it was windy and cold in Amsterdam. We managed though! Not sure what Agnes’ time was in the 10k, but I averaged a 7:31 mile over the duration of the half marathon. I’m happy with that! We finally were home and in our beds in Lux around 10:00pm. What a week!
Since this trip, we haven’t done a whole lot. Ag has been busy babysitting, cleaning apartments and working for her company back at home, Lakeshore Staffing. We have been relaxing and taking it easy. I have been ridiculously busy at work lately (normal days are from 8:00am to 10:00pm). Unfortunately, I have let my business creep into our adventures, as we had to cancel our Belgium plans for this weekend. We were planning on driving up to Brugge and also seeing Antwerp. However, I am just trying to stay positive and keep on keeping’ on….the good thing about those Belgian cities is that they are very very close and we can really drive up there anytime we aren’t busy and feel the urge.
We do have a trip to Stockholm, Sweden planned for next weekend which should be lots of fun. We are planning a drive to Reims, France (the capital of the Champagne region!) the weekend after that. Then we’re off for a weekend (Belgium, maybe?) and then I go to Orlando for a week’s worth of training for work. After that, we have a weekend (and opera) in Vienna, Austria and the various German Christmas Markets to attend. Then, viola, we’ll be home for two weeks at Christmas. So, until the next adventure, au revoir!
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