July 14 - Venice - Visiting a Living Museum

Many guidebooks say that Venice doesn't have anything good for kids and, strictly speaking, they're right.  In fact, there's lots walking, too many stairs to make a stroller practical and many spots where a small person could easily fall into a canal so, by that measure, it probably could be considered bad for kids.  So, when we got up this morning, with our vacation fatigue at an all time high and the finish line in sight, we had low expectations for our first of 2 days touring Venice.  To improve our chances at a successful day, we split up our crew - Jack with Natalie (because he can haul her around without the stroller), and me with Charlotte and Jacqui.  That turned out to be a very successful strategy and each of our days turned out to be fantastic.  The pleasant surprises offered by traveling never cease to amaze me!  

The older girls and I set off for a mask making class.  We walked around in multifaceted figure 8's until I gave up navigating the narrow, nonsensical streets and took the water bus.  Much more pleasant than our journey on the water bus yesterday from the train station (this time without luggage, a stroller and a very vocal preschooler!)  

So we grabbed a simple lunch, enjoyed our mask making class and visited the Da Vinci museum all before meeting Jack and Natalie for an aperitivo at the Gritti Hotel's outdoor bar - right on the Grande Canal!!  Jack and Natalie went to the Biennale Art Festival.

We headed back to the piazza by our apartment for our 8:00 reservation and the girls were very excited to see the family from Boston who we'd met the evening before during a rambunctious game of tag.  The 5 girls played fairly happily together on the piazza while the parents shared travel stories and a bottle of lemonchello!  The whole day, magical!

July 13 - Overland Milano to Venice

July 12 - Prada Foundation, Duomo & Aperitivo

July 11 - City Day and Dinner at Carlo e Camilla

Today marked the first full scale revolt.  The kids allowed themselves to be dragged around the Expo for 3 hot days and they are done!  We left early, the weather was pleasant, all i's were dotted and, when we arrived at the playground ... no one wanted to play. They wanted to sit as close to us as possible and whine with as much gusto as possible.  We are at a playground.  Quite a nice one,  I might add.  We got them going and then finally called the ball.  Today was not going to be a day for them to 'shine it on' and make the trek to the Duomo - a stunning, gothic confection of a cathedral in the center of town.  I left Jack and the kids and headed downtown for a little shopping.  I can't come away from Milan without a little 'souvenier'.  I was surprised at how little I found.  Even with the falling Euro, there were not a lot of big deals to be had.  Oh well, less to carry!

Jack and I left the  kids in Miki's capable hands and headed to a cool art and design gallery called 10 Corso Como.  Then we went to have our aperitivo amongst young and hip Italians at a rooftop bar.  Finally, we had dinner at Carlo e Camila, at a long communal table in a converted meat packing factory.  The portions were generous and the staff attentive but the execution of the food was only so so.  We really are spoiled for great food in San Francisco!  

July 10 - Day 3 of the Expo