Happy New Year! I can’t believe it is already 2017?!? I am sure I have already made mistakes and written 2016 on things. It always takes a while. We took a big family trip over the holidays and went to Italy! My in laws live there and it’s been a few years since we have made the trip. It went by in a flash, as all fun vacations do. It’s always so great to reconnect and spend time together. The amazing pizza, gelato and pasta didn’t disappoint, either! Here are some of the highlights from the trip…

Venice

 

 

 

We have been to Venice a few times, but never took the plunge and went on a gondola ride… until now! It was as dreamy as I had imagined it would be! I have always wondered about this profession, so I asked our gondala driver. It turns out, steering gondalas is a profession passed down through the family. His father was a gondala driver before he started. He said he was never nervous with standing and steering… he grew up being on the water, so it was like second nature to him. What made him nervous at first, was figuring out the best time to navigate and turn the long boat when going through the narrow canals. Watching him and the driver in front of us, maneuver through the canals was so cool. They would push off the brick walls with their feet and also hold on to the window’s sills to get the turns just right. It was all so interesting!

Verona

 

 

 

 

Verona is one of my favorite cities. It is so picturesque and rich with history. The arena is amazing and awe inspiring! To think of what went on there centuries ago is incredible. It is still used to this day, for operas and concerts. The picture of the ice skating rink was taken from the top of the arena. And I just love this carousel, right in the middle of the town center. We took an evening ride before heading home, which made it all the more magical.

Bolzano

 

 

 

Bolzano is in norther Italy and is on the border with Switzerland and Austria. The city is surrounded by the gorgeous mountains! You will notice in the pictures above, that some words are translated more in German than Italian. They have a beautiful Christmas market and you can see the stunning sites in a cable car ride. We took a ride in one and the picture directly above, was taken from inside the cable car. {That was very nerve wracking, by the way! The kids loved it, though!!} I highly recommend it if you make a trip to this pretty city.

Pandoro

We would end some nights with this regional dessert. This sweet bread is typical around the holidays, especially New Years. It is shaped like a star, so it looks so pretty served on the plate. You slice it thin and sprinkle confectioner’s sugar on top, for extra sweetness.

 

 

We are now over our jet lag and back to routines! If you have any questions about visiting these cities, please leave them in the comments!