Tue16Aug16: Venice, Italy - Winnipeg, Canada (travel day)

Had the sleep of the nervous, all these thoughts about what I have to do today, so finally at 5:50am I got up and started packing.   Went online last night and checked-in, found my seat selection was acceptable, so don't have to arrive at Marco Polo Airport too early.

Downstairs for breakfast just after 7am and the TDA is there in force, all dressed in riding gear and green reflective riding vests.  Exchanged a few goodbyes and "It was great riding with you" with various people.  Tron has come over from his new hotel, so the two of us watch the vans pulling out of the parking lot, follow the various riders around to the front of the hotel, and take a departure photo just after 8am as Gergo leads the group out on an island-hopping 140km riding day.

merganser, Venice Lagoon

Then it's back up to the room to hoist my red duffle bag on my back (20.8kg), a final check and turn in the key, then I'm out the door heading for the Lido ferry terminal about 500m away.  Schedule says 8:40am departure but the boat arrives early with lots of fellow tourists & their luggage onboard, we're heading across the lagoon about 10 minutes early to pick up more tourists at Murano, arriving at Marco Polo Airport just after 9am.

Duty Free Shop

Should have taken a luggage cart because - although the terminal is adjacent to the ferry terminal - this bag is heavy and it's about 700m to the entrance & my Air Canada check-in counter.  No carry-on today because I've got everything packed into my duffle bag and the plan is to (a) watch movies all the way from Venice to Toronto; then (b) rescue my netbook during the luggage transfer at Toronto Airport and edit photos during my layover; then (c) sleep all the way on the Toronto to Winnipeg leg.



Surprise #1!  Air Canada AC1907 'Rouge' has no back-of-the-seat TV screens, no earphone plugs, no magazines - apparently passengers are now expected to bring their own entertainment!  Thank goodness the flight attendants were able to find me an old "Globe & Mail" or I would have gone bonkers for the 9-1/2 hour flight.

Surprise #2!  Upon arrival in Canada, you no longer have to clear your bag through Customs and carry it to the Connecting Flights belt - the bag now meets you at your final destination.  So, no access to my netbook for the 6-hour layover in Toronto Airport.  Thank goodness for Olympics Games coverage or I would have gone bonkers.

Considering the 7-hour time change, I boarded the Toronto-Winnipeg flight at 3am Venice time, was able to sleep for most of that trip, checked into the Best Western Plus at 7am Venice time, and am happy that my body was able to ignore the conditioned urge to Break Camp & Cycle away, so I slept fitfully for several hours, but at least that's a start...