Let me explain....

I dont think I really gave you the true impression of yesterday's weather, so I thought I would share a few more details.

I had no intention of going outside until my evening Bible study, but I got a call asking if I was going to come to the Lido for the regular Tuesday girls coffee talk. I was assured that it was bright and sunny on the Lido and I fell for it! By the time I arrived to St. Marks to catch the water bus, I knew for certain there was no sun today. The winds had picked up and the clouds were more than ominous.

We spent an hour or so at coffee and left only when bicycles outside starting blowing over in the wind. Going outside, we were greeted with a bitterly cold wind and spitting raindrops. I actually chuckled thinking that no one back home would ever believe that I would purposely go out in this weather, let alone walk around in it. And thats what happened.

We walked to my friends house (briskly mind you) and arrived just in time before my ears fell off from the cold. Then the rain came...hard, serious rain. So, we did lunch, we chatted, we read; all the while I am expecting that it will pass over enough that I can go out. Mind you, I didnt bring an umbrella because it was supposed to be sunny. Well, after about 6 hours, it didnt stop and I had no choice but to face it headon in order to make my evening committment.

My friend gave me an umbrella which had a minor wound already but it was better than nothing. I made it to the boat, got on and started the trek across the lagoon. There were whitecaps on the waves of the lagoon!!!!!!! The waves were so strong, they were coming up over the side of the vaporetto and onto the deck area!!!!!!! We missed every stop because of the waves and had to backup, move forward, get help from the people in the bus stop, etc. By the end of the 4th stop (there are 13 stops from the Lido to Rialto where I would get off), I was seriously seasick and green around the gills. My mother can attest to my weak stomach in the high seas!

I decided to get off at the 5th stop and walk the rest of the way home. The wind was wicked and there weren't many of us out there braving the elements. Unfortunately, my umbrella died in the midst of battle but gave it his all. Upon arrival at my apartment, I have him the proper burial in the trashcan.

With about 20 minutes of rest time before I had to leave for Bible study, I tried to calm my stomach and get out of my wet clothes. I really wanted to walk over there but it was too far in this weather, so I braved the vaporetto again until the closest stop.

Walking to the reverends house was like a scene out of a hollywood war movie. Carnage everywhere. Most obvious were broken umbrella arms sticking out perpendicular from the rest of them and the entire umbrella strewn on the ground where it was hit. I must have passed 10-12 of them in a short 5 minute walk. But worse than that were the pieces of the buildings lying in chunks and dust on the calle below. I finally figured out why part of the outside plaster in Venice is missing on almost every building (its also what make Venice quaint). The wind was so wicked and the rain so strong that it literally ripped off pieces of the plaster and threw them to the ground below.

By the end of Bible study, the rain had stopped but the wind was still in its fury. I was more than happy when I arrived home for the evening and could thoroughly warm up. This morning, I was timidly looking out the window to see what the day had to offer--the rain is gone and the winds have died down a bit but there is still plenty of cloud cover. I WILL be staying home today--well, except for my 3pm massage! :-)