An Italian Dream

Un sogno italiano... An Italian dream was this whole trip. The whole trip it started in Venice. So let me tell you how this whole adventure with my Mama started... 

At the beginning of last year after my first trip to Venice you all know how much I fell in love with that enchanted place, so I had to go back to share that enchanted dream with my Mama.

This is how I planned it start and finish through Venezia, then a long weekend in Paris and from there the adventure through Rome, Milano and down the Amalfi coast:

- Venezia

- Paris

- Milan

- Rome

- Salerno

- Amalfi

- Positano

- Capri

- Back to Venice

- Murano Island

- Burano Island

The photo you see above was at the bridge of sighs... History tells that the bridge was built in 1600, was made with limestones, has windows with open bars and passes over the Rio de Palazzo and connects the new prison. This was the last view convicts saw before going to jail and they will sigh since that was the last beautiful view of Venice they would see for the last time!

If you have read one of my latest post about my first time in Venice you know I only spent a few days that first time and didn't have the time to really absorb and explore this enchanted place. Like I love to do I really planned this whole trip ahead and took notes of the must places to see even for a second time again...

We flew through Amsterdam which is a huge airport and it was very easy to get lost, in fact our luggage got lost and I almost had a heart attack! The worst traveler nightmare which I thought that would never happened to me, it did! I literally had planned which outfits I was going to wear so you can imagine my first thought lol My Trip is ruined lol!!!... So after the huge excitement, seeing Venice on a sunny day up in the air, all I wanted to do is get to the hotel, take the ferry and go explore those beautiful canals... Instead we spent our first day pretty much at the airport trying to find out where was our luggage!!! I could cry thinking about it, the weird thing was that most of all the passengers on our flight had their luggage lost too. Long short story, after claiming our luggage with KLM airlines, we just prayed and had hope that the next morning our luggages will be just waiting for us at the airport. So listen this carefully: Do not ever wait for the Airline to call you back and tell you: Hey good news your luggage just arrived come pick it up!!! I stayed up all night waiting for them to call us, couldn't wait till the next morning to head up to the Marco Polo Venice Airport and guess what, our luggage actually arrived the night we were actually at the airport! It was so hectic, crazy and full with mad grumpy people (I was one of them) that I guess everyone was overwhelmed and nobody notified us that our baggage arrived safe! So in case that ever happens to you, be the one that just goes to the airport and look for your luggage!

We stayed in Mestre which is the mainland of Venice at a very peculiar hotel: Hotel Villa Dori, I said peculiar because the rooms are totally a typical venetian decor, but the living room space, the bar/resto and kitchen were designed like a Buddhist temple which I loved. The hotel services were great, they have their own car service which will take you the main Venice "harbor" to catch a ferry and also airport shuttles. It is located a little bit far away from Mestre downtown, but there is a bus stop around the corner and it is located in a super cute neighborhood.

All settled, we took a bus to downtown Mestre and then a connection to main Venice to take a ferry through the canals. I wanted to show my Mama every corner of Venezia so we did the Piazza San Marco, a lunch at my favorite Cafe Lavena, a stop at the Teatro La Fenice and walk all around  San Marco. I was super emotional to be sharing my favorite place in the world with my Mom!

Venice through the canals:

         

Above you can shop my look for the first day strolling around Venice!

Hope you are all enjoying this first stroll in Piazza San Marco... We took it easy and really enjoyed every second of this first day back in Venice. Gelato was a must for dessert!

Next we are going to Murano Island...