May 28, 2018

      After breakfast we packed, then checked out of the hotel but left the luggage for later. 
    We walked over to the nearby garden and park, Giardini Papadopli. The paths were nice and shady on a warm morning  (about 23°C) with a thin cloud layer with sunny patches.  From the garden, we had good views of the Ferrovia (train station), the Grand Canal and the final two bridges over the Grand Canal. We had crossed one yesterday and crossed the fourth modern design bridge today.  It connects the Ferrovia with the Piazzale de Roma where the buses and trams from the mainland stop.
We ventured over it and followed the road to the causeway and got a good look at the two ships at the cruise terminal - the Celebrity Constellation and the Marella Discovery 2.  At Piazzale Roma we discovered that there is a “People Mover” (overhead rail tram) to the cruise terminal for a fee of €1.50 ($2.40 Cdn), it goes the one kilometer to the cruise terminal and on to the ferry terminal and back several times an hour.  We had planned a route, which would be in the sun walking for almost two kilometers but will opt for the tram instead. Then we wandered over the Ponte Degli Scald and walked along the Grand Canal watching all the boats, waterbuses, watertaxis and delivery boats go by. Along the canal was a café called Magnum and it was the place where you can have coffees and handmade custom Magnum ice cream treats for only €5.00 ($8 Cdn). We strolled further close to the Rialto Bridge before turning toward the hotel and making a final stop at our favourite gelati place where two generous scoops cost just €2.80 ($4.50 Cdn). We continued further and heard the chimes of the church bells indicating noon.  We stopped at Ali Baba Pizza and Kebob, to buy a ham and mozzarella wrap to share for a take away lunch, before returning to the hotel to write up the blog before going to the cruise terminal.   We had walked 11,169 steps and 8.24km
    We walked to Piazzale Roma in about 12 minutes crossing two bridges and caught the People Mover to the cruise ship terminal. The trip took less than a minute, then we took escalators down two storeys to ground level and walked the 300 meters to the cruise terminal.  We boarded the Celebrity Constellation for our 10 night cruise along the eastern coast of the Adriatic plus stops in Naples, Italy, and the island of Sicily. From the time we left our hotel to the time we walked into our stateroom was less than 45 minutes.  There was no line at registration where almost 30 clerks were processing passengers.  We dropped our backpacks and found that there was a presentation about the different ports and the excursions in the theater.  The safety drill was scheduled for 3:45 so we went early to get a seat. After the safety drill there was a little time before the 4:30 sail-away from Venice.  We ship cruised away from the port into the Fusina Canal, between the Venetian neighbourhood of Dorsoduro and the island of Giudecca then merging into the Guidecca Canal as the bells announced it was five o’clock.  Then blending into the San Marco Canal passing Saint Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace toward Lido Island and into the Adriatic Sea before our 6 p.m. dining time. Venice’s cruise-ship piers are inside the Venetian Lagoon which is connected to the Adriatic Sea by a narrow entrance called the Porto di Lido.  We saw the opening on the island boat tour we took a few days ago.
   We were assigned a table of 6 and were joined by Mike and Lynn and do not know if there will be another couple joining the table.  After dinner, we caught the end of comic, Carl Banks 7 p.m. show and decided to go to the 9 p.m. show.
    Distance walked today 19,132 steps  14.23 km





























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