Out of the villa and on the road again, it was not even a question that Venice would be on the agenda to allow Mum to see it for her first time. With our villa companions Martin and Gregg also headed to the city of canals, masks and gondolas, we decided to pimp our ride and splash out on a water taxi from the airport.
It was not our first time in this magical city, but the first time we entered via private boat and there really is no going back to the ferry now. The smile on Mum’s face as the city revealed itself and we entered its beautiful and bewildering system of canals was worth every euro. It is such a different experience entering via the smaller canals, compared to taking the ferry along the Grand Canal which we had done in the past (also not a terrible way to enter the city!).
Venice presents an interesting conundrum as a traveller – I feel everyone should experience it once in their lifetime because it is unlike any other place on earth, but of course its popularity is also the very thing that makes it almost unbearable. Its very easy to do Venice poorly – there are sadly a multitude of over priced poor-quality restaurants that attract crowds in the popular areas, and many cheap souvenir stores masquerading (see what I did there?!) as genuine local wares but selling mass produced products made in Asia. Its the age old issue of tourism being its primary income stream, and the very thing that is ruining its charm.
The good news is, there is more to Venice than San Marco Square, which is gorgeous at dawn and twilight once the daytrippers have moved out. Our group of 5 engaged the services of a private guide, the lovely Luicella, who spent 4 hours guiding us through hidden Venice – down laneways, on the canals via a private boat, and into some of the neighbourhoods that tourists rarely see.
We got to see a different side of Venice; peaceful, wider pathways and canals, and locals going about their day-to-day lives. Amongst the commentary on the politics, history and evolving architecture of this fascinating city, we also collected recommendations on where to eat and get the best gelato, so it really was money well spent. After a few beautiful meals and bottles of vino, we said arrivederci to Martin and Gregg as they departed for Croatia, and in our final day squeezed in a few hours on the island of Murano wandering the shops and watching some glass making, and took Mum on a gondola ride to cap off what was yet another magical visit to Venice.
From one iconic Italian city to another, we travelled west across northern Italy into Milano, just on three hours away by car. It was our second visit in a month, so we were practically locals as we showed Mum around, taking in the stunning Duomo and the plethora of shops that make Milan one of the fashion capitals of the world. In a 24 hour window we explored the roof and the interiors of the cathedral, drank cocktails with a view, ate gelato, did some shopping and saw an opera – t’was indeed the sweet life!
Entering Milan’s world famous opera house, Teatro alla Scala, was like stepping back in time to the early 20th century. The men in tuxedos and women in their jewels milling in the lobby was like peeking in on a scene from the 1930’s. We had cheap seats in the back, to an opera I had never heard of (Ernani composed by Verdi, if you are curious), and it was such a beautiful experience. Yes it was in Italian, it did go for 3.5 hours, and Andrew did sit through the full show – he is a wonderful husband and son-in-law!
After the crowds of Venice and bustle of Milan, it was time to relax before we put Jane on the long flight home, and the lure of Italy’s northern lakes is hard to resist. Just an hour north of the city we arrived in the quaint lakeside town of Como, positioned at the southern end of the picture-perfect Lago di Como. We were blessed with sunshine for our last few days on tour in Italy as we cruised the lake, wandered through the gorgeous Villa del Balbionello, and drank wine in the afternoon sun. Italians really do life well.
It’s nice to have a car in this area of north west Italy to explore the towns and take in all the panoramic views, but there is also something nice about leaving the car at the hotel and using the ferry boats to travel up and down the lake, with no shortage of pretty villages to stop and explore. Long lunches are an Italian specialty, truly one of the keystones of “la dolce vita’” – the sweet life, and being our last few days in the country it was only right to take on as many eating and drinking experiences as was possible in a short window of time. Bellagio is an absolute dream for the long lunch experience if you’re in the area.
After 7 weeks of Italian adventures across the summer, it was time for us to say farewell. Two weeks of travelling with Mum had been another huge success, and many memories have been banked for years to come sharing special moments with family and friends from Sicily in the south, through Rome and Tuscany and into the beautful north country. We definitely have expanded our Italian vocabulary and have fallen deeper in love with a country that can be as frustrating as it is insanely beautiful and delicious. It will probably be a while between visits for us now, but the memories made this year will sustain us for a while.
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