DAY 123

Friday 11 November 2011 -- 11/11/11 !!


A Primary Day! Nigel Tufnel Day! A day to get up and off really early to get to Venice. While Nicole snoozed in the back we drove through early morning fog/mist through Italian countryside, more and more watery with rivers and canals and swamp as we got closer to Venezia. We opted off the tolled autostrade, only 20 minutes more, and more scenic.

We got to Camp Venessia by 10. "Classy," camp vet Nicole quickly observed, and when we later saw the restrooms, that cinched it, the nicest, most spacious we'd seen, piped in music, lots of showers, the works. These things were important (well, not the piped in music). But they were indictors of price - this was one of our most expensive camps, at 31 Euros, nearly 44 bucks. Free wi-fi! -- but we learned, available only in a small circle on the patio, outside, freezing.

Venice? Sinking? What would make you say that?

Worse: after registering we went outside to drive into the parking area, and Clifford wouldn't start. Two nice guys from the camp office came out and looked at the engine about as cluelessly as Charles, then muscled in to push it for a jump start, but no go. Then Charles got into a very frustrating four-hour odyssey to get roadside assistance, with a phone with very little credit left and computer calls that were always iffy and cutting off. Roadside assistance really screwed up and a supervisor later apologized profusely, but that didn't get Charles back the hours he wanted to spend in Venice, nor the gray hairs added.

Singing gondoliers

Realizing quickly this would not be easily resolved, he sent Nicole and Dian off for Venice. We picked the camp because it was only a five-minute bus ride from the edge of the ancient island city. When the tow truck finally arrived, Charles sat in it for the ten minute ride to the mechanic. Turns out the truck driver was also the mechanic, Georgio, and the kid at the garage was his son. Just the two of them. After some time, some very boring strolling around the small garage, punctuated by worrying about the time, Georgio declared it was a bad starter -- made sense, with the history so far -- and that he could have one by morning and have it installed by noon. Hooray! -- sort of.



That meant no sleeping quarters for the Andrews, but Charles had prepared for that eventuality by reserving one of the last bungalows at the camp, very plain, two sets of twin bunk beds and a small shower. But with electricity to charge devices, and a heater! Very toasty! And, an additional 26 Euros, but we had no choice and were lucky to have that.

By then it was after 5 PM, and the Happy Trails Gang had a plan to meet at the Ponte Vecchio at 6, or missing that, at 8. After a ride back to camp and a quick finalizing of bungalow rental, Charles walked quickly to the bus stop, where it was just pulling out as he got there. Sweat, sweat. 15 minutes later, another bus, the five minute ride, but then came the trek across Venice, really difficult with an inadequate map and narrow, crowded streets often unmarked heading in spider web directions. Head down, barely knowing he was in Venice, many stops for directions, Charles charged on. "It's just five minutes away." he was told, great! Can make it. On and on and on, ask again, "Only five minutes away." Again, OK, can relax a little now, look and enjoy, even stop to buy tangerines at a nighttime street market, picturing offering peeled ones to the girls as they met at the famous bridge.

Occupy Venice

Next stop for directions: "It's only 10 minutes away." What!?! Ten now?! Panic. Didn't want to spend two hours alone in Venice when the family was right there, and certain they wouldn't either, they might already be Veniced out for the day. Charge again, sweat, panic, FINALLY make it there at one minute after 6 -- surely they'd wait and look for him. But no one knew Ponte Vecchio not only has two distinct sides but a middle separated by shops, and that there would be teeming crowds even at that hour in the off season. So, six points "at the bottom of the bridge," to check. Back and forth, up and down, more sweating, true panicking now, and it was 6:20 -- they may have moved on.

Dian signed as Daisy in the Disney store for an employee

Suddenly, at the top of the middle section of the bridge, there they were!! Nicole spotted Charles at the same time he spotted her. They weren't going to give up either. A joyous reunion! Then off for another hour and a half of Venice at night and we were all pleased to ride back to camp and slip into warm bunk beds.

Nicole and Dian's day in Venice: The gondolier who sand O Solo Mio as he passed below the bridge was Dian's favorite memory (she sang along!) Nicole loved the photo ops in the grand old city as you can see.