Day 1 Getting to Venice

 Getting to Venice

Mom, we miss you and wish you were here. After years of no blogging, we're back and hope this blog will allow you and Sharon to follow and enjoy the fun!

Day 1 was a long day of travel. 

We were sad to drop off Cloudy at the kennel. He's never been in a kennel and we're hopeful he'll enjoy the cat friends hanging out in the cattio.

    Cloudy in Anxious Crouch Position

We flew out of San Francisco.

 

Air Portugal flies direct from San Fran to Lisbon, with a short trip to Venice. Air Portugal operates at a "luxurious" pace. It's completely necessary to drop expectations for anything rapid. So, we dulled the pain of long lines and flight delays with Pliny the Elder before leaving the country. 

The day was long and the legroom was short. 

Air Portugal required masks. I had forgotten how uncomfortable they are.

But, we made it to Venice after a questionable night of "sleep." We were surprised to learn at the airport that you cannot take a taxi to our hotel (duh, it's an island). So, we booked a water taxi and greatly enjoyed the 1/2 hour trip.

    The famous Rialto Bridge

We stayed for one night at the Hotel Kette before moving tomorrow to the wedding hotel, Hotel Bauer, After we had already booked our stay at Hotel Bauer several months before, Air Portugal cancelled our original flight citing maintenance difficulties (a month in advance...). So, after many hours on the phone with Air Portugal, we found flights to Venice a day earlier than planned, but Hotel Bauer had already tripled their prices. We found a nice deal at Hotel Kette just down the street from Hotel Bauer and had a wonderful stay. Hotel Kette was charming with an old school Italian feel.

    Beautiful balcony at Hotel Kette

We were hungry for a nice meal after a long day of travel. We wandered around the narrow streets of Venice and found Ristorante Da Raffaele. Tremendous meal. The menu is very fish-focused and did not disappoint. The interior looks centuries old, with ancient-looking wooden beams. Even better, Eric and Michelle joined us for a glass of wine after their dinner. It was great to meet up after such a long trip over.

Now, it's time for a proper night of sleep.