I am on the ship and have set sail from Venice...

The ship left Venice at 5 PM.  Unfortunately I'm having a little trouble accessing e-mail.

Mike

A good night's sleep

I don’t know what it is, but I always seem to sleep better when I am in Europe.  I fell asleep last night and woke up a few times.  Next thing I know it is 8:30 AM.  Maybe my body clock is based on European time.  My waking up so early in the US (3:30 AM) is about right for Italy (9:30 AM). 

I’ve just had breakfast and plan to take a short nap before leaving for the ship at noon.

Arrived safely in Venice …

Well, I arrived safely in Venice.  I got here a little before 3 PM (9 AM back home).  I’m tired, and I plan to shower and take a nap until dinnertime.  Restaurants open late here (7 PM), but that is about time for my body to have a late lunch.

I forgot my European power adapter.  I knew that the ship used the same current as the US, but I meant to drop my adapter in my bag for my stay here at the hotel.  So, I’ll be rationing power using both my Mac and my iPad.

My iPhone isn’t working.  It’s supposed to work, but it may be just the connection here on the outskirts of Venice.

I check out of the hotel at noon tomorrow to embark on the MSC Magnifica.  I’ve already checked in before leaving and have my boarding pass to the ship.

Stay tuned …

Flight from the Atlanta to Frankfurt, Germany

The first leg of the journey to get to Venice went well.  I’m sitting in the Frankfurt Airport using the free public Wi-Fi to make this entry.

I sat beside a lady from Switzerland on the flight over.  She had spent a month in Mississippi and Alabama with some friends.  We had a nice conversation.

Switzerland has three official languages.  If you live in the north you speak German, the southern region is Italian, and the west is French.  She was from western Switzerland near the French border, and she spoke French (thank goodness her English was excellent).  Her month in Alabama and Mississippi prepared her for my southern accent.

Flying Lufthansa is very different (especially if you enjoy “adult beverages”).  My flight was arranged with Continental which merged with United who shares European routes with Lufthansa.  Lufthansa starts the flight with cocktails (and that’s in economy).  The service was excellent, and after the meal they also serve coffee and then offer you cognac as a nightcap.

Well, my flight to Venice is booked and they are making a few announcements (German, Italian, and English).  I'll end my post here.

My hotel while in Venice (and a few items from 2008) ...

Hilton Garden Inn Venice Mestre San Giuliano

Via Orlanda, 1, Venezia Mestre, Italy 30173 Tel: 39-041-5455901 Fax: 39-041-5455955 Friday, March 30 Saturday, April 7 And a few pictures and videos of Venice when I visited in April 2008 ...

The Grand Canal

The "streets" of Venice

The Gondolas

The Canals

 San Marco Square and Duomo (Cathedral)

And here's how I got the idea of taking a cruise from Venice in 2008 (note the cruise ships leave through the Grand Canal):

Embarkation:  Venice,Italy

First Port of Call:  Bari, Italy

View Spring Break 2012 in a larger map

The itinerary ...

I leave from Atlanta for Venice, Italy, by way of Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday, March 29, 2012.  Here's my flight information for my departure.

Thu., Mar. 29, 2012 | Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Venice, Italy (VCE)
Depart: 6:20 p.m. Thu., Mar. 29, 2012 Atlanta, GA (ATL)	Arrive: 9:40 a.m. +1 Day Fri., Mar. 30, 2012 Frankfurt, Germany (FRA)	Flight Time: 10 hr 20 mn	Flight: LH445 Operated by Lufthansa. Aircraft: Airbus A340-300 Fare Class: Economy (X) Meal: None
Change Planes. Connect time in Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) is 2 hr 40 mn.
Depart: 12:20 p.m. Fri., Mar. 30, 2012 Frankfurt, Germany (FRA)	Arrive: 1:40 p.m. Fri., Mar. 30, 2012 Venice, Italy (VCE)	Flight Time: 1 hr 20 mn Travel Time: 14 hr 20 mn	Flight: LH326 Operated by Lufthansa. Aircraft: Airbus A321 Fare Class: Economy (X) Meal: None

Itinerary: The return home...

Sun., Apr. 8, 2012 | Venice, Italy (VCE) to Atlanta, GA (ATL)
Depart: 6:55 a.m. Sun., Apr. 8, 2012 Venice, Italy (VCE)	Arrive: 8:30 a.m. Sun., Apr. 8, 2012 Frankfurt, Germany (FRA)	Flight Time: 1 hr 35 mn	Flight: LH333 Operated by Lufthansa. Aircraft: Airbus A321 Fare Class: Economy (X) Meal: None
Change Planes. Connect time in Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) is 3 hr 40 mn.
Depart: 12:10 p.m. Sun., Apr. 8, 2012 Frankfurt, Germany (FRA)	Arrive: 4:25 p.m. Sun., Apr. 8, 2012 Atlanta, GA (ATL)	Flight Time: 9 hr 15 mn Travel Time: 14 hr 30 mn	Flight: LH444 Operated by Lufthansa. Aircraft: Airbus A340-300 Fare Class: Economy (X) Meal: None