Venice: Getting there

March 18th 2012

Sunday morning was an early one. So early that it just felt like Saturday night. I went to bed at 8pm so I could at least get SOME sleep before my adventure. I tossed and turned and fell asleep around 10:30. Gah! I got up four hours later and seriously considered just going back to bed and forgetting it! Obviously I didn’t and dragged myself out of bed and got dressed. Thankfully I had everything ready to go and I walked out of the door at 3am. I walked a block to the bus stop and waited for 10 minutes or so before the 266 appeared. I could have slept for 10 more minutes!

The bus ride took awhile… or I was just stressed and tired. One or the other! The bus FINALLY finished its route and I entered stage two of getting to the airport. The end of the route was at the Hammersmith bus garage which was also some sort of mall place. I followed the signs for the bus stop I needed and got there without a problem. I saw the bus that I needed on the sign, but it wasn’t on the live feed. At this point it was four-ish and my easybus left at 4:30. I waited, and waited. It seemed like forever. I was tired so I was getting stressed. I needed the bus to come so I could catch my last one. Then I noticed a N97 pullup to let people off. That was encouraging because usually whenever a bus pulls in the bus ahead of it in the same line starts it route. 30 seconds later a N97 pulled up to my stop. Phew! I hop on and almost immediately the driver floors it. We get to my stop in about 5 minutes and I hop off to start my third and final leg of “Operation Get to the Airport”.

I have a little map that shows me where the easybus picks up. I was a little confused, but then focused and figured it out. I only had to wait about 5 minutes before it pulled up. PHEW! The stress was over! I just had to sit on the easybus and ride. The driver FLEW to the airport!! We got there at 5:20ish and the airport was deserted because no one in the right mind schedules a flight that early in the morning when the tube isnt running! Our gate wasn’t even posted for our flight so I wandered. I did pick up some toothpaste in the rite-aid type store because my my toothpaste was too big for my carryon. Gotta love those liquid/gel rules! Then I just sat and waited. Freya was also there pretty early so we waited together. At 6:50am our gate came up on the board and we headed to gate 105.

It was a pretty boring flight. I dozed a little but when they were feeding us I woke up and stayed awake looking at my travel guides. We landed at 11 (only an 1hour and 45mins on the plane!) and all congregated at the luggage claim to get our bus tickets to Venice and make sure no one was left behind! After some confusion we were on the bus and headed towards VENICE! It was only a 20 minute bus ride into the Piazza and we went to purchase our boat ticket down the Grand Canal to our hotel!

It was a bit pricey (6.50 for a ride) but it was worth it! It was awesome to head down the Grand Canal in a boat and see it from the water! We found hotel without a problem! Freya and I were staying together and our room (501) wasn’t ready yet. Gah! I unloaded some of my stuff from my shoulder bag into my carry-on and left it there at the hotel as we headed out to lunch! We found a little pizza place, and of course I had to have pizza!! I picked the pizza Margarita (tomato sauce and mozzarella!) and had aqua Fizzante!!! Oh it was so SO good to be back in Italia! I missed the food!

After we headed back to the hotel before we had to meet as a group down at the molo. Our room… still not ready. Isabel was kind and let us dump the stuff we didn’t need on her bed and we headed out! Venice was AMAZING! It had looked beautiful from the water, but walking around was even more amazing. I just love Italy. It has a feeling too it that I haven’t found anywhere else. It felt good to be back. We found our way to the molo (its right on St Marks Square and on the water front!) Everyone made it and we split up into two groups and had a mini tour and intro to Venice. We walked around the area for about an hour and got our bearings. It was long though because I was SO sleepy! We ended the tour by sitting by the canal and chatting. It was Rebecca, Jackie (our two tutors) and a few of us girls. We talked about what we were planning to do after Christies. I wanted to say that right now my best bet was living under a Tupperware tote things (the storage containers) on Virginia Beach near Katie! I thought that wasn’t a great idea so I kinda made stuff up and said I didn’t know. Anyways it was fun to sit and relax and chat after a long day. Eventually Isabel and I headed back to the hotel. Our hotel had free food and drinks from 2pm-10pm! There was Persecco!!! For free! Along with cake, cheeses, meat and rolls! We ate there and then explored my hotel room (that was finally ready)

Our room was AWESOME. Check the pictures out on facebook! (even if you aren’t friends with me I think they are on the public setting. If not friend request me!) It was so big, and nice. The bathroom was interesting though…the shower was the head, a curtain and a drain. The floor didn’t even slope down into the drain. I flooded the bathroom every single night. The flooding wasn’t as bad by the end of the week, but the first night it was a swimming pool. Anyways… after exploring I donned my bathrobe and slippers and drank tea while watching Pirates of the Caribbean two with Isabel. It was a nice relaxing way to end my very VERY long day. Isabel left after the movie, and Freya came back. We chatted and I was in bed by 10!!! Phew!