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.
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.
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!
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!
Let me tell you a little story. I have been wanting a ‘real’ camera for years now, but didn’t feel like I could justify the cost. Last year, I decided if I hit my big first quarter sales goal, I’d reward myself. Well, our team didn’t hit that number. So, I continued to hold off. This year, I got a big promotion and decided I finally deserved a camera to record our travels. My photographer friend (hey Joy!) was helping me learn how to use it and analyzing photos to improve for the future. She convinced me to get a fancy schmancy lens to effectively capture our memories in Greece, and it took me a few months to pony up the money for that. I got it just in time for our trip, and figured I’d learn on the fly! I couldn’t have asked for better subject matter to practice with.
But you know what? At the end of the day, life is good. We have our health (minus having mono, but whatevs), our animals (they thankfully didn’t escape during the burglary), and the ability to have these global experiences. I am so grateful for all of this, and having some photos lost is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I still love living in the city, but gosh darn it, this is why we can’t have nice things. Remind me to tell you about our neighbor’s poop revenge package some other time.
WHERE TO STAY:
The iconic blue domed churches, seen in pretty much every picture of Santorini, were right behind our place. Tourists were lined up at all hours trying to snap an unobstructed photo. I opted for the postcard, since my attempts did not do it justice.
Dimitris Ammoudi Taverna: This was recommended to us as some of the freshest seafood right on the water.
Once we arrived, we saw more adventurous people cliff jumping, but I was happy spectating. I’ve never been much of a thrill-seeker, and after observing an eventful cliff jumping incident in Jamaica, I will never ever do it. Thanks, Dana for scaring me out of that for life!
Below is a map of all my Greece recommendations. Zoom to Santorini to see everything!