We're back home on Vancouver Island where it's grey and wet and cool like Venice, though of course it's nothing like Venice.
Our last morning in Venice found us up early and by 3:45 we were standing on the vaporetto dock. Soon a spotlight shined on us and then a boat pulled up, our water taxi (€140). The water taxis look cool. They've a hint of James Bond about them, they're swept back and pass-under-a-bridge low. Unfortunately, this early in the morning there's not much to see whilst looking out the cabin windows. About all I could make out were the outlines of people working the docks. The ride was fun and too short. After about twenty minutes we were out of the dark and into the bright lights of the airport's (water) port. The buildings were modern, there were cars and moving sidewalks and all the shiny modern conveniences. There were long straight lines. Ninety degree angles. Smooth, even plaster. We weren't in Venice anymore.
The rest of the day wasn't as fun as the water taxi, but what matters is that we made all our connections, even with a two-and-a-half-hour delay in Amsterdam. A sensor in the plane's baggage compartment failed so the mechanics worked on it as we sat in the plane and ate treats served us by the impeccably-sweet KLM stewards. I've no complaints about any airlines' service today. Upon landing in Vancouver WestJet agents guided us through border security then bussed us to our gate so we'd make our connection. The pilot even held the plane until our luggage was onboard.
On the flights back I started my next book-club book, well books plural since the assigned book is a Norwegian novel about a Norwegian play and I've read neither so I'm reading both.
