Unplanned Visit to Venice 2008

My visit to Venice was not in my plans for the trip to Italy last May. It was a result of happenstance but the weather was much better than it was in 2007 when it was rainy and cloudy. Photo opportunities often present themselves unplanned and totally delightful!

I was traveling with Francisco for whom this was his first trip outside of Mexico and the U.S. Our itinerary was all messed up when we checked in at the Indianapolis Airport. We had nine hours wait time at the Marco Polo Airport. From visiting Venice just last fall I knew the airport was half an hour by water taxi but also knew buses could take us Venice by the land route. We decided that instead of waiting at the airport we would be adventurous and go the city as most tourists don't go: by ACTV bus.

These first photos were shot along the way from the airport in Tessera to Piazalle Roma, the terminus for land vehicles headed for Venice. At this huge terminal, all the passengers including Francisco and me disembarked to take water taxis into the city. This was the first time Francisco displayed the Italian he learned in school. For words and phrases he didn't know, Spanish apparently worked almost as well!