Reflections

May 16th Travelling around Europe you find so many cathedrals, some grand, some fairly simple. Every city, town and village has a church which is the focal point of everyday life. Through the ages religion has been the salvation of many but to some it was a threat to their ambitions. The Catholic Orthodoxy of Georgia like so many others suffered martyrdom by its clergy and its adherents. In 1989 while still a Soviet republic the idea was broached to construct a cathedral. A design by the Georgian architect Archil Mindiashvili was subsequently chosen, the foundation was laid in 1995 and the cathedral was consecrated in 2004. Holy Trinity Cathedral is not too different than any other cathedral in Europe. It is the seat of the Catholicos Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church. But even more so it has become the hope and salvation of a new Georgian people. With the end of this visit we went back to our hotel to pack our bags and get ready for our flight the next morning back to Istanbul and then back home. We have done so much this trip, we have observed how east meets west in Istanbul, we have walked in major cities in Italy and in humble villages of Georgia. The graciousness of Ariana’s host family in Georgia will never be forgotten. The majesty and ancient beauty of Rome is indelibly etched into our minds. Our inquiring mindset has given us an adventure and has stoked the fires to light the way for further adventures, who knows where our next trip will take us? Time to start saving and planning!

Occupation

May 16th We’ve left Kistauri for our final stay in Tbilisi. We’re picked up by the same driver who drove us to Kistauri a couple of days before. This ride is even more, for lack of a better word, thrilling than our last ride. We take off down what passes for a roadway towards Tbilisi. This time I’m sitting in the front seat of the aging Toyota that has travelled many, many miles of these Georgian roads. The hamlets that we pass become blurring clusters of buildings, pedestrians and livestock. As we speed into curves with tires and brakes squealing their protest my heart is literally in my throat. My thoughts are that at the very least we might end up in a hospital surrounded by people greeting us with gomanjabar the Georgian word for hello. But like many things the drive was over none too soon and we reached our hotel body and soul intact. We spent the afternoon seeing the sights in Tbilisi with a visit to the Museum of Soviet Occupation. The museum is situated on an upper floor of the National Museum. Entering the museum one of the first things you see is an old railcar. The wood sides of the railcar are riddled with holes and splintered posts, we soon learn the holes are in fact bullet holes. It was in railcars like this that many Georgians met their fate as they were slaughtered by Bolsheviks spurred on by the ambitions of Joseph Stalin, a son of Georgia. The museum is sectioned into timelines of the atrocities committed by Bolsheviks or on their behalf. We see the identity papers and personal effects of Stalin’s victims. Victims came from all walks of life; the aristocracy, the religious and even upper class peasantry. The victims of Stalin’s ambitions were many. Between 1921 and 1991at least 800,000 Georgians were victims of Stalinist and Soviet terror. This sobering exhibition gave meaning to the next stop on our visit, the Holy Trinity Cathedral.

Supra!

May 15th

Evening is here, Lali and Vanda have been busy in the kitchen all day. Guests are arriving, a toastmaster has been appointed and now it’s time for a supra! This supra is to honor Ariana’s birthday. Georgians are very big on supras as a way of celebrating a person’s life, their achievements, their family, you name it; they’ll celebrate it. Guests seat themselves at a long table that is loaded down with plates after plates of food from Lali’s kitchen. Pitchers of wine are prominently placed on the table and guests are expected to make sure their wine glasses are never empty. Toasts are made to Ariana, to her parents, to her brother, to nieces Grace and Olive, to health and happiness. The night goes on and, spurred on by song and dance, so does the supra. After many toasts and plates of food Gerri and I excuse ourselves to retire for the night. Tomorrow we head back to Tbilisi where we will spend our final day before heading back to Istanbul to catch our flight back home.

To The Hinterlands

Monday, May 14th

Instead of a marshuka we were to be treated to a ride in a taxi, so Ariana’s favorite driver picked us up at our hotel to take us on our 2 hour trip to Kistauri, the village where Ariana teaches. Leaving the traffic choked streets of Tbilisi behind us; we set out to meet the people who have welcomed Ariana into their home and hearts. Once on the road we soon became aware that the speed limit signs that were placed ostensibly to control speed were in reality, road decorations. If the sign indicated a 50 km speed limit, then 100 km was surely a better speed to negotiate with. If the car one foot in front of you in a curve was doing 70 km, then 90 km and a toot on the horn was the speed to use. If a pedestrian should happen to be on the road, all the better, let’s see if they can scatter like mindless chickens. The guiding principle of Georgian drivers is speed, horn and brakes anything less appears to be blasphemous to their automotive prowess. We finally get to Ariana’s village and home, where we meet her host family; Vepkho, Lali, their daughters, Nana, Vanda and their son Dato. We were welcomed into their home not merely as visitors but as family. The house is a large 2 story house that was passed onto Vepkho by his parents. The host family lives downstairs, while Ariana has her bedroom upstairs, the largest area of the house. The house is comfortable but lacks amenities that we are used to as Americans. The kitchen stove for instance is little more than a camp stove hooked up to a large propane tank. During the winter heat for the entire house if provided by one single wood burning stove. Hot water for showers is not provided on a regular basis so baby wipes suffice for personal hygiene. Milk is provided by Lali’s mothers’ cow, so it has to be boiled before use. But in spite of all this there is an air of happiness both with Ariana’s presence and her commitment to her tasks. Gerri and I of course are very proud and humbled by the love and high regard that is shown to her. We did get to take a marshuka ride to the nearest big town of Telavi. We were lucky though, we were able to get a nice marshuka not the usual crowded ramshackle ones that ply the roadway. In Telavi we visited the bazaar, not a touristy one like the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, but the common one where everyday Georgians go to buy their necessities. The first booths that we encounter are the butcher shops where the meat is hanging from hooks in open air waiting for a buyer while the shop owner sits idly by swatting at any flying insect that comes too close. The rest of the bazaar is comprised of shops selling spices, food items, house wares, clothing, you name it, and it’s there. We hired a taxi to take us back to the house for a negotiated price of 8 Georgian lari, of course when we got there, the driver tried to make it a 10 lari ride. So Ariana had to show her counter negotiating skills and kept the fare at 8 lari. Go Ariana! Back at the house we need to rest up for one of the highlights of our visit. Supra!

Georgia On My Mind

I don't think Ray Charles had this on his mind when he wrote his classic song. But here we are in Georgia,a former Soviet republic. We got in this afternoon from Istanbul to a city under cloudy skies. We caught a taxi to our hotel in the capital city of Tbilisi. If, as Ariana has warned us, the ride was any indication of the rides we are yet to endure, then please pass me my bottle of nitro! It seems to be a European thing, and this eastern European country does not appear to be an exception, where drivers, especially taxi drivers, just move over into any other lane that they please to occupy whether or not the lane is occupied already. Oh well, white knuckle time here we come! We've had a chance to meet and have dinner with a few of Ariana's fellow Peace Corps volunteers. They all seem to be a good group of educated people, she's in good company with them. Tomorrow we'll get a marshuka (mini bus) ride to the village where she lives. Her host family has been anxious to meet us and we are looking forward to meeting the family that has been so kind to her for the past year. We'll be doing some sight seeing around the north of this ancient country which is said to be the first wine growing region in the world, and we'll even probably get to see Russia!

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Wednesday, May 9th time to start our day and see this city that is 10 time zones away from home. First order of business is to make coffee for Gerri and I. Before we left Italy we were given a stove top espresso maker by Amalia the owner of our Rome apartment. So what better way to start our day than with our usual latte? I got the espresso maker going and then started to warm up the milk that we bought the previous evening, at least what I thought was milk. When the “milk” was warmed up I started to put it into cups, I looked real strange to me, as if it were curdled, I smelled the container and that's when I discovered that I had bought the Turkish dietary staple of yogurt thinking it was milk. Oh well! Sightseeing went well, we got a chance to use the metro and light rail system, it was very impressive. We visited the Grand Bazaar, a site that has been in continuous use for merchants of all types since the 15th century. The Blue Mosque was awesome with its cavernous prayer hall. The ceiling is impressive with its high domes that are decorated with intricate mozaic tile designs. To me one of the most interesting things was the Basilica Cistern which dates from 532 a.d., it was built by the Roman emperor Justinius. He had 2 aqueducts constructed to bring water from a region 90 km north of Istanbul. The cistern is supported by a network of columns with 2 of them known as the Medusa columns because of the Medusa heads that are engraved on them. Coming to this part of the world you can't help but be impressed by the history that was born here. This city has been a thriving city from the times of Roman dominance, the Byzantine era, the Ottoman empire to what it is today. We've crossed the Bosphorus Bridge to Asia and back to Europe. We've walked the paths that many ancient people have walked. And now it's time to say good bye to this impressive city and take, what might be a step back in time to Georgia, once a part of the former Soviet Union. We'll see how that goes

Istanbul or how I came to appreciate my espresso in the morning

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We arrived here on the 8th of May and were met at the airport by Isik Cirit our landlord for the week and Ariana and her childhood friend Brianne. Since we hadn't seen Ariana in a year, you can imagine how happy we were to see her! Brianne has been a friend since she and Ariana were on the same swim team twenty five years ago, and she has now made her first trip out of the U.S. She was visiting Ariana in Georgia where Ariana is a Peace Corps volunteer; Georgia is about a 2 ½ hour flight from Istanbul. Driving into Istanbul I was struck by how modern a city it is. The highway was smooth, buildings were sleek and traffic seemed to hum along. Then we came to old Istanbul. Buildings were centuries old and traffic was crazy. We passed an area where old buildings were literally falling down, Isik said that area was in the process of redevelopment. We were soon to find that Istanbul is a city that has evolved into a 21st century magnate for visitors from all over the world. It is the only city in the world that straddles 2 continents, Europe and Asia. Turkey is a Muslim democracy that thrives in a modern world. You will see some women wearing the traditional Islamic black veils, but even more so you find women and men in typical western attire. The public transportation system here is first rate. The light rail and metro systems are fast, easy to use and inexpensive, we have found it to be the ideal way to get around. We soon get to our apartment. Truthfully, coming from the luxurious apartment that Gerri and I had in Rome, this apartment at first is a let down. The apartment is on a cobblestone street that has an eclectic mix of businesses. The apartment itself is in an old building that is entered at first through some heavy steel doors. There is a wooden stairway leading to a extremely short landing that serves as the apartments entry. Once into the apartment, there is a sleeping area/bedroom fronting the street then a dining/eating area. Walking to the rear of the apartment is the kitchen area, then a living room and finally a bedroom at the back of the apartment. But it's all a matter of perspective. Coming from Georgia, Ariana and Brianne think this a great apartment, coming from Rome, this apartment leaves a lot to be desired for Gerri and I. Oh well, as long as we have a place to sleep and a place to make our espresso in the morning, it's all good

Roman Glory

After getting situated in our apartment we took a taxi to Campo di Fiori where we were to meet our guide Rich Brunn. Rich is originally from Pennsylvania, he came to Italy around 1999 to study. He received his masters in theology history, taught high school for awhile then became a licensed guide operating his own guide business, Rome Day Tours. We could not have chosen a better guide! This first night with Rich took us to all of the Roman sites that tourists usually want to see; the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, The Pantheon among others. At each stop Rich not only explained what we were seeing but explained the how and why of things, I guess that was his teacher training coming through. Going through Rome, especially with a knowledgeable guide, is like living in a history lesson. If you let your mind run free, your thoughts can take you back through the millenniums of time and you can almost feel that you are there when this city was the center of a great civilization. Our second night with Rich was a treat in that we were able to take a night tour of the Vatican. It was a unique experience doing that at night, the crowds were far fewer than they are during the daytime. Walking through the Vatican is such a unique experience. Looking at the art and statuary and learning of the history you are struck by the fact that this is the seat of Roman Catholic power. From these grounds religion and politics joined to find a new world. From these grounds the orders were given to spread Catholicism in the new world giving root to every Christian sect or religion in the world. We finished up our Vatican tour in the Sistine Chapel. You cannot imagine something as awesome as this unless you see with your own eyes. Photos that you may have seen pale in comparison to the real thing. You look at the walls and the ceiling especially and you see painting of masters like Michelangelo and Raffael, each having painted a story as told in the bible. Our third day with Rich took us to ancient Rome, the colleseum. Walking to the colleseum you can only imagine what you will find. You are struck by the enormity of this structure that we have all heard of but few of us have been fortunate to see. The rows seem to go up to the sky, the inner chambers lead to areas where gladiators prepared for battles with other gladiators or with beasts. Primitive elevator systems hoisted gladiators or beasts up to the arena floor to perform for the crowds. The colleseum today is only about a third of what it was originally. As it began to decay, parts of it were taken for use in building palaces and other or other buildings around the city. There are not enough words to describe what we have seen. The experience of being in Rome is an incomprehensible treasure of sights, sounds and people. Gerri and I have stood at Trevi Fountain, they say if you throw a coin over your left shoulder into the fountain, that you will be back. It looks like we'll be back! There is so much to see, so much to learn that we need to come back to this, the Eternal City.

Key to the Palace

We arrived in Rome on Thursday, May 3rd after taking an inter city train from Florence. I booked the train on the Trenitalia which is the website for the national train system. Not knowing which train is which I went for the cheapest price (called a mini ticket) which was 38 Euros for 2 tickets, a savings of about 50% over the price of the usual ticket. I later came to find out the inter city train takes twice the travel time than that of the Freccia train...Oh well, live and learn but it was a nice train ride through pretty Italian countryside. Arriving at Rome's termini train station is almost like arriving at Grand Central Station in New York City, although I think Grand Central has more character to it. But here we were, in Rome! The Eternal City! The city that we've only read about or seen in movies. The first order of business was to get a taxi to our apartment. So we lugged our baggage to the taxi line and got into the first available taxi, that of an older gentleman. Older than me anywayWe gave him the address of our destination, which he acknowledged with a nod and a look into his map book. After going a few blocks repeating the name of our destination then stopping to look at his book with a perplexed look on his face, I figured that I should call the owner of the apartment for navigational help. I called Amalia, the owner, then handed the phone to the driver. They had a brief conversation, then as he headed off in the right direction, he blamed the problem on a non existent misprint in my note. Actually, we had the correct address, he just couldn't find it in his book. So off we went to be exposed to Roman traffic. I'm sure most people have seen the chariot races in Ben Hur or other Roman epics. They have nothing on driving in Rome! Driving here seems to be survival of the fittest and a test of wills. Cars, buses, motor scooters and trucks all vie for the same piece of real estate at the same time. Pedestrians are tempting targets for the mechanized mayhem that is Rome. Cars and taxis pass on the left and on the right, motor scooters and motorcycles flit in and out of the masses of rolling iron, like minnows in a sea of sharks. Not a place that I would like to drive, I'll take L.A. Traffic any day! We reached our destination in one piece, paid the driver and went up to meet Amalia, our land lady for the week. We enter the building through two massive wooden doors and into an old style courtyard. We then have to pass through a locked wrought iron door to enjoy our first surprise. An elevator! The elevator is like something that you may have seen in a 1940's era film. We open the outer door, then two inner wooden doors and step in the car itself, a wood paneled rectangular box the width our largest suitcase and the length of 2 bodies and 2 suit cases. It's a good thing Gerri and I like each other, a little anyway. Using this elevator is a testament to the need of being on good terms with ones spouse, if you weren't close enough before, you soon will be! We step into the apartment and meet Amalia, an attractive woman with a friendly demeanor. The apartment is gorgeous! Amalia's flair for decorating shows in the carefully appointed interior. Things are arranged with a careful eye and with ones comfort in mind. There's even a welcoming gift of champagne on the table! After getting a tour and instructions of the apartment we bid arriverderci to Amalia and settle into our home for the week. The first thing I have to get used to are the keys! There's one for the massive wooden doors, one for the inner wrought iron door, one for the out door to our apartment and one for our apartment itself. The key to our apartments outer door is a kick for me, it's like what I would imagine a castle door key to be. A 2 sided key with unique slot carving. Doesn't take much to get me excited! We'll get ourselves settled and ready for the next part of our day.

A Walk Around Florence

Gerri and I took a train from Venice on Saturday to Florence. The trip took 2 and half hours rolling through the Italian countryside until we reached our destination and what was to be our home for 5 nights. We've rented an apartment in the Piazza della Signoria. A very popular area that was once the seat of Florentine power. Sunday morning we woke up in our apartment ready to greet the day and to meet with our tour guide, Annica from Walks of Italy. Annica was born in Oakland, CA and moved to Florence 12 years ago at the insistence of her sister and has been giving tours for the past 6 years. She proved herself to be a real asset to our Florentine experience by pointing out and explaining so many things during our morning and afternoon walking tours. Touring this way was a great idea, picture just Annica, Gerri and I and one other couple. Then picture other groups of 30 to 40 people all connected by wireless head pieces following their guide like ducklings and you'll understand what I mean Starting out from the Piazza de la Republica, we walked by many of the buildings that have added to the history and flavor of Florence. Annica, ever so capable provided much detail of what we were seeing. We finished our morning tour with a visit to Michelangelo's statute of David. Standing there marveling at the detail and then learning of Michelangelo's methods in creating this masterpiece sends shivers down your spine. You look at David's face from different angles and your perspective of what might have been his mood changes each time. Michelangelo was 26 years old when he was commissioned to create the work by Cosimo Medicci. Our afternoon tour was conducted at the Uffizzi, the Italian word for offices, was first built in the 14th century and was the center of government and commerce. Cosimo Medici coming from humble beginnings amassed a fortune in business and along with that, power. The Medici dynasty ruled Florence with a brutal, iron hand. Medici also had a taste for the arts and commissioned artists of the day to sculpt and to paint works depicting many biblical scenes. Funny thing about the paintings is that in some way he would have the artist incorporate himself and his inner circle into the paintings. As for sculptures he would have himself as the subject in a military pose although he had never seen any kind of military action. He would even have himself cast as mythical figures. For all his brutality and greed, the last Medici having a conscience, gave all his riches away. The Uffizzi is now owned by the state government and is open for tours. Monday the last day of April started out as a rainy free day for Gerri and I, but nevertheless we headed on our own to explore this beautiful city. We crossed one of the 7 bridges over the river Arno and walked uphill alongside an ancient city wall to Fort Belvedere. Unfortunately the fort was closed as are many of the major attractions on Mondays. So we hiked back down the hill and found another hill to the Benedictine church of St. Miniato. Legend has it that St. Miniato was beheaded along the River Arno, and not to be outdone, he picked up his head and carried it to the site of the church where he finally died. I guess after that feat he qualified for sainthood! St. Minaco is also the site of the worlds oldest pharmacy, so I guess there is a moral to the story after all! There is so much to see in Florence, so much to learn of this magnificent city that we just can't describe. It would take many trips and the patience of a scholar to learn all there is to know about this city and its history. Gerri and I have spent 2 days following our noses and exploring till nighttime, we wish we had more time to spend here but on to our next adventure, The Eternal City, Rome!

L' Ultimo Treno

Friday, April 27th After our break, Gerri and I set out once more to see what more we could find. Our intention was to find the old Jewish quarter or the Cannaregio district. In medieval times Jews were grudgingly allowed do business here but were not allowed to live in Venice until 1385 where they were subject to strict laws and special taxes. In 1516, as a compromise to the ant-Semitic forces that were trying to force them from the city, the doge (ruler) restricted them to an easy to isolate island near the former foundry (geto) where the word ghetto for segregated neighborhood comes from. As their population swelled to 5,000 in the 1600s with Jews coming from other parts of Europe, the Jews experienced their Golden Age in Venice. Being restricted to their tiny neighborhood now known as the Ghetto Nuovo or New Ghetto they expanded upward, building 6 story “skyscrapers” that still stand today. Interestingly, they built 5 synagogues above the skyscrapers, since you weren't allowed to live above a synagogue this was the best use of the precious limited land. Jewish daily life continued as they existed within their community. With the coming of fascism they, like millions of other Jews throughout Europe, were forced out to Nazi concentration camps. There is a very moving sculpture by an Italian sculptor, Arbit Blatas, named L' Ultimo Treno commemorating the events of 1943 when Jews were forced on to The Last Train. Today the Jewish community thrives as a contributing member of the Venetian community.

A Tour of An Ancient Art Form

Friday, April 27th Up and at 'em on this chilly, gray morning. We have places to go, things to see and so little time to see them. First stop a little cafeteria down the street where we pay a reasonable 4.30 Euro for our coffee and pastry. Duly fortified, we purchase our water bus tickets for the ride to Murano an island that is noted for artists practicing the ancient art form of glass blowing. Again the ride is a treat as we see other parts of the Venetian cityscape. Leaving the boat we head out to explore this ancient island. Going the opposite way of the thundering tourist herd, we found a great glass shop where the greeters showed us into the viewing area to watch the artisans at work. It's a real treat to watch these artists as they choreograph their efforts to create unique glass artifacts that are admired and copied around the world. Today they were making glass tumblers. The artist has the raw material on a long metal pipe which he puts into his oven for a few minutes. Removing the pipe with the red hot glob of molten glass at the end, he then rolls it around what is to be a silver base, The glass is then rolled into various decorative chips then placed into the oven for a final firing on its way to being a finished product. It's refreshing to see something made by artisans whose trade has been passed down from generation to generation. No machine made knock offs here! After looking at some more of the glass shops, Gerri and I set out again to explore. We walked around one of the islands then crossed over bridges to other nearby islands then finally caught the water bus back to Venice. And back to our hotel to rest up for another walk, there's so much to see and walking is the main way to see everything, so we need to get our afternoon cappuccino fortification. Only this time we stopped at a nearby restaurant and had an excellent calzone washed down by a local beer for me.

A Walk Around Venice

Thursday, April 26th. We awake to the sounds of a city itself that is itself greeting the day. The Hotel Bellini is a subdued grand hotel, if you can grasp that concept. The lobby is an expanse of marble and old wood. The furnishings are the type that you might find in an old stately home. Our room is comfortable with old wall paper that is actually slightly padded cloth decorated in an old style theme. The shower, unlike what we found in our last trip to Europe, is actually enclosed! No flooding the floor while we shower! We left the hotel and stopped at a little cafe downstairs for our morning cup of cappuccino accompanied by a nice croissant. We've noticed that there is different price at snack bars and cafes depending on if you want to stand inside, or be seated at a table outside. So our mood determines which we will do when we order our ritual serving of, what is to us, the nectar of life. Then off to Piazza San Marco we go. Walking down the streets of Venice you are acutely aware of there being no motor vehicles at all! People go about their business walking and stopping to greet their occasional friend. Deliveries to stores are different in that everything is delivered by hand. The delivery people have specially built hand trucks to haul their huge loads. Loads that you just don't see in the states. My particular interest as we walk along and cross the many bridges that bind this city together, is how people have adapted to life surrounded by water. Most every facet of daily life has a water borne element to it. From deliveries to the larger supermarkets, construction at waterside sites, to the ambulance that speeds to emergency calls. We reach the Piazza in due time and are taken back by this massive square filled with people from around the world. Walking along you hear the cacophony of languages as they relate events to each other. We hopped into one line, not really knowing where it was going, it appeared to be going to some type of bell tower, but quickly abandon it in favor of another line that appeared to be moving faster. The line we chose happened to be going into St Mark's Basilica. We entered this huge, ancient cathedral and are immediately awed, as is usual in Europe, by the antiquity of this building and its treasures. We eventually enter the Treasure Room and see real treasures of ancient history. Gold chalices and scepters from the sixth century and treasures with roots in ancient Constantinople. We climbed a steep, narrow staircase to the roof top access and paid our 5 Euros to go out onto the basilica balcony and look upon the piazza. I couldn't help but be impressed by Gerri's total lack of acrophobia! She actually looked out over the railings! Go Gerri! After awhile we left the basilica and walked around the square with its shops and outdoor restaurants. Several of the restaurants had small bands playing, I was kind of wondering if there might be a battle of the bands as one band finished its playing of the theme from The Godfather and another nearby band got ready to add its music to the mix. The weather was getting warm so we of course had to cool down and what better way to cool down than with a scoop of gelato! Of course we had to locate a vendor who had a sizable serving for its price of 3 Euro. But victory was ours as we purchased our gelato and sat down to enjoy this Italian favorite. As we sat we made plans for our next stop. We had decided on heading to the area of the Accademia and started to plot our walking course. But being as how we were next to a water bus stop, what better way would there be than to take the bus and leave the driving to them? I know, bad play on words, oh well. I bought the tickets, which were 6.50 Euros each and got what I thought were good directions to the correct line to take. But after watching 3 different water buses leave from different mooring stops we finally reached the correct one and were soon on our way. We reached our stop and decided to keep walking since the day was beautiful and we still had a lot of energy left. We continued on, leaving behind the Giudecca Canal that we were just on and heading out by the many smaller canals that comprise Venice. In the average city the streets of names, but here each canal has a unique name to distinguish an address for the nearby residents. Most buildings that we pass have some kind of access to the canal whether for deliveries or visitors. Small canals open onto larger canals the same as when streets lead to a main thoroughfare. Gerri has been impressed with my sense of direction which I haven't seemed to have lost since our last European trip. I don't even have a GPS either! We find our way back to our hotel and after resting up we have our dinner, at a decent price, at a local cafeteria. We take an evening stroll and then plan for our next days activities. Bonoserra!

Venice or Splish, Splash I Was Taking a Bath

Well here we are, 3 years after our last European trip! Our last trip we covered many cities in 28 days with 13 moves before it was all over. This trip is a more leisurely trip with 3 nights in Venice, 5 nights in Florence, 5 nights in Rome, 5 nights in Istanbul then 4 nights in Georgia with our Peace Corps volunteer daughter and her friends and host family. The flight here was uneventful, just the typical cattle call that flying seems to be comprised of nowadays. Delta Airlines has nothing on Air France when it comes to feeding their passengers. Typical airline fare, but it does fill a void. After clearing passport control we left the terminal and headed over to the vaporetto or water bus dock. For 15 euro each we were treated to a waterborne city bus ride into Venice proper. In a way it's like traveling a time warp. You leave the modernity of air travel with its glass and concrete terminals and notwithstanding the roar of the vaporettos diesel engines, you travel to a thriving city founded in Roman times that today embraces the antiquities of its architecture and its uniqueness as a city borne from the sea. Ahh Venice! We shall explore you and treasure you! As for the splish splash part. I seem to have forgotten the fact that sidewalks, whether they are street side or water side, do have boundaries. And, when crossing that boundary you may find yourself in an unpleasant predicament. As we left the vaporetto we headed down one of the usual broad side walks that are here in Venice. Not knowing exactly where our hotel was located, we were the proverbial wide eyed tourists as we walked marveling at the sights and all the while looking for our hotel. I stepped backwards trying to find a street name which are usually painted on the side of buildings. As I stepped back I suddenly found there was no more sidewalk there! I stepped into the canal and falling to the sidewalk as well. I got my left leg into the drink about halfway and rapped my right knee on the sidewalk. Luckily there happened to be a moored boat there as it broke my fall and saved me from what could have been a disastrous fall into a Venetian canal. As it was I only suffered a big knot on my right knee (which has subsided substantially) and a big case of tourist dumbitis. Onward tourist!