Traveling has helped me understand the world so much better than can be seen on a screen or read in a book. It’s the sites, the smells, the people and the vibe of foreign lands.
Sometimes I wish I could spend all my time traveling the world. While that wish is a long way off, anytime I can reasonably find a way to explore someplace new, I take it. Right now is one of those times.
The origins of this trip were planned pre-Covid, so it’s been a long time coming and it’s gone through several iterations. Over the next 25 days I hope to be in 17 cities, across 5 countries on 2 continents. And with just two exceptions, every stop on this trip will be new to me. My ideal type of trip!
No longer breaking news, I have a new traveling companion for this adventure. She’s potentially more excited about this trip than I am – a peak rarely summited – and every stop will be new to her!
Here we are in the lovely Philadelphia airport enjoying a complimentary Evan Williams whiskey and Sam’s Club merlot at the AA ambassador lounge. It’s OK, we’ll have plenty of time to drop some coin on good drinks during this journey.
For those who have followed my past trips, you know I’ve not had great luck actually making it to my destination. Delayed flights, cancelled flights, frantic high-speed taxi rides between cross-town airports and sub-par cheese selections on the business class charcuterie plate have plagued prior overseas adventures. But this time, other than a little bumpiness over the pond, the journey to Venice (city 1) was uneventful.
If you’ve never been to Venice, getting from the airport to the city is unlike any other place I’ve been – because it’s on a boat. The roughly 30-minute water-taxi ride across the lagoon, wind blowing through our hair and the city unfolding in front of us, is a most awesome way to kick off this trip. It provided instant immersion to this uniquest of places, and pulled us right up to our hotel.
The Dandola family built the Hotel Danieli in the late 1300’s (not a typo) as their modest home – well, modest by the standards of Venitian nobles.
Jet-lagged, and slightly ill from whatever was put in the eggs on the plane this morning, we spent a good chunk of the afternoon hiking through crowded sidewalks lined with shops, outdoor cafes and countless canal bridges. Near total exhaustion, we fortunately stumbled upon an uncrowded canal-front restaurant for some water and nourishment.
We are here for 3 nights. The first will be an early one. New adventures await tomorrow!
Ciao.
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Great post! The restaurant in Positano looks wonderful! Although the taxi cost sounds very outrageous!