Venice.......last day

Last Day in Venice….all aboard the Ruby Princess


Our last day in Venice started at 5:00am, well for me anyway, getting up, finishing the blog and setting out to roam the streets of Venice one last time. I left the hotel at 6:00 am and made my way to the vaporetto boat stop and caught the 6:45 to the Rialto Bridge. Walked on over to St. Mark’s Square and I found it mostly deserted except for street sweepers and workers erecting barricades for the entrance to the Doge Palace and St. Mark’s Cathedral.

As I took a few photos I noticed other photographers in the Square also. Two Japanese guys with cameras kept following me around and using the same perspective that I had just used. I finally smiled and introduced myself. They spoke very little English but they did say they liked the compositions I was using. I showed them a couple more great photos to take and they were very thankful. From what I gathered they were just new to photography, yet carrying around a big Canon and big Nikon. I showed the Nikon guy how to put the Mode dial on Manual and using and f/16 lens stop he could vary the shutter speed. I decided to head back to the Rialto Bridge and catch the boat back to the hotel and have breakfast with MA. On the walk back I ran across a great photo op of St. Mark’s bell tower. It is at the top.

Breakfast at the hotel was great plus I made a ham and cheese sandwich there for a snack later. We got all packed and out of the room by 11:30 and arranged for transportation to the Ruby Princess. At 1:15 our luggage porter met us in the lobby, loaded our stuff on his cart and we were off to the other side of the train station where our transport van was waiting. A short 20 minute ride to the ship and we were deposited at the embarkation point. Our luggage was tagged and sent onto the ship. We got checked in aboard, got our ship ID cards, passed security, and we were ready to go, one of our favorite parts of these trips! We are on the 11th deck on the starboard side near the stern (that’s back of the boat for you land lovers).

We had lunch in the open dining room (notice the consistency there!) and went back to unpack the bags but unfortunately they had not yet been delivered to our cabin. Four hours later we still did not have bags and mysteriously the ship began to rock and roll, not from weather and waves, it was from MA, tracking down the bags. By the time she was finished the ship’s purser himself was down in the luggage area personally looking for three black bags with bright green straps! Good thing too! I hate tears.

We’re off now to our sit-down dinner and to scope out our table mates. Later! WW

MA and I are back from our first dinner with our new friends, Tracie and Jerrod, newlyweds from Long Island, NY who just got married in Venice! Tracie is a professional photographer (weddings & travel) and Jerrod is a police officer from Suffolk County. The other couple is Charlotte and Mike from Nashville, TN. After dinner MA and I walked to the Princess Theater and attended a performance by the Venice Chamber Orchestra. Some of the music was accompanied by an Italian tenor who had one heck of a voice. Well, tomorrow we sail at 8:00 for Athens. See ya. WW

Venice public transportation

Nice to Venice on a Baboo, Sunday

Panorama of the Grand Canal at Dusk

Grand Canal at Dusk

Sunday was a travel day for us.  We got up early, finished packing and had breakfast in our room in the Hotel Diana.  Randy and Nola arrived at 11:00 for a short drive to the Nice Airport.  We said our goodbyes and rolled our luggage into the airport looking for Baboo Airlines.  That's right, Baboo.  It's a Swiss Air affilliate so I was not worried.  After getting our boarding passes and checking in our luggage, we found the security checkpoint and got in line.  In Europe you don't have to take off your shoes.  After not too much delay we made it through, got our stuff and went looking for the Baboo gate.  This is another airport were you board the aircraft on the tarmac. 

Baboo was 20 minutes late getting the bus around to our gate.  The bus took us out to the aircraft.  This is a twin engine turbo-prop, Dash D-800 with tiny overhead storage compartment.  I planned for this by hand carrying my Nikon D3s around my neck and shoulder and two lenses stuffed in my vest pockets.  I really didn't care when they said my carry-on was too big for the overhead and it went with the checked luggage.  It only had a flash and some filters and my battery chargers.  We got strapped in and the flight took off for Venice.  We flew over the French Riveria (Cote d'Azur).  MA and both had coffee and a snack. 

We arrived Venice right on time.  The airport in Venice is 20 miles from the city and it's a 30 minute bus ride to what is called the Roma Piazzale, where all vehicular traffic ends.  From there you walk or go by boat to get into the city.  The Hotel Abbrazia was a short walk from the bus terminal, however, we had to navigate over a bridge with steps with two large bags and two carry-on bags.  There were several guys who offered to help, but I didn't trust anyone, so we said no.  We finally got the hang it of how to navigate the steps and both of us manage to get up the bridge and down with the four pieces of luggage.  I found it easier to carry the two large ones and MA rolled the two smaller. 

The Hotel Abbazia is very near the Scalzi Bridge, about 2 blocks.  After checking in, we decided to walk to St. Mark's Square.  We just started walking and following the signs to San Marco and finally made it  I felt like a rat in a maze. At one of the squares near the Realto Bridge a group of people were line dancing.  It wasn't the Cotton Eye Joe, so I passed on joining them. MA found a self-service restaurant where we had some dinner and rest.  MA found a delicious baked white fish and I had spagetti.  Both of us were exhausted at this point so we started running the maze back to the hotel in a north-westerly direction.  Some how we arrived at the Scalzi Bridge and our hotel.  Tomorrow is another day.