Day Fourteen -- Leaving Italy

Today we left Venice. Our plane left early enough that the vaporetto and train weren't a possibility. Our only option was a costly water taxi. Up at 4 a.m. and jetting away on a speed boat by a little after 5 a.m. The water taxis speeding down the Grand Canale with people standing up in the back looked delightful. In the dark, racing across the Laguna to the airport in the cold temperatures is a whole other story.

It was hard to leave Italy. Every place we went we just tapped the surface of the wonder of that place. Gayle and I talked about what we learned on this international trip that will aid any future trips either of us choose to take:

1.  When you pack, lay out the clothes you think you need then half them...and then half them again.

2.  Every day is a learning day when you are traveling internationally.

3.  Carry water with you everywhere.

4.  Never carry a reusable pass in the same pocket as your iPhone.

5. The days you are traveling by train are not rest days. Train travel can be strenuous.

6. Take a raincoat.

7. Don't bring clothes that don't wrinkle in a suitcase. Bring clothes that dry fast when you wash them in a sink and dry them in a bathroom.

8. Download onto your iPhone, ahead of time, any audio tours or podcasts you want to use on your trip.

9. Always purchase a ticket that will help you skip a long line.

10. Have an app that can translate menus for you. It's invaluable.

11. Play with your travel apps before you leave so you actually know how to use them.

12. Before you sign up for the additional cost of breakfast in your hotel, make sure it is served at a time that is convenient for you.

I'm sure we learned more than that but I'm too tired to remember it. Gayle and I parted at London Heathrow. She travels home to Kansas and I have a 11.5 hour flight to LAX. Hopefully, no one will sit beside me.