Saturday was the perfect day to return to Venice after 33 years. The weather was sunny and warm. I planned a day trip to wander around, rediscover, have dinner and get the last train-bus back. Well, expect the unexpected sometimes. On the train I happened to sit with expats John (American ) and Ian (Brit), colleagues who were also going to Venice for the day. They invited me to join them, and I readily accepted. Turned out to be a great decision. Both these guys had been several times and knew their way around. I learned that Ian is from Walls End, named by the wall that once marked the furthest reach if the Roman Empire in England. Who knew there was such a place! The conversations made the trip go by and soon we were crossing the rail causeway from the mainland to the island of Venice, which offered beautiful views of the lagoons and the islands. The sculling teams were out in abundance, as were the fisherman.
The first thing after arriving at the Santa Lucia station was to catch a water taxi to the island of Murano, home of the famous glass. Before sightseeing there was the business part of the trip...John was really there to buy a chandelier for his wife. I found the artistry of the glass in the many many many shops amazing, but didn't buy any. We sat in the sun for a pasta lunch, with wine of course, before taking another water taxi direct to the famous San Marco Square. This was the same approach to Venice I made from Lido in 1981 and I could recall the feeling. We then spent the rest of the day and into the evening wandering around Venice and passing by the famous sights I vaguely remember before a great dinner and the trip back. Having those guys leading the way was really helpful. Venice ia truly amazing and I was just as impressed now as I remember being impressed then. I got back to Aviano around midnight and crashed!
