Just wrapping up this trip as I fly towards Minnesota. I had a seriously lucky travel day – my flight out of Venice was a little delayed, which meant my tight connection in Amsterdam became a “departure flight is boarding while my arriving flight is still taxiing” kind of connection. Fortunately with a bit of a sprint through Schiphol and the e-gates for border control mostly cooperating, I made it.
To rewind a bit, I drove from San Marino to Venice yesterday morning. About halfway through my drive, I stopped for a coffee in the town of Dozza, near Imola. This was a random choice, and it reaffirmed the “you can’t throw a dart at a map of Italy without hitting a cute town” theory of travel.
I got to the Venice airport just after noon and returned my rental car, then grabbed a bus into the city. After dropping my bags at my hotel and changing into shorts, I set out for a wander. This was actually my first time in Venice – I’ve been nearby before, but never in the city itself. At midday, with temperatures around 90 and the sun blaring, it was pretty intense. The tourist crowds are no joke, and shade can be tough to come by.
To familiarize myself, I did the Rick Steves tour of St. Mark’s square, then walked to the Giardini della Biennale at the far end of the island. This is the primary hosting location for the Venice Biennale art show, but it’s also one of the few large gardens. I didn’t feel like supporting murderers so I didn’t enter the Biennale, but the park had shade and a breeze.
For dinner, I had a lovely meal at Impronta and lamented that I’m too awkward to ask the other solo diners if they wanted to have a group meal. I finished out my day with a long wander across the city. The city definitely got progressively more charming as the night went on, the temperature dropped, and the tourists cleared out. I’ll give Venice another chance, but maybe in the fall or winter …
This morning, I got up, went for a walk, and hit the airport.
Overall, a great trip. Ethiopia was amazing and I’m excited to get back. I hope it can find some stability to become the tourist destination it deserves to be. Italy remains lovely, though July is perhaps not the ideal time to visit.
Hooray! Welcome back to “terra firma” (as Granny would say).