August 2011
I have to admit I did shed a few tears leaving Portugal. It was so beautiful and we had such a great time with our friends that it made it hard to go. I guess in a way that it was the perfect time for us to go since we weren’t ready yet. My girlfriend Janice always says house guests usually go bad faster than fresh produce…isn’t that true.
But still, looking back at the Isle of Farol as we pulled away from the dock on our ferry, I got all nostalgic. Seeing our friends waving and bidding us farewell…kinda reminded me of Mama Mia with Meryl Streep standing on the dock. That secluded little piece of paradise was amazing and I sure hope one day I can return.
So,we drove back to Seville in our little jellybean car after leaving the island and arrived at our hotel around 12:30 am. The whole way both Jared and I feeling a little nervous about 2 things, number one running out of gas (we were told to return the car empty) and number 2 blowing a tire. Jared hit a small barricade in Albufiera trying to keep up with the Davidsons…oh well they they didn’t give a shit about that car right? I think that is what I remember the guy at the rental company saying. Good thing….it’s got a new dent.
But our timing was perfect…just enough time to lie down on our little twin beds before we had to be at the airport at 4:00 am for our 6:00 Ryan Air flight. No way were we going through another London episode. So with our eyes barely open we made our way through the darkness to the airport. I have to add here how proud I have been of the kids. Traveling like this has not been easy on Jared and I..and I didn’t think the kids would deal with it as well as they have. I am beyond surprised with how resilient they have been.
Troopers!
Although the 2 hours of sleep wasn’t good for Logan and her seizures. Dr. Hukin warned us that if she got less than 8 hours of sleep a night in the first few weeks while the meds were just getting in her system she’d be more prone to her episodes…. And she was right. Before we even boarded our flight she had 3.
But again what a trooper…she just smiled…”I’m ok mom, I’ll sleep on the plane.”
So, with that…we all smiled at each other, Italy here we come!
It was all falling into place! Ryan air didn’t get the best of us this time. We were actually the first people in line for our flight and the first people to go through security in the morning. Weird….I’ve never been to an airport early enough to even realize that security closes.
So with no line ups or hassles we were instructed to make our way to our gate in preparation for boarding….Our flight to Italy would be leaving from gate 11.
Of course.
The flight was uneventful and thankfully Logan slept the whole way there. We arrived in Venice at breakfast time and made our way via ferry to the Rialto station near the grand canal. I don’t know what I was expecting Venice to be like, but honestly it blew my mind. It is hard to even explain the beauty of this place and if you haven’t seen it….well all I can say is just that you need to.
There are endless streets to get lost in all winding around a magnificent canal. To imagine that years ago people used to row their boats up to the doorsteps of their neighbors is hard to fathom. Apparently the water rises a centimeter ever 10 years so nowadays no one uses the outdoor entrances anymore but that doesn’t mean the waterway isn’t busy.
I tried to imagine maneuvering our boat through those narrow passageways while missing the gondolas and avoiding hitting the walls or the bridges.
God only knows I’d be screaming bloody murder and the poor people who paid 100 euro for their gondola ride would be hating me and my filthy mouth.
100 euro! Can you imagine….for a 20 minute ride…do the math. They are making a killing! I know we’ve been out of touch for a couple of weeks but I did hear that the economic state of the European union is fragile. I feel like I should get on the news and give some advice to the people….buy yourself a gondola!
No, really….all of Venice was expensive…and we weren’t prepared. Spain and Portugal were so cheap that when we sat down at St.Marks square to listen to the remarkable violinist playing around midnight, were weren’t prepared to pay 43 euro for 2 glasses of wine….gulp….or should I say sip…slowly…only one glass.
But what an experience to be sitting in St. Marks square, classic music playing…in the same place it has been for over 250 years. Pigeons everywhere….people all around you and buildings that have more history and beauty than almost anywhere else in the world. Being in all these magnificent places has somehow left me feeling humble and small.
And I have hoped as we’ve journey along that the kids have been understanding and appreciating how profound this holiday is….but have had to remind myself time and time again….they are only kids.
They want to know things like how come they don’t have mint chocolate chip gelato at a place that says it’s the best gelato place in world? or how come there are so many penis’ everywhere? Heck, Brody wants to know come old grannies don’t wear bathing suit tops at the beach and let their LONG boobies get sun burnt. He’s decided they must need to save money by only buying half. What a kid!!!!
Loggie is almost always looking for free WIFI so she can check facebook and every couple of minutes or so when I look over at Jared I have to smile….because he is always reminding me of something factual in regards to what we are looking at. All those hours of watching history channel have paid off, to hell with the 10 euro audio walking tours….we are on one all day long free of charge!
No all joking aside, I spent almost 2 years planning this trip down to every last detail and it’s so nice to see my family appreciating it in there own individual ways. It’s just as I’d hoped it would be….The seizures haven’t taken away from it one bit.
So far, Italy is amore….and I can see exactly why the chemotherapy I just knew Logan had to take after her last relapse, came from here….life is just thriving. People are living….and enjoying and indulging in a way we don’t back home, we seem so busy achieving that we don’t take time to relax and appreciate all that is around us.
The whole mentality is so different….so much so that to put it into perspective, when I pass on another glass of vino at dinner, they look at me like I am the one with the problem! Why wouldn’t you want another glass…lady…I love how they call me lady…they are so persuasive…I guess…I will have just one more…
I bet they don’t even have AA over here..so what have I got to worry about?
God I love Italy! And I am so glad I had a couple of days in Venice before I had to get on the cruise ship….
Oh, yes that is right…..the cruise ship!!!! 12 days, 11 more stops. Can this get anymore amazing?
I sure hope so,
Next stops, Croatia and Greece…less carbs, and more cheese with my wine…the timing is PERFECT….I’ve already gained 3 lbs!
