October 3 - Time to Say Goodbye

It’s a much nicer morning today.  That figures since we’re leaving Venice today.  The sun is trying to break through and the gondolas are out in full force.  The side canal next to our hotel evidently leads to a major boarding place for gondolas, or as Al has named it, Gondola Central.  Some of the singers on them are remarkably good and it’s pleasant sitting on our little balcony listening to them as we wait until time for our water taxi pick-up.

At breakfast up in the rooftop room this morning there was a very inquisitive fat gull that perched on the ledge outside one window looking in on the diners.  He seemed to watch everything carefully and I had the feeling he was thinking “Where’s mine?”

After breakfast we walked out on the adjoining 7^th floor terrace.  The fat gull flew to the railing and gave a raucous cry to let us know he didn’t like that we hadn’t shared with him.  The views from up there looking across the red-tiled rooftops of Venice were interesting.  It puts the city in a different perspective.

In the distance across the tiled rooftops we could see some the tops of some cruise ships down at the terminal.  We clearly won’t be alone in port today.

Our water taxi came promptly and whisked us off to the cruise terminal.  We were fortunate because the drop-off point was right next to the Seabourn Odyssey.  Within moments our luggage was checked and we made the short walk to the ship.  Cabins aren’t ready until 2 PM on Seabourn so we had a nice lunch at the Colonnade Restaurant at the stern of the ship.  There are tables outside and it was pleasant out there watching the water traffic as we ate.  There were 8 ships in port today.

Around 5 PM we sailed out the Giudecca Channel and passed by the Piazza San Marco and the Doge’s Palace.  There were huge crowds ashore watching the afternoon’s ship parade.  Sailing out of Venice is really one of the most spectacular sights we’ve ever seen.  Once we’d passed the main sights, we went down to our cabin and enjoyed the view as we made our way past Lido and out into the Adriatic.

The Captain said we should have smooth seas as we make our way to our first stop, Triluke Bay in Croatia.