Saturday, June 19, 2010

7 June 2010, Time to head home from Venice

7 June, Monday

I got up at 6:10am and got ready to head to the airport.

After breakfast at the hotel and paying the bill, I left at the hotel. The streets were very quiet, although some people were around. I took the #1 vaporetto to Piazzale Roma. On the way I snapped a few last shots of the Grand Canal.




I caught the #5 bus (A1 stop) to the airport. It was a hazy morning, so I knew it would be a very hot day. It was time to get out of Dodge, although another day in Venice would have been great.

Check in was fast since I got to the airport early. Security was tighter than in Philadelphia. I was asked to have my bags inspected. One camera and my itouch were in the carry on bag. Of course, it took a few minutes for me to put everything back neatly so I could close my suitcase. Flying with only carry-on is great but you do have to pack perfectly.

The flight home took a little over nine hours. We took off 30 minutes late but still arrived on time. I watched a couple of movies, read my book, and talked to the flight attendants who treated me to a few goodies.

It took about 40 minutes to get through immigration. I guess I got in the wrong line! I talked to two guys behind me for a bit. They lived in Towson, MD. One security worker had her cute beagle and he went around sniffing the luggage in the area.

Just as I got out of the customs area, I called Tony. I knew he had been working and was calling to see where he was. He said, “I’m just outside.” What a nice surprise! He was just around the corner from the customs area. He had finished working around noon and decided to fly to Philadelphia to meet me so we could drive home together.

On the way home, we stopped for dinner and later he did the rest of the driving. At that point I was pretty tired.

It was a great trip that I really needed and Venice is one place that I can go to anytime and enjoy. I can never get tired of exploring the many streets, canals, and bridges. There's a photo to be taken around every corner.

The weather was beautiful overall with the exception of two very hot days and some rain. I had the opportunity to meet old friends and new friends; and chat with waiters and hotel owners.

I'll be back to Venice again someday soon.

Now it's time to wait for my next trip: Another transatlantic cruise from Rome to Ft. Lauderdale!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Your trip sounds wonderful. All the pictures were fantastic..........I hope Jeff and I can go back to Venice and stay!!!

Monica Pileggi said...

Thanks for the compliments Carol! When you and Jeff do move to Venice, get a place with a guest bedroom! :)

MrGuasch said...

Hi Monica, Welcome home! Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. As always your pictures tell a much deeper story. We feel the same way about Venice, there is always something new to discover. It is truly a magical place. Our daughter Marianne and her husband were there for three days in early May. She described it as a dream. They then went off to Florence, Amalfi, and ended in Rome. It was there last trip before baby gets here in October. The rules change after baby .
The best to always, Albert & Sylvia

Unknown said...

Hello
I like your blog!
Your experience from Venice reminds me the time I spent there last year and I hope you enjoy Rome as well. I visited Rome on April this year and I would go back to both places. (Florence was wonderful as well).
What camera do you use to take great pictures?