I T A L Y
04/13/18 - 04/21/18
DAY 1
Day 1 - Buongiorno!!! Time to go to Italy! We can smell and taste the pizza and pasta already. We had a connecting flight from Boston to Philadelphia to Venice, Italy! We were off to a bit of a slow start, both flights were severely delayed! Finally, around 10:00 PM we were lifting off. We decided on premium economy which gave us a little bit more leg room. One positive about being delayed, is we started off very late, so we were all pretty exhausted. A quick snack and our first glass of vino in flight and we were fast asleep! Remember to stay flexible particularly with connecting flights. We will be there soon.
DAY 2
Day 2 - We arrived at Venice International Airport around 10:00 AM (Venice time). We all managed to sleep a few hours on the plane, so we did pretty well collecting our bags and getting through passport control. We had pre-arranged a private boat taxi from the airport to the hotel, which ended up being a trip highlight! The sun was shining bright and we enjoyed the beautiful landscape of Venice. We arrived at our hotel, the Hilton Molino Stucky Venice on the island of Giudecca, directly across from Venice proper. To keep things easy, we grabbed our first delicious meal at the hotel. Pasta, of course! Next, we checked in to our room and explored the island to stretch our legs. It was great to be in Italy! We grabbed some pizza for dinner and made it through the entire day to avoid the jet lag. Buonasera!
DAY 3
Day 3 - We all woke up refreshed, grabbed some breakfast at the hotel and were ready to explore! The hotel offered a quick shuttle service to central Venice, so we jumped aboard and was off and running! Today activities included a walking tour of Venice, climbing to the top of Torre dell'Orologio and boating through the canals of Venice on our very own gondola. On our walking tour, we saw many of the main attractions including St. Mark's Basilica & Square, Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs. And of course grabbing some delicious meals for lunch and dinner. Our picky eater was even in food heaven with fresh pizzas and pastas at every meal. The Italians know how to cook!
DAY 4
Day 4 - Today, we started early and took a slightly more complex trek to the Islands of Burano and Murano. Venice has a pretty advanced public boat service similar to a subway / commuter rail system within a major city. Our first stop was Burano, a beautiful island of colorful houses, restaurants and shops. On Burano, we did a walking tour, took some scenic pictures and grabbed some gelato before heading to our next stop, Murano. Murano is best known for their glass blowing trade. We visited a glass blowing factory where they demonstrated the art. Within minutes the master glass blower, created a beautiful unicorn made of glass. It was truly amazing! We headed back to end our day with a boat ride down the grand canal of Venice and another delicious meal on the water. I still dream of the Veal Saltimbocca, I had that night!
DAY 5
Day 5 - Today, it was time to say Arrivederci to Venice and head towards the Lakes region of Northern Italy. We arranged for a boat taxi to our car rental place near Venice's main train station. After picking up our car, it was time to take on Italy's highway system. Everyone buckle up, the Italians also like to drive fast! On our way to Lake Garda, we took a few hour break in the city of Padua for lunch. We picked up some sandwiches and walked through some of the main attractions of Padua to stretch our legs. After about a 2 hour drive from Padua we reached our final destination, the Grand Hotel Gardone on beautiful Lake Garda. Once settled and with the sun shining brightly, we all jumped in the pool for some R & R!
DAY 6
Day 6 - More exploring was on tap for today. After a delicious breakfast at the hotel. We highly recommend the hot chocolate! We took a boat ride to the island of Sirmione. Sirmione is a resort town on the southern bank of Lake Garda. It’s known for its thermal baths and Rocca Scaligera, a medieval castle overlooking the lake. And of course what do you do in a medieval castle with a look out, you climb to the top of course. Karen was a little nervous as the steps were very uneven and rocky with very little rails to grab on too, but we all survived! We then grabbed some lunch and wine to take a little break in the main town square. After lunch, it was time to head back to the hotel for dinner and some rest!
DAY 7
Day 7 - The adventure continues with ride around Lake Garda and a gondola tour up the side of a mountain. Driving to the gondola was an experience too, with tiny one way tunnels carved through the mountain side. And once at the gondola, the ride and view were truly amazing. As you rode up the mountain, you looked down at the lake taking in all of the different colors of the lake, little towns and mountain side. This was truly a must do activity. And once at the top, there was even a little snow on the ground. We walked around different viewing areas, made a tiny snow man on the mountain top and grabbed some lunch and a refreshing beer. As we made our way back to the hotel, we stopped at a small town for some ice cream and a quick run around a public play ground. Another great day!
DAY 8
Day 8 - Our trip was coming to an end, so today we woke up late and had a nice relaxing breakfast at the hotel. The weather was beautiful the whole time. Even warm enough at times for a few swims in the hotel pool. Our room faced the lake and looking out at that beautiful landscape, I don't think any of us wanted to say good bye. We were flying back from Venice, so knowing we had a few hour trip back, we planned a lunch time stop at the city of Verona and an evening stop in the small town of Treviso. Our last stops for pizza, pasta and wine! It never gets old here. Tomorrow it was time to say good bye to Italy and head home.
DAY 9
Day 9 - In the morning, we returned our rental car, checked in to the airport and started the trip home. It was a great week! Our flight home included a quick stop at London's Heathrow Airport for some shopping and lunch. We were definitely out of Italy now! Lunch was at Wagamama, the noodle place. We boarded our flight from London to Boston and were home that night. April was an amazing time to visit Italy. The weather and food was absolutely perfect. And while we originally questioned whether or not a week was enough time, it wound up being great and with the focus on just two major stops, more then enough time. We can not wait to return to Italy.
WHAT WE THOUGHT OF IT
MICHAEL
KAREN
MICHAEL S
