9.21 - Wednesday Ciao Venezia

 CIAO BELLA VENEZIA

Oh, where shall I begin Dear Hearts and innocent bystanders…

“OK… Wherezitat, I know I had it in the pocket with our Passports and now its not”

“Look again, I know you have it… I saw you put it in your pocket, and you gave me a look when I put mine in my ID packet.”

“It  Aint here… maybe its in with the other receipts… wait… I cant find them either!!!”

“Ok… think... what did you do after we got on the Vaporetto?”

“I lugged 2 roll ons, 1 Computer case, 2 coats…

“Stop with the LUGGAGE crap… what did you…. Oh wait… when you gave the hotel the passports did you drop it then?”

“I’ll go down and see… [3 minutes later] Nope, not there, looked all around and the clerk never saw it.”

“Ok… It’ll turn up, now lets go eat and we'll think of where it might be.

Yeah, still more DRAMA!!!, But lets start with the flight.

I love flying Alitalia.  The service, the personnel, the overall style and ambiance is so spot on… not to mention the free flowing wine… the only issue is that they are flying older aircraft on the MIA to FCO run and it is beginning to show. {later found out the newer planes are on the MIA to MXP run}

Case in point.  My seat was so hard that trying to find a comfortable angle to catch some zzzzzzzz’s was impossible; my light switch, was on her arm rest against the bulkhead [I was in an Aisle seat] and with no seat back Video Screens, trying to watch the in flight movie on small drop down screens sparingly placed over the aisles gives you eye strain. But all in all, the flight was uneventful.

Arrival at FCO [Aeroporto Leonardo da Vinci –Fiumicino Airport] was another story.  Any other place, you pull up to the jet way at whatever gate you arrive and walk off the plane into the terminal.  Unfortunately, when landing in Rome… you're still in the 20^th century and you de-plane down the old stairs to the ground, board a bus and drive another mile to the terminal, and then… trek another mile following the “transiti” signs [Transit] from Terminal 3 [International Arrivals] to Terminal 1 for domestic connections, stopping to line up for Passport control [they told it this wouldn't happen till Venice] and then getting in line for another security check behind "an extremely basic fundamentals of flying challenged " Greek tour group, just to get to the sterile zone, where Chucky gets stopped because they don't like his travel sized Right Guard spray, but relent and send them racing for gate J11 alllllll the waaaaayyyyy at the eeeennnnndddd of terminal 1.  We have just walked another mile.

The connection is late in boarding so we have enough time to charge Dragon Lady’s iPhone… [the battery is really dying - and of course she let her battery service plan expire], grab a quick cafe, add an international data plan to her phone in case we need to access Google Maps, and we’re ready to board the puddle jumper to Venezia.

Another uneventful 50 minute flight, only to again land at the other end of Marco Polo Aeroporto, de-plane down steps to another bus to the terminal. 

Baggage retrieval was non eventful and we headed to the ATVO counter to get our prepaid VENEZIA EXPRESS bus tickets to Piazzale Roma, and the ACTV desk  for the 72 hour transportation/Vaporetto [water bus]Tickets .

We find the Bus easily and are at "Ple. Roma" in 25 minutes. 

A quick pic on the bridge to the Train station [only in Italy do they build a bridge from the train station to the main transport area with STEPS. [Rolling luggage takes a beating here.] 
and we find vaporetto 61, swipe our passes on the card reader and just make it to the vaporetto as it heads to Lido, the island in the lagoon SE of Venice proper where we will stay for the next 3 nights.

Nice 30 mnute boat ride, only 6 stops till Lido, a short drag of the "LUGGAGE" down Via Santa Maria Elizbetta to Hotel Cristallo a quaint, very European 3 star hotel with a very small lobby, minimalist decor - over a shoe store {how fitting} and Tavalo Caldo [Caffe shop with snack food]  which causes a little confusion on how to get inside the HOTEL until the Dragon Lady finally spots it on the side not facing the main drag, where the desk clerk declares that they have been waiting all day for us… Tough pal… we were waiting  all day to get here. 

Up 3 steps to the mini-elevator - 2 people 2 roll-ons, 2 carry ons…etc… just fit and we find a nice corner room with a noisy ceiling fan and broken a/c overlooking the main drag and happy club across the street.  Really though, not bad location, and its cool enough with an open window we don’t need the a/c or fan. [it got so cold later that SoFla raised, thin blooded Chucky had to close the window... you northern types probably won't get that.]

About the time they are preparing to run out for a bite is when Chucky discovers that he can't find the 72 hour transportation pass, that he so cleverly booked online for a significant discount and hence the opening dialog.  
Chaos prevailed as he tore the room apart to no avail.  Bottom line, we'll have to buy another one in the AM after we meet our Guide for the back alley walking tour.

By now its 8PM and we really need to eat.  The night clerk recommends a quaint little spot off the beaten path, Ristorante Andri, famous for its fish.  This is were Dragon Lady makes a mistake in ordering baked Branzino not realizing that, in Italy, she will be served a fish that stares back at her.  She just hates that, but trooper that she is, and thanks to Chef Gordon Ramsey [she is a Hell’s Kitchen Devotee] she expertly de-bones her own fish, which was cooked perfectly. 
The perky blonde German next to us saw the fish and had to ask her what it was, so Dragon Chick pointed it out on the menu and was royally peeved when the waiter offered to de-bone if for the blonde, but never offered to do it when he served DL.  Chucky’s Frito Misto de Mare, fried calamari, octopus, langostinos, sardines and clams was also excellent as was the house wine and a Fabulous Creme Torte with creme fresh [really an Italian Napoleon]

This is also when anal Chucky decides that the Canon pocket camera case is mis-aligned, and decides this is what was causing it to be a little balky, so he decides to effect repairs with the afore mentioned money-clip knife combo, only to really bollix it up and now we’re down to 1 camera, and no backup.   Oh wellll it was on its way out anyway, that’s why she got the new digital for the trip.

A leisurely stroll back to Hotel Cristallo, an internet search to replace the lost transit ticket [too late… gotta buy it at the dock] and email follow ups with a balky internet connection and jet-lag took its toll.

Thursday is the Walking tour of Venice, so an early start will put the weary twosome to the test.  Pictures are soon to follow, as soon as we can sort and upload.

Ciao 4 Now

Uncle Chuck & the She told you to be careful with the ticket,  Dragon Lady

Finally enjoying Fine Tuscan Wine, Aged Sharp Cheese & Great Crusty Bread