Man plans, God laughs. Divine intervention certainly made the day confusing but ultimately satisfying and a bit ironic.
The irony: back when we first made plans, we booked a 5:30 flight with SAS via Royal Caribbean that got to Venice thru Copenhagen at 10 am saving several hundred quid over a direct United flight leaving roughly the same time A month ago, SAS canceled our flight and rebooked us to leave for a Newark-Boston-Copenhagen-Venice marathon departing 2:38 pm. No changes were possible that didn’t involve major cash or major delays, so we rushed to the airport directly after Paul’s Mass completed. Upon getting to the airport (courtesy of the Ashmuns who let us park the car at their house), we got to the airport at about 1:15, praying our bags would make all the connections with us. Here is the irony: there was a cancellation and magically we were rebooked on United’s direct flight!!!
God still had a few more laughs: our 5:30 departure got delayed eventually to 8:30 by rain and equipment issues and ultimately we landed in Venice at 11 am.
Worries about finding the Alilaguna waterbus were for nought — all was easy peasy. It was a 1 hour boat ride to the Giglio stop, and after a little confusion finding our hotel, we got settled. Rather than napping, we found lunch at the Tavernetta Maurizio and shared a bacalo (creamed cod with crostini) mmmmmm. Pasta with zucchini pesto followed for me along with the regional Venetian white wine, Lugana. Then over the Accademia bridge to Santa Maria del Salute for organ music Vespers service (we thought)
Again divine sense of humor: we walked into the (spectacular) church and made our way to the chapel where a small group was seated and organ music was filling the space. The priest started a Mass while looking at us oddly. All in Italian so only comprehending snatches of words. We sang the Alleluia enthusiastically. A sermon full of Marias, Guiseppes, familias. Then the priest invited a couple to stand — Good Lord it was a wedding!!!
We made as gracious an exit as we could and found a bar for our first negroni, then home and to bed as quickly as we could, which was about 7 pm. Blissful to sleep!
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