Day Trip to Venice

Ah, Venice! I thought I would never set my foot in that place. And I did! And I am happy!

This year is our summer Euro trip. I didn't plan for any US trip because we haven't visited Europe for sometime. Hubby allowed me and our daughter to go on our mother-daughter bonding trip to visit relatives in Milan and experience a road trip to see Venice. We were so excited to finally see the much talked about place in the planet. It didn't disappoint!

Venice is located in the region of Veneto, Italy.  It is approximately 3 hours drive from Milan (with pit stops) and even the drive to Venice was full of rolling hills with vineyards, beautiful villas, vistas of green trees, and clear blue sky. It was like seeing all the beautiful pictures I have only seen in travel magazines come to life right before my eyes. Breath taking!

We spent 4 hours in Venice. We even got lost in the winding alleys that looked the same to the newbies. But we weren't nervous. It was fun getting lost in a place filled with history, culture and romance!

I had wonderful time watching the gondolas pass underneath the bridge were we stood. We were even lucky to watch a singing gondolier! The place is simply captivating. I and my daughter were mesmerized.

Souvenir hunting was superb! There were plenty of shops to check out. They were pricey but we managed to buy a few.

A visit in Venice wouldn't be complete without eating the famous tiramisu gelato which is a fave of my daughter.

It was a bit difficult to walk towards noon time. The scorching heat made it impossible to enjoy the view. So we rested for a while in Piazza San Marco and watched other people pass by and the pigeons. Yes, there were still plenty of pigeons.

Some of the architectural structures around Piazza San Marco was being refurbished so we weren't able to get a decent shot of the famous buildings. It's okay. We still had plenty of snaps taken around the place.

We wrapped the whole Venezia trip around past 4 as we need to head back to Milan before it got dark.

Will we visit the place again? Definitely but not during summer. Perhaps, when it's a bit cold because I love the cold weather.

La Dolce Vita!

Milan, Venice and Barcelona in a Week

Bonding with my daughter this summer for our mini-Euro trip was the best decision I have made to spend my bonus money. To some, it may not even be a good decision because there are bills to pay. I couldn't care less about the bills. Money will come and go but the time I spend with my daughter is more precious than money can ever buy. So, I decided to spend the bonus for this mini-Euro trip and my daughter and I can actually vouch for this - WE HAD FUN!

Milan was the first stop. We stayed with relatives in Milan for 3 days. My hubby's cousins took us to the usual spot like Duomo, the Galleria and nearby places of interests we've seen the first time we toured Milan in 2008. However, this time, my daughter and I climbed the Duomo to see the Golden Virgin Mary on top of the church roof. Well, the experience was very enchanting but climbing up the stairs when you're not physically fit (I'm not an active person) had me gasping for air sometimes. I need to really, really work out because when you travel, there are lots of walking involved. I have just realised how "not physically" fit I was while climbing the stairs. It wasn't very steep but I lost count how many steps we have climbed to see the majestic Virgin Mary on the roof top. I'm glad my daughter was there to cheer me on and gave me encouragement to keep going because I was already throwing a hissy fit. I just had to tell myself it was a sacrifice I wanted to offer for the Lord so I needed the extra strength to climb the last few steps.

Seeing the top of Duomo is a must when you visit Milan. You'll get a bird's eye view of the town centre from the top. Aside from the great view, you'll see the Golden Virgin Mary, the details of the Duomo spires, and other sculpture that was there that time we visited.

Going down was a breeze. You now have an option to use the lift (and guess what, we did!) or the stairs. I wish they had installed that while going up especially for the elders who would need help climbing.

We had snacks at the nearby Galleria and went in the middle part of the Galleria where the peak of the glass dome is. Rumour has it that when you stand in the middle of the glass dome and make a wish, it will come true. My daughter and I wished and let's see. Hmmmm...

We walked around Galleria and the nearby places of interests then took the train back home. We slept early for our Venice day trip by car.

June 13 was Venezia day. It was a long drive from Milan. I think it was almost 3 hours and we had several stops in between to rest and grab snacks in Autogrill. I like the Autogrill because it has plenty of merchandise and the deli is fab! There are plenty of Autogrill along the way and I lost count how many I've seen.

Finally, Venezia (Venice) was on the horizon. Seeing the cruise ships around the port and the smaller yachts signalled the entrance to the famous Venice. We parked near the cruise ships port and walked towards the main entrance to Venice. We took the ferry to take us to San Marco rather than make pit stops elsewhere. San Marco is one of the famous sites to visit in Venice and we wanted to see it right away. From there, we just walked and visited different alleys and checked out shops. We had some snacks in a small deli near San Marco. We even got lost at some point because we didn't carry any map and relied to our GPS in the phone which was not much of a help if you are not familiar with N, S, E, W directions. We finally found our way back to San Marco Piazza and decided to just walk along the main canal route so we wouldn't get lost again. It was very hot that day and much as I appreciate the beauty around me, I could only take so much "heat" and we all decided to head back to the main train station of Venice which is also the main entrance.

It was another long drive back home and we left around 5:30 p.m. The sun was still up so we just took one pit stop to another Autogrill to refresh and unwind. We reached home almost around past 9:00 and amazingly, the sun was still up so we felt like it was not yet late.

June 14 was just a rest day as we headed to Malpensa Airport Terminal 2 in the afternoon. Our flight to Barcelona was not until 6:30 a.m. the next day. I have decided to book a night's stay at Moxy Malpensa Milan Airport because it was just in front of Terminal 2. We didn't want to cause any inconvenience to our cousins as they have to work the next day. The hotel was superb! I would book there again.

We checked out at 4:30 a.m. to give us ample time to have breakfast in the airport. The hotel was just a mere 3-5 minutes walk from the Terminal 2 of Malpensa Airport where we would board for our EasyJet flight to Barcelona. There were plenty of people already at that time so walking wasn't scary. Amazingly, there were some luggage trolleys outside the hotel's entrance door so we grabbed one and the walk was convenient for us. It was a bit rainy and dark but the place was already buzzing with people catching their flights and the nearby offices made the area ok. There were ample lighting as well on the posts so walking from the hotel to the airport terminal was ok.

My daughter and I decided to have our mini-breakfast inside the airport as soon as we passed the immigration and before we headed to the boarding gate. The flight left on time and was just more than an hour before we landed at El Prat Airport in Barcelona. Ola Espana!

June 15 to 18 was our intended stay in Barcelona. As soon as we arrived, we followed the signs leading to the baggage carousel and headed to the nearest exit. I was a bit surprised that we didn't go through immigration anymore. It's been a while since I travelled to Europe so the borderless travel concept seemed so foreign to me.

We looked for the Aerobus ticket booth so I could exchange the ticket voucher I bought online for our return trip bus passes. We boarded the Aerobus, and we arrived at Plaça Catalunya in less than 45 minutes without any traffic jam. From there, we just walked to our hotel.

The rest of the day was spent walking around Barcelona's famous plaza. More details of out trip in separate posts.

We had a marvelous time and wished the vacation was longer. We are definitely going back to Spain and next time we will visit other places like Madrid, Sevilla, and probably even go on a side trip to Lisbon.

There's another Euro trip in the offing but maybe next year when I figure out when due to my daughter's school roster.

Dreaming Of A Euro Tour Next Year

I planned 2 years ago and it fizzled. I planned last year but we went to Japan instead. I am planning again for 2015 and hopefully, barring any circumstances and not changing our minds for the last minute, we will go to Europe.

I plan to take my mom and mother-in-law in our annual family vacation and the dates are still tentative until my daughter settles in college and give me her vacation slots. Until then, we can formalize the whole thing.

So, where are we going this time? Well, I have been dreaming of seeing the Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands. We haven't been to Netherlands yet so that is a must. Another thing, the oldies haven't been to Europe yet so it will be nice to tour them in Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice and Tuscany. I am also adding 2 nights in Paris just for them to see the Eiffel Tower and other famous places to see there.

I hope that my daughter's vacation from school will be at least 3 weeks so we can spend longer vacation in Italy unlike last 2008 where everything was swift. We didn't have the chance to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa nor visit Venice while the latter was already near Milan.

I am scouting for cheap train fares as well for a group since there are 5 of us travelling. So far, Thalys rail passes is the one I can bank on. I'll just check if I can find something similar but cheaper which will take us from Amsterdam to Gare Du Nord in Paris in less than 4 hours. That will still give us enough time to visit the many places in Paris which we missed to see the first time we were there like the Montparnasse Tower, the Sacre Coeur and the Versailles. Ah, Paris... I can't wait to set my foot in that place again!

Well, all these are tentative and given my family's track record in changing destinations in a snap is making me a bit worried. I have already set my mind and heart to visit all those places I have mentioned above with the oldies and I don't want them to miss the opportunity.

We'll probably visit the other parts of Europe next time like the Christmas Markets in Germany or in Vienna and Prague. There are so many places to see and there's plenty of time. Meanwhile, I am keen to do the Italy-Netherlands-France trio. I can squeeze Belgium too if time permits and if the oldies are not too tired to do train switching and bus-hopping. We'll see.

Euro Tour 2015! I am looking forward to that!

48 Hours in Venice: Romantic Options

Photo credit: yahoo images

Known as a jewel of the Adriatic, city breaks don’t come much more romantic than Venice and it’s the perfect place to whisk that special someone away too. There’s romance lurking around every canal and piazza in Italy’s Romance Capital, but with so much to see and do it can be difficult to decide on the best way to spend your time.

From gondolas to operas, make the most of a weekend away in Venice with our guide to the city’s top romantic attractions.

Gondola Rides

Okay so they might be a bit of a tourist trap, but there’s a reason gondolas are such a popular attraction! There’s nothing more romantic than cosying up and enjoying a slow cruise past the city’s famous baroque and Renaissance buildings. The boater hats and striped shirt of the gondoliers are hard to miss, and you can pick up a gondola at either of the city’s main bridges.

Take a Boat Ride

If you can’t get enough of being on the water, take a motorboat across the Venetian lagoon and pay a visit to the nearby unspoilt islands. Burano is famous for its picturesque pastel houses whilst Murano is a shopper’s paradise, offering plenty of places to pick up some bargain lace of colourful glass ornaments.

Watch the Sunset

Watching the sunset is one of the most romantic things to do with your partner, and the end of the day looks pretty spectacular at St Mark’s Square. It’s the perfect way to round off a wander past the Basilica San Marco, the ornate Doge’s Palace and around the quaint streets. Caffè Florian is a great place to enjoy tea on the terrace.

Rialto Market

There are plenty of restaurants to choose from in Venice, but why not shop like a local and treat that special someone to a home-cooked Italian meal? Named after the nearby Rialto Bridge, this brilliant food market at the front of the city’s oldest church (San Giacomo di Rialto, founded in 421AD) is hugely popular with Venetians and sells everything from fruit, meat and veg to its most famous produce – seafood. There’s plenty on offer to accompany a plate of pasta including baby octopus, soft-shell crabs, giant prawns and fish fresh from the lagoon.

Spend the morning strolling round the market before heading back to your apartment to cook it all up.

Watch an Opera

If all that wasn’t enough to make you book a weekend break at Secretescapes, then this next option certainly will! Venice is famous for its operas, and though La Fenice is the most popular option, a night at the Musica a Palazzo is just as romantic. Performances are much more scaled down and the setting is much more intimate, with candlelight adding to the romantic atmosphere.

See La Traviata and follow the performers from set to set as each act takes place in a different room. It’s sure to be a very special evening!

Explore the Churches

When you’re in Italy a church is never too far away, so take some time to explore some of these beautiful grandiose buildings. St Mark’s Basilica is the obvious choice, but if you don’t fancy braving the queues head to the Santa Maria della Salute. Considered to be one of Italy’s finest churches, this stunning octagonal building is easily accessible from St Mark’s via targhetto – the gondola ferry that will take you across the Grand Canal.

Seasonal Flooding in Venice

Venice is one of the places I have listed in my bucket list of places to see in my lifetime. We were already in Milan last 2008 but didn't have the chance to visit the lovely Venice because of time constraints. However, after learning about the seasonal flooding in Venice, it's best to check the weather and the tides there if you are planning to visit the city.

Venice is a small city in the northern part of Italy in the Veneto region.  The city is regularly threatened by flood due to high tides during early autumn and spring and this is a yearly occurrence. So, if you are planning a trip to this grandiose city in the lagoon, make sure that you plan your trip not around the seasonal flooding. It is cumbersome to stroll the beautiful and historical places in Venice if you have to traverse in flood. October and November are usually the acqua alta or high tide months where flooding occurs.

Here are some pictures of flooded streets in Venice taken on 11 November 2012.

Photo credit: Luigi Constantini AP/yahoo.com

Photo credit: Luigi Constantini AP/yahoo.com

This picture was taken on 27 October, 2012. Tourists had to walk on platforms to avoid the flood waters which rose to 50 inches above normal level.

Photo credit: Stringer/Italy/Reuters/yahoo.com