Italy IV

Final day in Italy, or Italia, as us natives call it.

We were in Venice. I had been there once before, so it wasn't a huge thrill, but I really liked it. It rained a lot. And as we were getting ready to leave, there was big thunder and then a hailstorm. Not comfortable, but interesting in its own way. All the rain water allowed me to say what I thought was an enormously funny line, "It's rained so much, the streets are just flooded." You could hear crickets chirping. I just thought that was one of my best lines ever. Apparently not.

Flight back was pretty uneventful. I was in a middle seat. I didn't care for that. Smaller planes don't have a middle seat, but smaller planes scare me, so I guess I shouldn't complain. At least about that. But here is something to complain about. So I don't know if building "the wall" is a good idea or not. Maybe we should just let people come and go. But for the people that think that, why do I have to show my passport like four different times to get back to the US. And even if I got in without showing my passport, what mayhem am I going to cause? Let's just have the same amount of security everywhere. I don't care what it is, just have it be the same. And if people are going to try to sneak in, they aren't going to do it at a place where you get checked four times. OK, I'm done.

Final thoughts on Italy -

• No big cars. I don't think I saw a single pick up. They must have a huge tax on big vehicles or have just simply outlawed them. What cars they do have are very tiny. Tiny, but adorable. The streets most European cities are very narrow. Maybe that is the reason.
• I had heard gelato is awesome. It really is. But better that a cookie dough blizzard at Dairy Queen? I don't know. 
• Enough with the selfies or just generally getting your picture taken in front of something. "Here I am blocking a picture of The Last Supper". Its just gotten a little out of hand.
• Christianity really did overdo it for a time. There were a lot of churches that are like ornate palaces. They built those so people without enough to eat could come in and worship. You could probably feed a thousand people with one less chandelier. Michelangelo did a nice job in the Sistine Chapel, but really, to use a roller and put on a nice solid color would also have been attractive.

So I say "Arrivederci, Roma". I am not certain if that means you are saying hello or goodbye, but nonetheless, "Arrivederci".