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Published: June 30th 2009
Since I had been to Venice only seven months prior I start to talk about what they can expect when we get to Venice. How there are no vehicles at all within the City, and how you use either your feet or the Vaporettos to get around wherever you want to go. We arrive in Venice and go to the ticket sales kiosk and buy passes to use the Vaporettos. The No. 1 Vaporetto arrives and we all get on. Jeff and I get off at San Stae as that’s where we will meet Enrico’s Cousin to take us to our rented apartment. As we step off the vaporetto I scan the faces at the water bus stop and see a smiling face and immediately know that’s who we are to meet, Mrs. Paola, who is beaming brightly. She greets us and then we proceed towards the apartment. It is not too far and we come to a narrow alley and a door that she unlocks to let us inside. We climb the steps and open another door to the apartment. Stepping inside the small dining area I see a small, well planned kitchen which has cabinets all painted a bright
red making it feel bright and cheery. In the living room is a couch which turns into a pull out bed. Over the sofa is a very large painting of two naked women about to caress. Quite the conversation piece. The painting can be seen from every angle in the whole apartment. Off the living room is the Master Bedroom with a King size iron bed which take up most of the space within the room. There is also a very large armoire. The bathroom has a small washing machine and a shower that is round from top to bottom and rather a like a room of it's own. When you turn on the light inside the shower it is a beautiful, royal blue, which reflects off the the white and blue ceramic tiles. Very interesting, indeed. Mrs. Paola gives us a bottle of local Balsamic Vinegar and a DVD which Enrique has prepared of the 2009 Carnivale in Venice. I give her the Yellowstone - Grand Teton picture book that I purchased beforehand for this very moment. We part ways and Jeff and I get situated for our three night stay. I tell Jeff that I am happy to
take the sofa bed to which he replies - No Way! I ask him why and he says because I’m a man and that’s just not what I do. You take it. This is perfect and I go unload my bag into the armoire. We don’t have much time as we’d made arrangements to meet the rest of the group at San Polo Square which is close to our apartment. We find the square and find the group at one of the outside bars enjoying a glass of wine that they’ve already completed. Jeff and I show them where our apartment is located and they come inside and check it out. They have paid far more than we for much less space and definitely no kitchen. Score!! The apartment cost us $110.00 euro/night a price I had negotiated with Enrique prior to arrival. I tell the group of a restaurant that my mom and sister and I had enjoyed on our last trip here and so we decide to walk there. We arrive at Lance’s and walk in to get dinner as there are people eating inside and the smells are fantastic. The Waiter turns us away though and says they are closed for a private party this night and we are very disappointed. Jeff looks in his book and finds another restaurant nearby and we walk to find that place. There is only seating outside though and it is definitely threatening to rain. They put up umbrellas over our table and we enjoy the sunset behind a bridge as we sit on one of the canals for dinner. It never does rain to speak of and we have a delightful dinner outside although it is a bit cooler than when we were in Umbria. Also, the price of a liter of rosso has tripled and costs 11.00 euro instead of the 3.00 we were used to paying in the small villages during our hike. We must be in Venice! We part ways after dinner and Jeff and I head towards our apartment. We try to find a grocery store that is listed near our apartment. It takes us some time as we get lost but find ourselves in the right square of the grocery store and there is a bar with live music playing. It’s jazz and I am mesmerized and want to stay. Alas though, we go home instead.
As I was getting ready to go to bed Jeff was in the bathroom. When he finished I heard him trying to open the door to leave the bathroom. After a few minutes of no success in getting out, I go over and ask if he needs help. Each of us trys on our side of the door to get it to open. He has the key on his side but it doesn’t move the lock and so he passes it to me under the door. It will not unlock for me either. We determine that the lock is open and it is the latch that has stuck and won’t allow the knob to turn. Jeff asks if I see a tool box in the apartment and I go and look in the utility closet off of the kitchen. Hooray, there is a toolbox. I get out a screwdriver and take off the coverings over the handle as well as the lock. There is nothing to work with from there and the screwdriver will not pass under the door. Jeff begins to talk non-stop about possibilities that we can do and all the while I am trying as many different possibilities that I can think of. He states that the latch has a 45 degree angle and if I can stick something in I may be able to pop it open. I get the flathead screwdriver and push it in and wiggle it around and voila, the door pops open, just like that! Jeff says he is amazed that I was able to do that but I knew I’d figure something out eventually. Luckily he had not broken the door and now we just have undone parts and pieces laying about. He asks me if there is any duct tape in the tool box. There is none but I state that I have some. I had purchased a small roll at the camping store as on our last trip I could’ve used some. Looks like it’s a good thing to carry after all. Maybe now Jeff can forgive my heavy suitcase.
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fun
What an experance !! Glad it was now not your last trip there.{I go crazy easy] I can almost picture it all love you