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There is probably an old Venetian saying that goes something like: "On a rainy day in Venice, at least I'm in Venice." (They probably accompany that with a bottle of red wine 🙂

Awoke this morning to loud, rolling thunder followed by a soothing, steady rain. The rain never really let up all day, except to pause long enough to build up strength for a downpour.

Undaunted, clad in raingear and armed with an umbrella, we headed out to our first indoor stop: the Palazzo Grassi museum. A large single exhibit–Roma e i Barbari–exploring the relationship of the Romans and the barbarians at the edges of the Empire. Ultimately, these barbarians would weaken and undermine the Empire.

Grabbed a quick bite at a tiny cafe in the Dorsoduro. Simple-but-filling sandwiches chased by Coke Lite and a cappuccino.

Fittingly, sought shelter from the increasing showers in one of the grandest of Venetian basilica–Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari–built by followers of Francis of Assisi–the Franciscan order. Left the Frari as the skies continued to unload. Made our way to two other churches–San Polo and San Stae–but both were closed contrary to our guide map. Back into the rain.

The umbrella and coats became useless at this point as we trudged back across three sestieri to return to our hotel. An evening drink–Nastro Azzurro…birra Italiana–on the hotel loggia as the rain broke, the late sun shone warmly, and a rainbow appeared. Rainbows can't dry our shoes…but this one did make us smile. The air cooled noticeably. The bells of nearby Santa Maria del Rosario heralded the end of the day.

Dinner at a promising new find–Da Silvio–which had a warm glow, a chatty clientelle, and a creative menu. Finding a dinner spot is tricky for us. Once a trust is formed either through a past experience or a referral, then we are more adventurous in ordering. But tonight, for example, with no prior knowledge, we stuck to a pizza and a calzone to test the flavors. Fantastic! My pizze carbonara was rich and flavorful all the way to the crispy crust. Jeff's calzone had layers of mushrooms and ham. Yumminess :). We will definitely return to sample their pastas!

Walked off dinner by taking side routes…popping out at random points on the Grand Canal, which glistened in a near-full moon. Along the way, puddles in the uneven Venetian streets played tricks on our eyes. A quiet end to a moist day.

Our first full day in Venice was like getting reacquainted with an old friend.

After a light breakfast in the hotel, began the day with a slow stroll through the Dorsoduro. Window browsed tiny shops full of local treasure…glass, paper, fine prints…all too tempting. Visited our favorite church…Santa Maria della Salute…her dome clad in scaffolding…her interior always grand. A familiar waterfront return route…the Guidecca looking picturesqe across a choppy channel. A Greek cruise ship passed…reminding us to stick to paths less traveled today.

Lunch at an outdoor cafe at the foot of the Accademia bridge. The sights and sounds of the Grand Canal accompanied our simple meal.

Spent the afternoon winding through the sestieri of Cannaregio, Castello, and San Marco. Light drizzle sent us into tiny shops. Visited several churches spanning the centuries. Standouts included the Gothic church of Santo Stefano and the marble-clad jewel box Santa Maria dei Miracoli (home to a bona fide miracle painting). Our favorite new site: the church of San Zaccaria…a 14th or 15th-century church with a fantastic 10th-century crypt beneath glimpses of a former 9th-century church. Layers and layers of history…such is Venice.

Returned to the hotel past dozens of wiley fake handbag scalpers. A quiet drink on the loggia before dinner.

Caprese di Bufula and simple pastas for dinner at a popular spot in the Campo de Santa Margarita. After dinner gelatos from Il Doge…still our favorite gelato in Italy. Late night mojitos and a fantastic tiramisu from Impronta Cafe.

A pleasant drizzly walk back to the hotel. Sleepy.

And we're off.

The theme for the day was sweat…a sweaty journey full of hot planes, hot terminals, a hot bus, and a hot boat. Neverthelss, at the end of this tale, we ended up in Venice.

No complaints…just a story 🙂

We left SF on a record, high-90s day. After a 30+ minute delay out on the tarmac, UA flight 900 was bound for Eupope. Somehow, only ONE upgrade came through–how does THAT happen–so we grabbed what we could and Jeff sat up front. (Jeff snuck me snacks and sent the flight attendant back with a surprise glass of red wine 🙂

Once in Frankfurt, we made our way to our connecting flight like two seasoned travelers. A sweaty bus from gate to plane, and a quick flight across the Alps to Venice. (Our first time at this airport.)

We caught an airport-based water bus…Alilaguna…which got VERY warm when everyone closed their windows to keep the splashes out. We hopped (slowly) across the Lagoon…to Murano, the Lido (our first glimpse of this popular, car-ridden beach destination), and a couple stops in Venice before reaching the last stop in Venice–our stop–Zattere in the Dorsodoro. Our hotel–the Hotel Belle Arte–was only a short walk away.

A quick shower to de-sweat, and then off for a short welcome-walk and then dinner. After a long day, we went straight for the reliable Rosa Rossa. Pizzeria. Pizze Diavola and Pizze Funghi. Tiramisu to finish.

We ended the evening on the hotel's loggia overlooking their compact garden. Oversized cushioned chairs and a cool breeze coaxed us toward sleep, which was soon to follow.

Today, I’m happy to report that Chicago O’Hare didn’t suck.

I actually arrived 30 minutes EARLY from San Francisco, had plenty of time to find a Starbucks, AND got upgraded to first class. Aside from the brief confusion with poor Pickles, we left pretty much on time bound for rainy BWI.

I’m in Annapolis for a few days this week for work. Staying at the comfy Lowes hotel in the historic downtown. Low brick buildings everywhere, with the picturesque Maryland statehouse in the center. Hopefully, I’ll get outside tomorrow for some photos. In the meantime…its just the normal hotel window shot 🙂

I did grab a nice shot of Chicago and the Lake Michigan shoreline as we took off from O’Hare. The water was a brilliant aqua, which is only hinted at in this shot.

Well, first off…Pickles is a cat.

Second, it seems that after all of those threats to remove Pickles from the cargo hold…that removal process did not in fact take place.

We found out mid-taxi from gate to runway. The captain pulled us over, while a cargo loader drove out to us and extracted the tiny feline from the hold.

Surprisingly efficient! Bravo United…and thank goodness. You may recall my delayed flight a few weeks ago when some missing paperwork caused us to return to the gate.

Safe returns, Pickles.