May 24, 2018

    We started the day in Brussels, Belgium, then took a Brussels Airlines plane to Venice, Italy. When we left Brussels, the temperature was 21°C, 11km/hr wind and the sky had thin cloud.  We took a single level train car in second class section to the airport.

    Brussels Airport check-in and security went smoothly there was no exit procedure to leave Belgium since it is part of the European Union and the mid-afternoon 90 minute flight to Venice is considered a “domestic” flight. Since we had booked exit row seats, we could not place carryon luggage under the seat in front and having waited until near the end to board the flight, our carry-on was placed in overhead bins several rows further back in the plane. It was a bit hectic to get our carry-on when we arrived in Venice. The plane was emptied from the front and back by mobile stairs, then the passengers boarded a bus to go to the terminal. Arriving at Venice’s Marco Polo airport terminal, Immigration was easy and there was no passport check, so no Italy stamp in the passport. The temperature was 24 C and it was sunny. We had arranged tickets online to take the bus from Marco Polo airport to Piazzale Roma, which was a 20 minute ride.  As the bus crossed the causeway, we could see the cruise ship terminal where the Holland America Oosterdam and the Oceania Riviera were docked.

     Once at the bus terminal, at Piazzale Roma, 500 meters from the cruise ship dock, we figured which direction to walk for the hotel. We only had to cross two canal bridges, with steps, during the 10 minute walk to the hotel. We chose the hotel about two months ago for its character. It is a quaint older hotel like others on the street.  It has about a seven meter wide frontage, where you walk through the lobby to the registration desk within three meters of the door. Past the registration desk is a cute breakfast room about the same size as the bed and breakfast dining room in Dublin. We got a key to our ground floor room, at the end of a 15 meter hall, with a desk, air conditioning, a private bathroom, with a bidet, and television with CNN as the only English TV station. The hotel has much better Wi-Fi than our hotel in Brussels. It has a gold wallpapered walls and pale turquoise and cream painted furniture and closet doors. It has about the same square footage as a ship’s standard stateroom.  The hotel reception is open 24 hours a day so we can leave the key at the registration desk if we wish.

  The day’s steps count so far is 17795, 13.24 km.

  Since we are staying for four days, we unpacked our suitcases before seeking a restaurant for dinner.  We walked through the Campo (Square) Santa Margherita, through the Dorsochuro neighbourhood and followed the canal Della Giudeeca around to the cruise ship terminal by the Piazzale Roma bus terminal.  We followed our earlier route back to the hotel and found a restaurant near it.  We chose a hot pepper and garlic spaghetti and vegetable soup accompanied by a glass of Prosecco.

     After dinner, with a map in hand, Larry guided us at dusk to the Rialto Bridge through some narrow streets where you could stretch out your arms and touch both walls of the street. There are no cars or bicycles to watch for, but occasionally dog poop. The walk was about 20 minutes and the canal and bridge were busy. There were gondolas transporting people and we got some good photos.  On the way back to hotel, with a couple of turns that ended in courtyards where we had to turn around and retrace our steps, we stopped for gelati. There are many gelato/gelati stores. We found one where you could buy two scoops for €2.80 ($4.50 Canadian).  There were two dozen flavours from which to choose.

   We ended the day having walked 22,669 steps which was 16,87 km.