FLORENCE, ITALY

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After visiting Venice, we took the train down to Florence. We planned the bulk of our trip to be here to have a mix of relaxation at a resort just outside of town, and sightseeing in the city. The city and surrounding area was so pretty, and I have too many good photos to share!

TRANSPORTATION:

Florence is very walkable, and that is recommended over driving.  However, we wanted a rental car to potentially do side trip(s), and to come and go into the city freely. Well, you can tell this is not going to end well. Not only are many roads full of pedestrians, there are ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato), and apparently non-residents will get ticketed by camera.  We made that mistake after a translation fail with the car rental employee and are anxiously awaiting some fines in the mail. There were, however, free parking spots just outside the zone, so if you are diligent about reading signs, you should be fine.  Our hotel also offered a shuttle to the city center, but we figured with the car seat, driving ourselves was easier.

WHERE TO EAT:

Sgrano: I may sound like a broken record, but Italy had the BEST gluten free options I have ever found. How do we get Sgrano to come to D.C.?? I mean, an all gluten-free restaurant with a panini sampler!? We didn’t even get to their pizza, but the sandwich board was out of this world and lasted us more than a day with leftovers.

Base V Juicery: Come here for smoothies, gluten free avocado “toast”, energy balls, and other healthy goodies.

Floret: Almost impossible to find, but worth the hunt. Floret is a secret garden restaurant located on the top floor of a retail clothing store with no signage. I had the best gluten free avocado toast (with grilled halloumi on top) of all time here, along with dessert. Such a treat!

Shake Cafe: There are multiple locations across the city, with healthy bowls and salads, plus smoothies and coffee. We found one with a lovely interior courtyard to cool off and take a break from walking.

Libreria Brac: This vegetarian restaurant/bookshop is hidden off the main drag. They have a glass greenhouse for seating, along with a beautiful courtyard. It was dangerously quiet inside for a toddler, but the staff was incredible and LOVED Quinn. The hostess swept him up and brought him to meet all the staff and take pictures with the chef.

With more time, we would have gone to Ciro and Sons for gluten free pizza, Quinoa for more vegetarian options, and Ditta Artigianale for coffee.

WHAT TO DO:

Uffizi Gallery: This museum has works from Botticelli, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and more. It was well worth a visit, but get there early to avoid the crowds by the most famous artists works. We bought tickets ahead of time online, which guaranteed entrance and skipped the line.

Accademia: A must-see for Michelangelo’s David statue, amongst other famous pieces. I may be in the minority and say the rest of the museum was not my favorite, but worth going just for David.

Ponte Vecchio is the oldest and most famous bridge in Florence. It is thought to be from the Roman times (and rebuilt many times since). Previously, the bridge housed stalls for butchers, farmers, and other services for residents. Now, these little storefronts are home to souvenir and jewelry shops.

Duomo, the Cathedral of Florence:  The line was super long and in the blazing sun on the first day we were there.  So instead of frying in the August sun for hours, we opted to buy a ticket to a guided tour.  After many years of sightseeing without a guide, I’m sold.  I got so much more out of the experience, learning about the Medici family and the history of Florence, not to mention skipping the line. There are tours of the cathedral, and there is a separate ticket to go into the dome. My limited research showed the climb up the dome is steep and narrow, which wouldn’t work with a heavy, wiggly toddler and no stroller.

Santa Maria Novella: Pop into this really cool perfume shop for scented soaps, reed diffusers, and perfume. It is one of the oldest pharmacies/cosmetic shops in the world, and smells amazing!

The carousel: Maybe not a MUST see, but Quinn enjoyed this pit stop. The carousel is run by the fourth and fifth generation Picci family still. Pretty cool!

Piazzale Michelangelo: This scenic overlook is set above the banks of the Arno opposite the city center. It was built in 1869 and has a replica of the David statue, keeping an eye on the city from above. We took a wrong turn and drove by it earlier in our trip (windy one-way streets on a steep hill, not a good time getting lost in the dark), and made a point to come back for sunset another evening.

Dreoni Toystore: Another hard-to-find store, but glad we did. This store had everything you can imagine, plus more for kids. Quinn got a Pinocchio puppet, as I learned the author of the original Pinocchio was from Florence. Now Quinn has a way to “remember” his trip!

Palazzo Strozzi: They have rotating exhibits in the courtyard, but sadly were on hiatus when we were there.

Tuscany: We had reservations to go to a winery tasting in Tuscany, but they canceled last minute. Shockingly, a Google targeted ad saved the day. We went to Semboloni Winery, which I highly recommend. The winery makes organic wine and olive oil, plus serves excellent charcuterie plates to pair. We did the tasting outside, where there was a light breeze, shaded by trees, and with room for Quinn to explore and use his outdoor voice. There were a number of other families on the patio, so we didn’t feel obnoxious. They offered free shipping on a case, so we mixed olive oils and some wine to send back home.

With more time, we would have gone to Siena as well.

WHERE TO STAY:

Villa La Massa, a short 15 minute drive from Florence city center, is situated overlooking the Arno River. Now, we normally would not splurge on this type of hotel, but we had Amex points burning a hole in our pocket.  When we booked, the hotel has recently been remodeled and I think they were building reviews of the newly updated space, making it lower points.  Plus, it came with a $100 spa credit.  Sign me up!

Our travel plans never go exactly as expected,  and this trip would be no different (see Venice recap for the first few hiccups).  We arrived mid afternoon from Venice, only to find out the power and water were out in the town, including the resort.  They asked if we still wanted to stay there (like we had another option lined up??), and then upgraded us to an amazing suite since other guests left due to the outage.  The power came back on a few hours later, but they let us stay in the suite.  Well worth a minor inconvenience in my opinion!  A big breakfast spread was included, and we got our money’s worth daily.  After exploring the city during the day, we came back to enjoy mid-afternoon pool lounging, alternating during Quinn’s nap.  The property had multiple dining options, a walking trail, a small playground, and beautiful gardens.  Steve enjoyed the gym and I appreciated the sunset views on the trail.

TIPS:

Kids and travel.  This could be a novel and a problem as old as time, and I’m certainly no expert.  But after maybe 20 flights with Quinn, I’ve learned a few things. Most importantly, don’t let fear prevent you from traveling. There’s a whole world out there to explore and it’s really special seeing your kid experience other cultures, food, history, and so much more. While we may still be recovering from the terrible flight home, I don’t regret for one minute taking a trip with Quinn to share our love for travel.

Direct flights whenever possible!  Quinn is mad we didn’t follow this advice this time.  If you must have a layover, explore the lounge and look for a kids area.  It might not be much, but it’s a space to drop your bags and crawl around (see germ comment below).

Bring all the snacks. More than you think you need, because you don’t want to be out when a meltdown happens.  Food taking too long at a restaurant? Whining for no apparent reason? Want something to put into the snack cup and remove repeatedly? Snacks solve many problems.

New toys/things that you won’t be sad about when they get lost between the seats or on the floor.  Maybe also check to see how noisy they are first, because Quinn of course loved the obnoxiously loud toy the most.

Embrace help! We were seated near an older woman on a return flight who was eager to entertain Quinn. She traveled extensively with her kids when they were little, and had some tricks up her sleeve.

Bring the small stroller. I don’t think kids really appreciate the comfort of their”fancy” stroller, and you will be glad to not haul that thing around up and down stairs when elevators aren’t available, etc.

Probably mentioned in a past post, but worth mentioning again: pack a wet bag with diaper supplies rather than the whole diaper bag since you won’t fit in the bathroom.  Extra change of clothes for both of you, just in case.

Let go of concerns over germs.  Use the sanitizing wipes the flight attendants pass out on high-touch surfaces, but realize everything will be touched and then fingers will go in the mouth.  It’s impossible to prevent.  Also, when you have a screaming child, you’ll let them do just about anything if it will mean they stop crying!

And that completes our August Italy adventure recapping. Check out our time in Venice here and stay tuned for a guide on Barcelona!

VENICE, ITALY

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In 2020, we had plans to visit the Amalfi coast in Italy, but we all know how that went.  We rescheduled for 2022, and added a third family member to the itinerary.  We decided to shift cities and visit Venice since Steve has never been, and Florence, which was new to both of us. Plus, Venice was the cheapest city to get to.

Like every trip, this one began with some excitement. I almost forgot about it, but then the pictures on my camera roll quickly reminded me. It began on Sunday, with Leo eating someone’s airpods at the dog park. The details are a story you should ask Steve about if you need a laugh, but now we know that big dogs don’t have a major issue with eating headphones, and the airpod was later located by the dog sitter…Then, on Monday, the day of our trip, daycare called to say it looks like Quinn has pinkeye. Well, the pediatrician was fully booked, and there was a 3+ hour wait for walk-in’s at urgent care. They take appointments, so we snagged the last possible appointment we could and still make our flight. Nothing like a little travel adrenaline racing the rush hour clock! Just in the nick of time, we were able to get medicine and the blessing of the urgent care team to continue on with our trip. We made it, and despite one morning of eyes sealed shut, all was well.

Now, on to the trip!

TRANSPORTATION:

We landed the following day after transiting through Lisbon to get to Venice. If you were wondering what all carry-on’s with a toddler look like, here is everything attached or rolling behind Steve. I used this nifty Amazon find to strap the carseat onto the roller bag, but by the end of the trip, the wheels were toast. I guess it was too heavy to handle it all, or my suitcase was super cheap.

To get from the airport to Venice, you can take a ferry.  There are public ferries or private boats (big price difference).  In August, masks were required for public transit in Italy.  Once you are in Venice, you walk or take the ferries-no cars allowed! 

You can also take the train to get to other parts of Italy very easily.  This is going way back, but quick tip: there are two train stations in Venice; one on the island and one on the mainland.  When I went with my friend Stacey in 2009, the ticket checker tried to tell us we owed a 50 euro fine for having the wrong ticket, and she wanted to write down our passport numbers and get cash from us.  The details are fuzzy at this point, but sure sounded like a scam and I don’t think we gave her any money or info…

WHAT TO DO:

St. Mark’s Basilica: get tickets in advance.  They were sold out when we got there.  I had to look through old photos to confirm, but turns out I’ve been there already. Please enjoy some photos from 2009 sprinkled in.  St. Mark’s Square is overpriced and overrated.  Walk through to see it, but get your coffee and lunch elsewhere. Caffe Florian in the square was hyped, but an espresso was something like 10 euro with a fee to even sit down.

2009!
2009!

Rialto Bridge: This is the main bridge going over the Grand Canal, and it is the oldest of the 4 main bridges. Holy cow, the humidity did a number on me.

2009!

Not the Rialto, but an example of how many beautiful bridges and buildings there are around the city.

Parco Savorgnan: Quinn enjoyed burning some energy off at the neighborhood playground near our Airbnb. It was tucked away, right near the canal. Complete with trash cans (oddly hard to find at times), a playground, and kid-sized picnic tables.

Wander the winding streets.  Venice is such a unique city on the water, with tons of narrow streets around each corner.  But also, so many bridges.  Keep this in mind if you have a stroller!

We stumbled upon a number of free art exhibits housed in old palaces, like these:

If you want to take a little trip, head over to Murano, the Venetian island known for glass-making. Back in 2009, we visited the Museo del Vetro, but that sounded like a terrible place to bring a toddler!

2009!

WHERE TO EAT:

Honestly, walking around is probably your best option. Do note that places book up across Italy in August, but we were able to find some places that allowed walk-in’s, especially if you came on the early side. I also saw a number of closed signs, indicating they were on summer vacation. I didn’t make a note of where we ate the first night, but we just walked a block from our Airbnb and found open seats along the water. Quinn was a trooper and stayed up way past his bedtime for dinner.

Frulala: For a healthy, quick breakfast, check out the fruit stands. They have smoothies and acai bowls and are sprinkled around the city. Most don’t have seating, though.

Torrefazione Cannaregio: Cute coffee spot, but we didn’t make it here in our limited time.

Majer: Gluten free treats and coffee! There are a number of locations throughout the city, but we chose to visit the Campo del Ghetto Vecchio location. They had a nice little seating area in the square, and Quinn approved of this breakfast treat. Plus, this is a great time to see the neighborhood and learn a little bit more about its history.

Frary’s: Didn’t make it, but this Mediterranean spot sounded delicious!

Trattoria Alla Ferrata: Gluten free pizza! It tasted like the real deal. No weird additives, just GOOD pizza. They had a secret garden in the back, which was ideal for an early dinner with a loud toddler. I want some of that pizza right now. Why is it so hard to find good gluten-free food here?? Guess I will need to plan a trip back to Italy for my fix.

WHERE TO STAY:

To get the full experience, definitely stay on the island. We found a great 2 bedroom Airbnb with a full kitchen and 2 bathrooms a few blocks from the water in a quiet part of town, Cannaregio. It was a short walk to get to the action, but allowed for a restful night. The host was very accommodating and stored our luggage before check in and after check out, allowing us to maximize our time in the city without getting weighed down by the zillion pounds of Quinn baggage. (I mean, we did bring HIM around, but left all his stuff at the Airbnb….). We stayed on the mainland for one night on our return, just to be closer to the airport. Do not recommend!

Stay tuned for my recap of Florence, Italy next!

PUERTO RICO

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After almost 2 years of being pretty careful, COVID caught up with us. Quinn brought it home from daycare in January, and it slowly made its way to Steve and then me. I am very thankful we had mild cases, but man, no childcare for almost a month while working full time was no joke. Once we recovered, we decided a trip was in order. Let’s take those antibodies on the road while we can! Plus, the only COVID restriction to enter was presenting your vaccination card at check-in (and registering online beforehand). As of March 10th, 2022, there are no restrictions.

Somewhere in the same hemisphere seemed like a good starting point since we only had a long weekend to spare. Plus, it had to be a direct flight. Same or similar time zone was also a consideration. Then, off to Google Flights to see where we could go in early March that fit the criterion and was a reasonable price.

Puerto Rico was our best option- direct flight, one hour time change, warm weather, and a fair price. We booked it, picked a hotel in San Juan to be near the airport, and kind of forgot about it. Life was busy and we didn’t research or plan anything. Then, our sweet Magic dog was diagnosed with suspected terminal cancer and given days to weeks to live. It was a complete shock since we had no idea he was even sick. We were going to cancel, but very sadly our boy didn’t make it past his scheduled surgery day, a week before the trip. After mulling it over, Steve and I decided it would be good to get away, clear our minds, and spend time with our little family. The cats were in good hands, so we went. I like to think the rainbow outside our window upon arrival was Magic smiling down on us.

With nothing planned, I reached out to a friend from Puerto Rico and a few who had recently visited. I cobbled together a quick itinerary, which turned out to be just right for our time there.

WHERE TO STAY:

Or not to stay…We stayed at the Condado Plaza Hilton in San Juan. It was a quick drive from the airport, which is why we chose it. After getting off a flight, it’s nice to be close to your destination. You can always drive around to see other areas once you are rested.

The positives: walkable location, excellent pools, access to a small beach, huge bathroom that fit Quinn’s crib (provided by hotel, but we brought our own sheet).

The negatives: not well maintained, not on the main beach, felt a little dirty, and their parking garage ticketing system did not work. Tired baby and non-operational ticket was not a good combo!

I don’t think I have particularly high standards, but it just wasn’t that great. Airbnbs are more my thing, but we didn’t see any available with short notice. I bet we could have found a better place to stay if we looked outside San Juan, so maybe next time.

A few other places that caught my eye: The Dreamcatcher Inn and Dorado Beach Ritz-Carlton (if you have unlimited budget, or just to visit the spa).

WHAT TO DO:

El Yunque National Forest: The only tropical rainforest in the National Forest system. Entry is free, but right now, they are limiting entry and charging a $2 reservation fee per car. Thankfully, we were able to log in the day before to snag a reservation. Apparently the system opens 30 days out, but they release a small number 24 hours prior. There are 2 time windows per day, so I suggest setting an alarm and try to reserve exactly 24 hours out. Create a recreation.gov account if you don’t already have one to save time. You need to be logged in to reserve.

This picture really capture Quinn in his element, being carried and getting fanned by a giant leaf. This kid lives a charmed life!

It did rain on and off while we were there, but not so much that is ruined the experience. A few spots were closed due to COVID or maintenance. The park is designed for both hikers and drivers. Normally, I’d love to go hike, but with drizzle and baby, we opted for the lazy man’s version and drove to each spot we wanted to see. Probably a good thing, since the rocks were really slick after the rain. Ask me how I know…

San Juan National Historic Site: Located in Old San Juan, tickets are $10 per adult, and covers entry to Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristobal. The views are spectacular. We found a reasonably priced parking garage right before El Morro. While there is street parking, a lot of the streets are one-way and very narrow. Just a warning. Don’t be like 2017 Amy and Steve in Spain.

Old San Juan: After you visit the castles, wander around Old San Juan. The narrow streets are full of candy-colored pastel buildings and little shops tucked away. We went twice- once to walk the streets, and the second time to see the historic site. The first time we went, we came in near the cruise ship port and found the easiest place to park was in a garage in that area. For some reason, we both find it painful to pay to park, but sometimes you have to give in. Maybe it’s a D.C. thing- we’d rather circle looking for a free spot, even if it takes more time.

The Beach: We went to the tiny, but calm, beach adjacent to the hotel. When Quinn is older, I know he will love playing in the water and building sand castles, but on this trip, we just made a brief visit. There are bigger beaches nearby, but the water was VERY rough when we were there.

Street art: All around and very colorful!

WHERE TO EAT:

After the rainforest adventure, we headed down another very windy road to get to Bacoa. We never would have found this place on our own, so I can thank our Puerto Rican friend for sending me this spot! Another plug for Amex here: the restaurant was fully booked when I checked for reservations a few days out. I used the Global Dining Access filter on Resy, which gets you off the waitlist 9 times out of 10, at least in my experience. I’ve used it locally at our neighborhood taco spot all the way to Puerto Rico now! To use it, you just add your Amex card to your Resy profile, and if a reservation is unavailable, you can add yourself to the priority waitlist that way.

Anyway, back to the food: Bacoa was delicious! The restaurant sent a link to the menu the night before, but the options were a mystery prior to that. It was an open-air giant porch of a restaurant with amazing food. Quinn approved of the watermelon salad and his grilled chicken. We enjoyed roasted pumpkin, chicken, rice, beans, platanos and more. So much food! Plus, they had friendly cats. Truly, I find cats everywhere I go.

Cuatro Sombras: Quick coffee stop in the touristy area right near the cruise ship port, but they had a cute little back patio hidden away.

Lote 23: This “gastronomic park” had options for everyone. We went on a Saturday night, and it was busy, but not overly crowded or loud. Wow, I sound old. I tried mofongo, and my arteries are glad this is not something I eat often.

Burrito Social: On the main strip in San Juan, tacos hit the spot. They were very accommodating with Quinn, making him some plain chicken and pineapple.

Café con Cé: Teeny tiny coffee shop inside, but leafy green, shaded patio outside. It is adjacent to a mini food truck lot.

Cafe Regina: Avocado toast and eggs for Quinn, granola bowls for Steve and I. Things got messy really quick. We will be finding bits of avocado for days! The iced cashew milk latte was delicious! They had a cute little patio, but only half had umbrellas. Bring your shades!

La Marqueta: This breezy outdoor food hall was conveniently located right near the hotel. Only a few booths were open because they didn’t have running water…Maybe I should’ve been more concerned about that fact? We had some Beyond burgers and enjoyed the breeze coming through.

Crush: After the indulgent lunch at Bacoa, we went for a nice long walk. I opted for an acai bowl for dinner and it was the optimal layering. Acai, peanut butter, more acai, more peanut butter, then toppings. Why can’t all bowls have more than one layer of peanut butter? It was incredible!

Spiga: This spot is located in Old San Juan and was about a 15-20 minute walk from El Morro. I was greeted by an extremely cute pup at the entrance. All I needed to become a fan. I had the best spinach salad there and felt better about the mofongo I had earlier.. The caprese salad may have leaked in the rental car en route to the airport, and I forgot to grab cutlery, but Steve managed to barbarically eat it with Quinn before we went through security.

TRANSPORTATION:

We rented a car, which I highly recommend. We were able to drive from the airport, to the more modern parts of San Juan, to old San Juan, the rainforest, and the restaurant in the middle of the island. Scooters (Skootel!) are on every corner, and walking is a good option. We could’ve walked even more, but wanted to have the car nearby so we could get Quinn back for a morning nap.

TIPS:

You can skip this section if you are not bringing kids. But, here are some things that helped, or that I wish we had done differently:

Bring snacks, and then some. We don’t give Quinn any packaged stuff or pouches, except for bambas as a special treat after we introduced peanuts to him. We brought a banana, but should have re-upped our stash upon arrival rather than waiting. Freshmart was within walking distance of the hotel and had healthy, fresh options that we visited, but should have done it sooner. Understandably, Quinn did not want to wait for his food to be served at restaurants. The bambas did the trick for the most part, but there are only so many puffs one can eat. A small snack would have made him and other patrons a lot happier!

Bring a travel high chair! I cannot praise this thing enough. It folds up very compact, can be buckled on to a regular restaurant chair, is stable on a restaurant bench with someone next to him, and can be used as a beach chair, too.

Triple confirm with the hotel or Airbnb that they have a crib or pack n play available. I wanted to be sure we had a safe sleep space and the right sized sheet to bring.

Seek out a lounge in the airport. Back to singing the praises of getting the right travel credit card! The lounge accessible for Priority Pass members in San Juan had a kids room. Was it germy? Probably. Did we care at that point? Nope. Quinn was thrilled to crawl around, bang together some wooden train tracks, and have space to move before the flight. It was also really nice because we were the only people in there, while the rest of the lounge was full.

There you have it. A long weekend in Puerto Rico, recapped in the same year we went on the trip. That’s a win! Now it’s time to plan Italy.