You always hear about Venice as one of those places. But lets face it, so is Paris and London and Rome blah blah but this really is one of those places. It's just so different.
I didn't take many notes on Venice. I figure I was tired by now and as it was our last stop I would remember it freshest of all. I've forgotten the details by now. I can't recall any particularly entertaining moments or grotesque observations. We took a perfect little cruise down the main drag, got out in a big crowed tourist square and then wandered through town on the way back to the ship, stopping for Bellini's and leather bag shopping.
Though I hate to agree with the masses, I can see what the big deal is here and I found it to be a grand finale to our trip. We arrived here in the afternoon and were docked overnight. We came back to the ship for dinner, packing, and sleeping. We said our goodbyes and all parted ways; some of us flying farther than others, some flying first class, some flying early, and me flying late. I spent the afternoon in the airport and witnessed a toddler and it's arrogant tween-age sister trip over a plastic bottle, fall flat on their faces while still moving forward, and slowly wash up in front of my feet. The cackle burned in my stomach. The toddler was doing that silent shrill scream while the tween got up slowly and inspected her bloody knee. The whole thing attracted so much attention and since it happened right in front of me I suppose people expected me to do something about it. I didn't move. I was afraid that bending to pick up the baby would detonate the blast that was just waiting to escape.
Eventually the mom came over and scooped up the toddler, an older sister doubled over and pointing at Tween. I began shaking violently. Eventually it became too much for me. The cackle blast broke into a million little pieces, each escaping my breath in hiccupy gasps for control. Had I been sitting with someone perhaps it would have been perfectly fine to let out one solid and satisfying guffaw but when one is sitting alone it is not appropriate to make an audible noise of any kind. I hiccup laughed discreetly until the scene was cleared up and people stopped looking in my direction. This was true physical pain. I suddenly held my phone to my ear and said "I know!" before bursting into a fit of laughter. It was all I could do. I had to get that laugh out!!
To this day I cry when I think about this. The image of those two shocked faces washing up at my feet, confused and humiliated, just kills me. In fact, I'm still drying the giggle tears from writing that last paragraph. Anyways, so there you have it.
Home again.
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