Laura and I arrived at the Venice airport. Yes, the flight was six and a half hours of discomfort. We could not have been better treated by the KLM flight attendants but, a constriction of space is the price that one pays for the affordable ticket price. Unless you pay for an upgrade to business class, a trans-Atlantic flight is a real cattle car experience for economy seating.

Treviso is off the beaten path for tourism, located in the north eastern part of Italy. Our guide informed us that some native to this area think of themselves as Venetian ahead of themselves Italian citizens. In times past Venice was a mighty commercial power holding sway over the entire Mediterranean. So, we find ourselves in a walled Medieval town, bisected by elevated roads, off/on ramps and traffic jams. Surreal…

Shortly we depart the hotel for a walking tour of the community we have adopted for another seven days. We will make every transaction in euros, and trust to luck that the residents we are sure to encounter will understand a bit of English. I anticipate vising town squares, a Medieval defensive wall that’s still standing. (to keep the neighbors out) What have we learned? We are still building a wall!

And of course the old cathedrals. The Catholic church after all, afforded social stability for hundreds of years in the aftermath of the once mighty Roman empire.

Nothing last forever…

I think about that a lot.

*The header image is the view from the 3rd floor of our hotel room.