Day 1 - Traveling

We have arrived in Venice, about 18 hours after we left home.  Actually, it was an uneventful trip.  We hit some traffic driving to Dulles at the 2 construction areas but still made the drive in about 2 and a half hours.  The AVIS van dropped us off at the wrong end of the terminal, so we had to walk a long way to find IBERIA check-in, but once we got there the line was short. 

Dulles recently replaced the strange buses on wheeled stilts they used to use to transport passengers to the gates with an underground tram system, and we got to ride that for the first time.  Once at the gate we stopped in  Potbelly Sandwhiches for dinner, then relaxed in the Ambassador's Lounge until boarding time. 

Our flight to Madrid boarded quickly and we actually left the gate early.  The flight was a little bumpy .  We both skipped the dinner offered by the airline in favor of trying to get some sleep.  Ray managed to sleep a few hours but, as usual, I  did not.  about an hour before landing the nice flight attendants brought a breakfast of fruit, yogurt, orange juice, hard bread, and coffee. 

At Madrid Airport we cleared immigration and took a high-speed tram to another terminal for our next flight.  We got in around 10AM local time and our flight to Venice wasn't  scheduled to leave until 12:35, so it wasn't assigned a gate yet, only a terminal.   We stopped at an airport cafe for cappucino and croisants, then stood by the departure board until our gate was assigned.    By the time we got to the gate I was fading fast.  The flight from Madrid to Venice was smooth.  I plugged my ipod, turned on my Instant Immersion Italian lessons, and actually started to dose off for a little while.  Ray woke me for lunch service. They served a salad, a choice of peppered veal or salty cod (we choose the fish), cheese, and a chocolate truffle cake for dessert.  I enjoyed a nice Spanish white wine to make up for the so-so airline food and the truffle cake was nice.

In Venice we were surprised to find the only customs check was a German Sheppard and his handler guarding the exit.   Our greeter was waiting outside the baggage claim.  He took us to a van for a short ride to the airport pier where we and our luggage got on a small but lovely wooden water taxi.  The boat would probably seat about ten people on bench seats to either side and at the stern.   There was a roof over all but the back bench and that's where I sat.  When the driver took off across the bay, we could finally relax.  He drove that boat like a land taxi driver would, speeding along a marked water-lane.  It was about a 10 minute ride to the hotel.

We are staying at the Stucky Molino Hilton for the first few days.  It is a former flour mill, on an island south of Venice proper,  restored to a hotel.   This island used to be the industrial area, but is now in the process of renovation.  Factories are being converted to artists lofts and residential complexes.

Once in the hotel we unpacked and fell asleep for a few hours.  We got up around 7PM, got our electronics charging  and did some planning for  the next day.  Around 11PM we each took a sleeping pill so we would sleep though and get on local time. 

As I write this, it is about 8AM and Ray is still sound asleep.  As we get older, traveling gets more and more exhausting.