He Was on to Something When He Knew Venice was Magical

“Travel has a way of stretching the mind.” ~ Ralph Crawshaw

Our Son’s Wish Took us to Venice, Italy

Our first international trip was to Italy. It was part of my grieving process. Ever since my forever 20-year-old angel was a child and first saw Venice in a book, he became fascinated with “the streets of water,” as he called them. About three months before my son died, we watched a documentary about Venice. He was in awe of Venice and said it was magical, “you’ll see Mom, one of these days I’m going to visit Venice.” Unfortunately, that day never came. During my grieving process, I opted to do for my son what he wanted to do but didn’t get to. One of those things was traveling to Venice.

Lesson Learned

Our trip to Venice was a long tedious one that began at 5:05 in the afternoon and arrived in Venice, Italy at 11:20 the next morning. The airline to Spain was Iberia, though decent, had the most uncomfortable seats ever. We did not think of choosing our seats ahead of time, and the airline seated us by the lavatory at the very back of the plane. There was no overhead compartment, and the legroom was very limited. Mind you, we are both tall — 5’8″ and 6′. The only thing that kept me sane throughout the trip was the baseball team who were traveling to Spain. They walked back and forth through the aisles, which amused me. They were relentless. I don’t think they slept during the entire flight. My husband jokingly said that they literally “walked” to Spain. We learned our lesson and now make sure to choose our seats ahead of time.

Arriving in Italy

Between the layover in New York and Spain, it took us roughly 24 hours to travel from Florida to Italy. But I was so happy to have arrived at magical Venice. The weather was in the mid-’50s; the sun was shining, the water shimmered, the breeze carried the scent of the ocean… indeed it was magical. I was in awe and kept whispering to myself, “this is for you my son,” whilst keeping him in my mind and heart.

Pizza Anyone?

We stopped at Ristorante Roma on the corner of Per San Marco and Cannaregio for lunch and chose a table on their outdoor terrace. The view was breathtaking. We ordered our first pizza in Italy. However, I would not recommend this location. The pizza’s appearance was not appetizing and tasted like a frozen Totino pizza; the service was poor, and it was too expensive for what it was. It didn’t faze me at that moment, though. I was so happy to be there and cared little about it. After lunch, we walked around a bit and snapped a few photos until we could check in to our rooms.

Hotel Accommodations

The Amadeus Hotel was small and old, with a charming decoration appropriate for its time period. Narrow hallways decorated with beautiful art from its era led us to our room. The decorations comprised lots of golds, reds, flowers, crown molding, and chandeliers, giving the sense of being in the 1960s. The room was quite large, with two large windows. We requested a double bed but got two twin beds pushed together, which we did not even notice until we returned home and looked through the photos. There was also a chaise. We freshened up, placed our valuables in the safe, and left to stroll around at our leisure. At that point, we had gone over 30-hours without sleep but figured it’d be best for us to continue than take a quick nap. We needed to make sure we adapted to Europe’s time zone.

Much Needed Coffee

We strolled the Venetian streets and famous bridges, visited some shops, and stopped for our much-deserved coffee at Caffe Hausbrant. It was the best cappuccino I’ve ever had — so rich and foamy, yet smooth. We continued our self-tour until our welcome dinner time around 9:00 p.m. at the Sivole Ristorante in Hotel Principe. I do not recall what the dinner comprised — most likely because it was not much to brag about. Our welcome dinner continued until about 10:00 p.m. We then made our way back to the hotel and finally went to sleep in a bed!

Ready to Explore Venezia

We were up the next day by 7:00 a.m. after a good night’s rest and felt refreshed and energized. After showering went downstairs to the hotel’s restaurant for a well-deserved breakfast. The hotel included a full breakfast buffet, which was very good. After breakfast, we met with our charming tour guide, Simoné, in the lobby and at 9:00 a.m. departed to our first destination.

I Felt Like a Criminal

Our first stop was the Murano Glass Factory, where we attended a glass blowing demonstration. Afterward, we toured the store. While allowed to snap photos at the glass blowing process, we could not take photos in the store. I guess I missed the part where they mentioned it because they caught me taking photos of their beautiful glass chandeliers, and in less than a minute, there were three suited men surrounding me. They told me that photography was prohibited in their store. I apologized and placed my camera in my bag, but that was not enough to send them away. As I walked through the store, I could feel them behind me. If I turned right, there they were. I turned left, and there they were again. After purchasing a few goodies, we headed back to meet with our tour group. The men watched my every move and even followed me back to the Vaporetto. I felt like a convict and was embarrassed. I guess they did not trust that I would not take any more photos. Oh well.

So Much to See and So Little Time

Our next stop was Piazza San Marcos (St. Mark’s Square) where we explored the beautiful Basilica San Marcos, Doge’s Palace, the Rialto Bridge, Bridge of Sighs, and had some leisure time to shop and explore at our whim. We ate lunch at Rossopomodoro Cucina e Pizzeria Napoletana. It was a delicious lunch which began with an appetizer of prosciutto and mozzarella cheese, followed by pasta Bolognese and some type of ravioli. We enjoyed our lunch with a glass of red wine and finished the meal with a delicious tiramisu a la Nutella. I give it two thumbs up. If you’re ever in Venice, Italy; I highly recommend you to visit this restaurant.

You Haven’t Been to Venice If You Don’t Ride in a Gondola

Of course, we could not leave Venice without the traditional gondola ride through Venice’s winding canals accompanied by music. My thought is you have not been to Venice if you do not take a gondola ride. It was the perfect ending to a beautiful trip to Venice, Italy.

We Love Venice

Visiting Venice meant a lot to me. I felt my son’s presence along the way, enjoying every bit of Venice with us. I could see why my son loved Venice even though he had never been there. Venice is magical and a place that has earned a spot in my heart. We will definitely return to Venice again.

Originally published at http://travelerwows.com on March 31, 2018.