In February 2023, a delightful break in Venice Italy almost ended in disaster.
After a few fabulous days with my in-laws eating, drinking and exploring during Carnival time, it was time to depart Venice. We had booked a water taxi to pick us up at 8.45am to take us through the canals back to the airport.
As we stood on the jetty under clear blue skies waiting for our water taxi to arrive we noticed there was quite a low tide. We didn’t think too much of it until the water taxi pulled up alongside us a few minutes later. The tide was so uncharacteristically low we realised there was quite a significant drop down between the water taxi and our group of five stood on the jetty. There was no ramp, steps or ladder to access the water taxi and the skipper looked up at us and started scratching his head, trying to figure out how to get us down into his boat. This was when the calamity started.
For some added complications, hubby Steve had a very bad knee and wasn’t very mobile (he was waiting for a full knee replacement). My mother in law Julie had a hip replacement within the last 12 months and my father in law Dave had fractured his back a month before our trip. My physical health wasn’t too bad- just some arthritis in my knees and back; my sister in law Jackie was the only one with no issues.
It dawned on me we were facing a serious situation.
Stress levels rising, knowing we had a plane to catch and no other fast means of getting to the airport in time I moved into solution mode and quickly formed a plan. I suggested if we sit down on the edge of the jetty we might be able to jump down into the boat. Easier said than done though as we then started to find out.
Steve, bless his heart, attempted to pull off a graceful maneuver and lower his precious derrière onto the edge of the jetty. Alas, his knee seemed to have other plans and refused to cooperate, practically mocking his efforts. With the boat skipper as his trusty sidekick, Steve hilariously stumbled his way into the boat. The skipper gallantly extended his helping hands, serving as both stabilizer and potential overboard prevention system.
My time to shine arrived, and I executed an acrobatic maneuver that would make even the clumsiest of clowns proud. I gracefully plopped myself down on the edge of the jetty, but being vertically challenged, my feet dangled a few meters above the boat’s side. With the confidence of a fearless adventurer, I took a leap of faith, propelling myself forward and plunging into the boat, desperately hoping the skipper possessed exceptional catching skills.
Julie took her turn, putting on a show that could rival any gymnast. With finesse, she gracefully maneuvered herself despite her prosthetic and slightly stiff hip, finally landing securely on her backside. And just like me, she nailed it with style.
Then it was Dave’s moment to shine. As he painstakingly attempted to navigate onto his hands and knees at the precipice of the jetty before elegantly sliding onto his backside, I couldn’t help but shield my eyes. It took him a few tries, and a considerable amount of time maneuvering, leaving me to wonder, “If he’s unable to board this boat, then what will we do next as our chances of making an exit seem rather bleak.” But with unwavering determination, Dave triumphed in the end – although I must admit, I cannot divulge the exact sequence of events since I couldn’t bear to watch.
Finally, Jackie graciously handed us our beloved baggage before gracefully descending into the boat. Damn, that girl made her entry look like a piece of cake!
After the stressful and slightly terrifying experience we all sat back and relaxed as we jetted down the canals admiring the majestic scenery as we left Venezia. Although I was still a bit jittery, especially as we picked up speed across the straight after we left the Grande Canal.
Thankfully, all of us managed to arrive safely and in one piece at the airport, just in time to catch our flight. Even more thankfully, we were fortunate enough to have a much easier disembarkation process at our destination due to the presence of a convenient ramp.
On reflection, while the experience was stressful and more than a little scary, we all look back at it with amusement, especially recalling how comical we must have looked to anyone else watching us trying to climb into that boat that morning. Since then I have pondered whether perhaps we should not have attempted the trip in the state we were in but fortunately it worked out fine in the end. Besides travel mishaps are part of the adventure and at least we have a good story to tell.