The Willis Family Adventures: Bello Italia!

When the opportunity to visit Venice, Italy presented itself, how could we turn it down. I had never been and have always wanted to go. The hubby's company was having a week long meeting there, so E and I decided to tag along. We flew over mid week so that the Hubby could do work and E could get a few more days of school in. I was a bit skeptical, was I was capable of flying 14 hours, then taking a train, a ferry and a water taxi to our destination?, but I knew that I might not get another opportunity. So, off we went!

We arrived at San Clementi Palace late in the afternoon greeted at the island with many beautiful bunnies. The first thing E and I did after getting refreshed was a Bunny Hunt! What fun for a 5 year old. I had a feeling that this trip might be much different than other european vacations of my past. Venice through the eyes of a 5 year old was new experience!

San Clementi Palace dates back to 1131 when a church was constructed on the island. The historic surroundings of the hotel courtyards and grounds date back to the second part of the 17th century when it was a Camaldolesi Monastery. The island is a quiet oasis that is just a short ferry ride from the main hustle and bustle of Venice.

The first day E and I explored Venice just the 2 of us while the hubby was in meetings. What a great day! I gave E a camera and let her take photos of whatever she wanted. What a great idea! She loved it and was so much more involved. When I asked her what her favorite things were, here is what she said:
#1 -- Feeding the pigeons
2 - Gelato
3 - The Bunnies

When the Hubby's conference ended at San Clementi we moved to the city at a great little place call 3Cs Bed and Breakfast. Fabio was a great host and we had easy access to everything. We had a great room with a separate bedroom, a day bed for E and a table and chairs for a place to relax and plan our adventures.

After Venice, we traveled to Varese. A town situated in the mountain lake region of Italy. From there we traveled all over the lake region and experienced some great food, churches, and countryside.

Highlights and musings:

The nice thing about gondolas? They can lull a child to sleep in minutes. A nice little quiet time for Mom and Dad!
When you haven't driven in several months, getting in a car and driving isn't as fun as it used to be.
Maps and driving in italy? Really? No map we had got us to where we wanted to go. Maybe that's why they said we should get the GPS.
Rain? What's that? Just grab an umbrella and go with it. The world looks different coated in water.
You've got to love cooler weather. When every day is hot and sweaty at home just about anything else is refreshing.
Feeding pigeons is underrated! It is not only a great way to occupy kids, but a fun thing to go in search of.
Sacro Monte di Varese - what a great way to connect with God, nature and get some exercise.

After an hour pilgrimage up the hill, taking in the 14 beautiful chapels, I entered the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Monte just as they were starting mass. Lucky me! Pure serendipity!
The best part? As we walked up the hill, I explained to E what the scenes in the chapels represented. Toward the end of our walk E turned to me and said "So, if Jesus wouldn't have come to earth no one would know about God?" Ah, you are so right my dear child!

Never stay on the chosen path as it may lead to some hidden gems! We discovered St. Veronica Church high on the hilltop of the village of Calde. What a great view!
Como is overated! We found it to be busy and full of tourists. Ok, maybe we were tourists too, but we prefer the places defining the true spirit of the area.
St. Caterina del Sasso is magnificent! It's amazing to me how much pride people took in their religion to build such a beautiful place to worship.

Now for the photos!

San Clementi

Our water taxi to San Clementi

Bunnies!

Tea and Biscuits

Sweet bunny!

Venice

Pigeons

Feeding time!

Came upon this cute little woodworking shop. A young woman was the shop owner and artisan. She restored furniture and made some of her own creations too.