Travel Day - Part 2

May 10, 2022

I think it’s Tuesday.  I slept a little on the plane and my neck pillow and eyeshade worked great but it’s just not my bedtime yet.  I did have lights out for a while and just rested but felt refreshed and read my Kindle for a bit.  I drifted off and was awakened by the lights coming on and the rustling of a continental breakfast being delivered all around.  Yogurt, juice, and a croissant.  

Before long I got my first view of Germany since I lived there in the mid-1970s.

Once I got off the plane I saw it from the outside.

The next part of the trip veered into the adventure realm, again.  I got routed through a police checkpoint where they looked at my passport, asked lots of questions about where I was going and why.   Finally they  stamped a visa page so I guess that’s what that was about.  

After that I started looking for my gate, A21, but the signs indicated something like A1-A16 and A28-A55, so where mine?  I finally found a sign that pointed me to it and walked a long distance, up and down escalators, and even through what looked like an abandoned basement, before emerging at a tram station.  I caught the next one and it left me at Terminal 1 with the A21 gate I needed.

However, I had to go through security again but, luckily there was no line.  Unlike having TSA-Pre, I had to take stuff out of my bags and go through the full body scanner.  The control panel beeped and flashed a red light and the screen indicated that it found an implant that I have (AMS800 if you are interested) so they gave me the full body pat down.  Satisfied that I wasn’t a risk, they let me go and I worked my way to the A21 gate.  With an hour before boarding, I shuffled some things around in my bags, walked a bit, and refilled my water bottle.

This next leg, Frankfurt to Venice was unusual in that I sat at a window seat.  I don’t remember selecting that (I usually want an aisle seat) but I am glad I did because the scenery was beautiful.  Lots of small villages surrounded by farmland and then we crossed the Alps.

As we came into Venice I noticed lots of industry on the outskirts.

And I was finally there.

Getting into Italy requires nothing more than following the “Exit” signs.  No immigration.  No customs.  I guess that’s because I came from an EU country.

Once I got out of the main terminal I started following the instructions I’d been given to the water taxi but first I sat down and installed an Orange SIM card in my phone.  This gives me cell/data service for the next two weeks and something like 12GB of data.  At $50, that should take care of me here for lots less that the cell phone provider’s plan.

I found the warmer taxi ticket booth and exchanged the voucher I’d been given as part of the trip for a ticket and got in line for the water taxi.  It looks like this.

Once boarded, it was a ride to the islands that make up the part of Venice we want to see and where we’ll be staying.  I had no idea how long it would take and was surprised that it was about 45 minutes.  Once we got into the old canal system it really started looking like the Venice I had imagined.

The boat made several stops before I exited at the Rialto stop which was near the Rialto Bridge.  My directions told me cross the bridge and then continue through the market area on the other side.  Here’s a photo from the bridge.

After walking through a few winding streets, all pedestrian walkways, no cars to be seen, I turned the corner and there were Jodi and Mark, our group leaders waiting for me.  Our hotel was a few steps down a narrow walkway and we got checked in and I had a chance to unpack and freshen up.  Five others in the group had arrived earlier and once we got together it was time to head out and do some exploring.