Monday, July 18, 2016

Falling in Love all Over Again

There are places and there are places. In the end, people make those places…

- “Avere un buon viaggio di ritorno, tornare al piu presto!!”
 - “Have a good trip home, come back soon!!”

It was 4am on Sunday in the small city of Lido, Venice. Actually, an island city where we had ended during the last three days of our vacation by luck, sheer good luck. We and our suitcases were at a local dock waiting for our airport taxi (yes, dock … this was a water taxi); many late night-early morn revelers were on their way back home and as they saw us there waiting, either shouted while passing nearby or came to us to say the above in one of several versions…
View from our balcony

This capped a three day stay in this small city. A city I only knew from mentions over the years and from knowing that in the 50’s-70’s it was considered a prime vacation spot for many wealthy Italians and tourists.

I mentally compare it to the much more renowned port-o-calls visited during the cruise we enjoyed in the preceding days. All well-known and deserving to be called beautiful tourist bastions like Crete, Mikonos, Santorini, Athens and Ephesus, Turkey (we were there just three days prior to the attempted coup-d’etat). We were prepared to end our cruise time in Venice, but were not meat to do so. The owner of the small apt we had arranged for through AIRBNB did not respond and these folk were helpful in giving us options. We saw a nice apt. in Lido, looked at the map and said  -“Oh, it’s only one island away, easy to and fro”.  So the decision was made.
 
A canal in Lido
Suffice it to say we went to Venice only the first morning, did what we needed to do, and went back to Lido as quickly as possible. We didn’t know it yet, but had already been charmed by this town and its people.

If I was asked for one word impressions on this town, my answers would be: Beautiful, Clean, Restful, Friendly, Open. Reasonable (price wise).

A Lido Home
On main street, all the restaurants, shops, etc. you could want. Then, off side street trattorias and coffee shops; beautiful homes, apartments and buildings everywhere we looked, flowers in full bloom and yes, canals and more canals. Although there are cars, since there is a ferry connection to the mainland, most people get around in bikes, small Vespas and on foot. Just take an outside chair at any coffee shop, have a coffee or a glass of wine and watch the world go by. With more that many who would pass by offering a cheery - “Ciao” as they walked past.

Venice, seen from Lido
All in our small group came away with the conviction that we do have to come back to Lido, with more time to really enjoy all it has to offer. And we will.

“Ci torneremo

Be Well … Be Back!!!

Final Notes:
·    Pray for those who are fighting an illness which may take them away from their loved ones… Every request is heard, and counts!!
·       Follow us on Twitter … @RJAsPandora

·       Any comments please send to rjalcazar@gmail.com

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