Greetings from Venice!

Well, I made it here all in one piece (which is more than I can say for the luggage).  The the trip was challenging... with intimate probings by TSA representatives in Santa Barbara, long lines of disgruntled passengers throughout, and the general indignity that modern air travel has come to represent.  Plus the walking, walking, walking through under-airconditioned airport labyrinths.  The final insult was the loss of my luggage.  Apparently it was left behind in Paris, but hopefully we will be reunited today.

Not to say that the discomfort wasn't offset with moments of pleasure.  Here are a few of them.

                                         The Air France caccoon seat from LAX to Paris

              Champagne is served before takeoff.  Oh boy!  Now this is better!!!

                                                           View of LA after takeoff

                                     The beginnings of a fabulous sunset over Las Vegas

                                          Glimpses of the French countryside, near Paris

Once I landed in Venice, there was a two hour delay dealing with the lost luggage situation, and then I got to have my first-ever water taxi ride from the airport into Venice Central.



                                                          Leaving the airport docks

A not-very-flattering picture of me on the water taxi.  Amal and George Clooney were a lot more elegant.          

On the Grand Canal, in the Dorsoduro area, this is the mighty symbol there to greet you:
                                                  Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute                  

                                                        Sunset on the Grand Canal

            Young Italian male, posing beside a huge golden sculpture, part of the Art Biennale  

Yesterday I walked to the Piazalle Roma, which is the last stopping-off place for motorized land vehicles, in order to renew my water bus pass.  This was a quick and painless process, and will save a lot of money on vaporetto fees.  A single ride costs 7.50 euros; you can purchase a monthly pass for 30 euros, although the card itself is 50 euros, though lasts 5 years (I bought mine four years ago).  You can save a lot if you are staying for any length of time, or visit fairly regularly.

Then I promptly hopped on one I thought was going to roughly where I know the supermarket to be.  But no...I ended up across the Guidecca Canal, looking longingly at the supermarket.*  Back on another vaporetto, this time one going in the opposite direction, down the Grand Canal.  I got off at a stop close to my apartment, and then decided to go to the supermarket after all...so walked over to the other side of the Dorsoduro and onward towards the store.  At that point I figured it would be really foolish to shop for food considering the fact that I had eaten nothing the entire day (it was around 4:30pm).  And so I plopped myself down at a nearby restaurant so I could watch the people parade.  The waiter greeted me in a friendly fashion, but informed me that the kitchen wasn't open.  I must have looked fairly pathetic because he offered to open it early for me, but said it would still be a half hour wait.  I accepted the offer, since it included toilet access, and sat down with a beer along with a basket of bread he kindly gave me.  A small storm passed, spewing rain, but I was dry beneath the awning.  However, after the food arrived, a larger storm came through with terrifiic  winds...so inside I was moved.  The time spent there was comfortable and accepting.

*Note from days later:  the irony of this is that the very next stop would have been exactly where I wanted to go, but in that moment I doubted myself and so disembarked prematurely.  Note to self:  stick with the plan.

                  This was the view from my outside seat, before the storm unleashed itself.

                                                  Looking towards the vaporetto stop.

I did manage to get a few food items afterwards, and then walked back "home".  Thankfully it was between thunder storms.

So here I am now, the next morning, sitting at the sunny kitchen table, writing all of this.
Here is what that looks like:

                                                Even rain boots are thoughtfully provided!

And that brings us up to date.  Today I will wait for the luggage to appear, and then walk over to some of the Biennale art that's around me here on Dorsoduro.