Venice the Menace

Yes, I have arrived. Venice is another milestone for me on my walk. I arrived yesterday morning after a night on a BEACH! And from there took a ferry in. It's wonderful here. But it's also full of menacing tourists. GOBS! I haven't had so much activity around me since I was in Fez (before the trip started). It's actually terribly overwhelming. But I also knew to expect it. Everyone loves Venice. Well, except for a number of Italians I met. I am grateful it is dry. One Italian I met a week ago had been here recently with three full days of rain. He hated it. I think I would have too. But the hustle and bustle is very strange and is jarring to my space. It is a menace.

After I left Parma it's all been FLAT! My feet are doing ok with it and it has been a nice change from the mountains. But this week has brought something else new=heat.  I have gone from April to August in the span of a few days and my body has not been happy. My feet have swelled inside my shoes which now feel too small. My baby toes are crushed, blistered and the nails red with dry blood. It has been painful at times to walk but with Venice on the horizon I persisted.
Fortunately, I found mostly white and yellow roads the whole way here. Leaving Parma was terrible because of traffic so I ditched the red road I was on and followed a maze of yellow backroads which were quieter. I often found myself on raised levees or dikes with a river to one side and farms on the opposite. Even a few mountains showed up in the distance (they were not the Dolomites). But I sweated and languished as I tried to adjust to the new temps. At night I sleep in my undies and wake up without needing a coat. HUGE change.

For those following my route I have written down a few places since I left Ovada in the Little Alps..Lerma (very nice castle and some sweet people), Mazzarelli, Voltaggio (really liked this place on a hill with olden twisty lanes and stone streets), Montoggi, Torriglia, Cabanne, Pontolo, Forno di Taro, Poviglio, Meletole, Santa Vittoria, Fabbrico, Concordia Sulla Secchia, Fossa, Stopparia, DRAGONCELLO! (I saw that name and had to go thru there. I wanna learn to play the cello just so I can perform as DRAGONCELLO!)(not an intersting place....the only thing I will remember there is the one bar with squat toilets...aka, hole in the ground, and no running water), Calto, Trecenta, Boara Pisani, Anguillara Veneta, Cavazere, and then to Chioggia where it got hectic for about 2 hours with  the frenzied return of civilization at large. From there I hopped on a free ferry across to the Litorale of Pellistrina and walked the spit of land up. It was there I camped on a beach, IN SAND, with water all around me (Gulf of Venice) before I ferried to the next spit on up. It was quiet and lovely and the PERFECT way to enter Venice.

I will leave tomorrow morning, early. I expect I will be in Slovenia by the weekend, prob Friday. My escape route outta Venice doesn't look like it will be as quiet as it was coming in so for two days I expect some traffic.

One thing I know I will miss when I leave country will be the Italians themselves.  There hasn't been a day that hasn't gone by where a car doesn't stop and wait for me to catch up so they can ask, "where are you going". They walk right up to me, get in my face, and ask that question. It's like they know me. And once they find out the answer they look for my bike. And when they realize I am walking they end up with a flood of other questions from where do I sleep to how long did it take me to get this far, etc etc. And they are gift givers here. I have been given chocolate, pizza, raisin bread, cold beverages, etc. My last blog was free because I walked into a small office and asked the guy if he knew of an internet point. He asked his co worker who did not know of one so he kicked the co worker from his desk and allowed me to use it. I become an instant friend here, that is how it has felt. And their support for me has been enthusiastic and heartfelt at a time I've been needing it. So thank you ITALY! Heck, I was allowed in free to a Munch exhibit yesterday which was AWESOME (first time these works have left Oslo).

I know not what to expect from the Balkans. I have some reservations but it's one day at a time right now. Not sure when or where I will find internet service too.

On a sidenote...some friends have asked about sharing this blog. I do not care if you share it with someone I only ask it not be posted to group lists or Facebook. Thanx.

Well, it is back to Venice. I have been to the Basilica, taken a ride through the Grand Canal and have walked and seen so much more. But tomorrow the walking will be back again with my backpack. My body thinks we are done and that news will become very untrue come morning. It's back to the solitary road.

Ciao!