Thur. November 20, 2008: Packing the Tandem - Venice

We wake up at Stefano's, and Germana's house and have breakfast. Both have to work today, so we are left to our own. It is an important day: We pack the bike to fit into two Dahon suitcases. Actually, it is not "we", it is I, Mauny who has the mechanical know-how. Elaine helps with small things as they come. We both feel lucky. Since the place is small, the disassembly must take place in the driveway exposed to the elements. This would be a disaster if it rained or snowed. The temperatures have been dropping drastically just in the last couple of days. It took Mauny 5 hours to take the bike apart, secure to cardboard plates with zip ties, wrap with foam, and place carefully in such a way that the parts would not damage during flight.

Once packed, there were a few hours of daylight left, so we went into Venice by train to walk to San Marcos Square once more, and see the inside of the cathedral. There were a lot less tourists then back in August. It was rather cold, but pleasant. We returned slightly after dark. Later at night we treated our hosts to a fantastic dinner. They recommended we went to a restaurant called La Tortuga - an ancient pirate ship - and had the best seafood pasta in our lives! This was only the second time we were in a car in Italy...