A fairytale finish

Venice is famous for these masks, worn by people during the Carnival of Venice

We reached the main piazza, the San Marco, where there was this majestic church, but there were too many people all around, and we couldn’t hope to get into the church anytime soon. So we went to Lido. That is yet another island. Shape - narrow and long, just like the lanes of Venice. We went to a beach on the Adriatic. Have you ever felt shy for being heavily dressed in public? Not me, before going to this beach. There were lots of people having fun in the water and the sand and suddenly I had this very strange sensation. In our shirts, trousers and bags that we were carrying, we looked extremely out of place.

Rows of beach rooms that can be rented, made the beach look different from the ones I had seen previously. We returned in appropriate attire, and then went for the sea, in turns of two each. The waves weren't very high, making it a safer beach, although life guards were around.

In the evening after a few more boat rides, and some more walking, we retired. Not all together though, since we took shelter in a jetty floating by the grand canal, and someone had to be up to watch over.

Next morning, a prolonged economy lesson from an American, some miscalculations, and some more foolishness led to us reaching the bus stop at 10.45. That's when we learnt that the next bus to the airport is at 11 am. It takes 70 minutes to reach the airport, and the gate for check-in for our flight closes at 12.05. We were afraid even to think of the consequences. Add to that the fact that the three of us combined together had 10 cents shy of 8 euros in cash. (Result of yet another miscalculation)

We ran for a taxi. Asked how much it was to the airport. He said eight five. I asked, “eight point five?”, thinking we might bargain a bit if required. The reply was curt, “Eighty five”. Back in the bus, with the help of co-passengers we tried to convince the driver to reach us to the Treviso airport 10 minutes early. But he refused point blank. Some passengers advised us to inform the airlines, but on hearing that we were travelling by Ryan Air, they shook their heads in dismay because it was very unlikely that they will have a phone, that too with a person to receive it. This was when our hero arrived, taking the form of a bus driver, and promising us to reach our destination in time. Ten minutes later, a Volvo bus, with only three passengers and a hero as the driver was hurling down the highway at 100kmph. At one point, we even overtook the 10.30 bus and so once again the day was saved. The hero didn’t ask for a penny. We could only show our gratitude.

The return flight was particularly wonderful, with the low flying jet going over the Swiss Alps on a sunny day. The snow, the rivers, the valleys and the lakes all combined together to present an unforgettable picture. I could actually identify from the shapes, some of the lakes. After Constance, the landscape became a bit monotonous, and so I dozed off. Sometime down the line, a cabin crew woke me up and made me open the window shutter. I was wondering why, when I looked below to perceive yet another beauty – the Rhine bending its way through the valley.