Our train pulled into Venice at 8:30 a.m. We all slept as well on the train as expected, but we were still tired. No rest for the weary because we could not check into our Airbnb until 3 p.m. We stored our luggage in Venice and went out to explore.
We found two parks for Lucas and Henry to play in. We wandered around; 16,000 steps worth of wandering. Henry ate pizza for lunch. Michael, Lucas, and I had Poke bowls.
Our Airbnb is in Maestre, so we lugged our luggage onto the bus and found our way there. Maestre is a short train ride away from the Venice, and it is a bit cheaper to stay just outside of the city. Our Maestre Airbnb is a big four-bedroom house in a quiet neighborhood.
We booked the large home because Michael’s Sister Melissa, her husband Mike, and our niece and nephew Violet and Barrett joined us in Italy! They arrived at night on the same day we came to Venice. It is their first time in Italy.
We had no plans for our first full day with Melissa and her family. We went to a cafe for croissants and coffee in Maestre. After fueling up, we took the train to Venice and set out to explore on foot. We visited the Leonardo da Vinci Museum. It is a small museum that showcases da Vinci’s drawings and inventions. the second floor of the museum is hands-on and great for kids. The kids’ favorite part of the day was ice-skating.
Our first Italian lunch in Venice was delicious. The pasta and pizza we ordered were delicious. We also ate gelato and cannolis.
On our last full day in Venice, we went to St. Mark’s Basilica. The kids enjoyed the visit more because they did the audio tour. The mosaics depicting saints, prophets, and biblical scenes are incredible. Henry went with Mike, Melissa, Barrett, and Violet on a gondola ride. Lucas, Michael, and I chased after them like paparazzi taking their picture at each bridge as they went under them.
We all had fun and ate our fill in Venice, but we had more adventures ahead of us. We packed our things on our third morning in Italy and boarded a train to Florence.
