Departures and Arrivals

Saturday No 1499  5.11.11

I am a perfectly good sleeper. I get into bed, read for as long as I can manage which isn’t normally very long and off I go to sleep.

So why is it that the night before a flight I can’t get to sleep. Take last night. I was all packed, even down to my spare toothbrush, so nothing to worry about there. I didn’t have to leave the house until 8.40 a.m which is a good half an hour later than a normal working day and as I always wake before the alarm I should have been pretty relaxed,  but could I get off to sleep…I could not. Infuriating!  Luckily I’m the sort that doesn’t need too much sleep so woke feeling pretty ok and off to the airport

Airports are interesting places for people watching.  Some maintain a high level of anxiety throughout; hurrying along from check in to gate, making sure they’re there hours before they need to be but endlessly looking at the monitor;  still believing they have probably missed their flight, getting rest where they can.

The anxious rush past people at the opposite end of the anxiety spectrum who saunter along in a semi stupor, seemingly oblivious to time; gliding along the moving walkway never dreaming  of actually walking on it. That would be far too energectic.

Then there are those who take stupor to the extreme like this young man; would he lie on the floor and sleep anywhere else I wonder? Waiting for a train maybe?  Or to get into a concert ? Doubtful! Put people in an Airport and they take on a different persona or maybe their real persona comes to the fore?

Which one of these am I…somewhere between the 1st 2 I suspect though those who have travelled with me might argue one way or the other!

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Now I’ve always been a bit claustrophobic on planes,usually preferring to sit in an aisle seat, but this time I thought I’d get a window seat to get a good view of Venice as we flew over her. Every other time I’ve been to Venice it has been to Treviso airport but this time it was to Marco Polo.Alas the weather gods decided this was not the time, Venice was barely visible through the cloud.

But, as you will come to know,I am a lover of clouds and will photograph them at every opportunity even through the windows of a plane.

This shaft of light couldn’t be resisted.

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Unfortunately when I arrived in Venice on the water bus from the airport I felt unexpectedly and decidedly underwhelmed. Why, when you are carrying passengers to one of THE most beautiful cities in the world, would you design a boat that has the windows so high that you can’t see out of them without half standing up from your seat in the most uncomfortable of positions….. Crazy and everyone was bemoaning the fact. Not even a deck that you could stand on outside…… but then I arrived and there was my beloved daughter waiting at Zattere to greet me; all delighted smiles.

Back to her gorgeous apartment in Palazzo Foscarini for a quick shower, a bite to eat and off out to walk. I can tell you it didn’t take me long to fall in love with Venice all over again; this my first experience of Venice after rain.

The wet streets, softly lit canals and lights in ancient buildings all producing an entirely different view of this my favourite city.

Even the ubiquitous gondolas can take on a new character when taken with a slow shutter speed……..

…and steamed up windows make even a basket of dead fish seem inviting

All in all a very good Saturday indeedy !

P.S on Sunday Acqua Alta was promised and didn’t disappoint…. More about that on another day…..