Post #18: Sail away from Venice

Pictures:
Room service
Walking from ship
On Vaporetto going to Venice
Approaching the St. Marks Square Vaportto stop
More shopping

Where we entered for tour
Our tour guide
Things we saw on tour (could not take pictures inside)
Lynn playing with the pigeons
The crowd along the walkway as we headed back to the Vaporetto stop

Sailing away; approaching St. Marks Square and just past it
At dinner and the sunset

Woke up in the middle of the night
Laid awake a long time
We both did, but at different times
Fell back to sleep, woke up at 7:30…phew!
Room service ordered between 8:00 & 8:30 (arrived 8:10)
Meeting Rich and Lynn to go ‘ashore’ at 9:00
Pretty good room service breakfast,
Overlooking construction site not the most romantic
The four of us left the ship for our long walk ‘to town’
Could have spent money on the ship’s shuttle
but we already had our Vaporetto passes
What we saved bought wine at dinner (like that mattered)
Had a LONG walk (30 minutes of Coach Carolyn walking!)
Caught a bus (much cooler…a WATER bus)
Arrived in San Marco square with an hour to spare…
An hour before our Doges’ Palace Secret Itinerary tour.
By-passed the long general admission line to get our tix
Purchased on line tix…VIP treatment…you’re in a line, and I’m not!
Strolled around and did shopping (my how our group can shop!!!)
Got some cool things though (Merry Xmas girls! I know what you’re getting!!!)
Lynn fed the pigeons and we got MANY pictures of that…what a sport!!!
Used the WC toilette…free with our Vaporetto Blue ticket
Went back for our tour…AWESOME. Basically a history of Venetian aristocracy
through the residence and offices of the ruling class.
Very organized society back then…cut throat yes, but organized.
Tour of the prison, with Casanova one the most well known ‘residents’.
Got to go through the Bridge of Sighs…sweet!
(Look it up on the internet, I’m paying for this time!!!)
Shopped briefly, JB got her plate, had a gelato (well R/L did),
Caught the Vaporetto back (I think our 7 day pass was worth it!!!)
Repeated the 30 minute Coach C speed walk from V stop to ship
Had to go thru 3 security checks before getting back on ship.
Were in time for the ever fun life preserver drill…then Sail Away
Now THAT was cool.
Many pictures and video footage!
Looking down at San Marco square and Bridge of Sighs…
Evokes sighs…
Venice and surrounding islands are beyond words.
To a person we would all come back…but for MUCH longer.
Great people, great food, great feeling…just GREAT.
After happy hour went back up to spa
Then to the On Line room to sign up for internet
It is VERY slow at peak usage times (before dinner, right after, etc.)
Set up account, and will try logging on later
Watched amazing sun set before getting dressed.
Bumped into Marcia and Gerry (again!) and had a drink with them
Great big band music!
Wore new ‘grand-kids tie’…BIG HIT!
Originally were assigned a table for four…we like each other
but not THAT much (I mean really, 14 straights days…and nights?)
We got reassigned to a table of 10…FUN PEOPLE.
Wildwood, Brisbane, Danville, Sarasota (Fl) and Rhode Island…
This should be a fun cruise…and our waiter seems fun as well.
Oh, and the food was pretty good. Most had salmon
Those with veal chop said it was tough…oh well.
At midnight went to one of the WiFi hotspot.
We are too far away to access in cabin (major bummer)
No problem getting connected
And no problem updating blog. Pix a little slow, but not too bad.
Now back in cabin typing this…JB turned out light…
Must be bed time.
Good night!