DREAMing, some MAGIC and a little bit of Paris! Trip report link!

[dizneeat]

It all looks so yummy!

Believe me, it not just looked yummy - it WAS yummy.

oh come on, whats a little mold? YUCK!

Yeah, you are so right! And while I really enjoy some Blue Cheese, that kind of "enrichment" was not on my menu.

you had me at proscuitto... what??? no fresh mozz???

I knew I could lure some of you with the yummy hams. Oh, and there were too many other delicious cheeses to choose from, so we let the Mozzarella behind.

 

[dizneeat]

Day 2, May 2
Venice – water from above and beyond - Part 1

After we got up and dressed we checked the weather report and it did not look too bad, so we decided to go ahead with our plans to drive to Venice after breakfast.
So we quickly headed down to the bakery and got some rolls, emptied out all the meats and cheeses from the fridge and sat down to have a hearty breakfast. At around 10 we went to the garage and after reversing only once we were able to head out onto the street. The skies were grey, but at least it didn’t rain, so we drove towards the motorway, picked up a toll ticket and off we went on the one hour drive to Venice.



The drive itself is pretty boring, there was not much to see, a lot of lorries on the way and finally after an hour we got close to our destination and ……. It started to rain.









First it was just very light rain and we were hoping that it would stop pretty soon. We crossed the bridge from the main land to the island





and hit another traffic jam. It took a while to creep forward to the parking garage and this time we tried the first one we passed. It took quite some time for the cars to drive inside, but we soon learned why. The cars were scanned and we were told where best to park, in our case it was deck 9. So we drove up to deck 9, found a spot and backed in. And right when we were ready to leave the structure we looked out a window of the building







and it was starting to rain harder. But we had driven all the way, we at least wanted to try to hit the town.
So we started to walk towards the bridge that leads into the city. We followed the twisting and turning roads for a while







and the rain was on and off and we hoped it would all go away. There were lots of things to stop for and we did a lot of window shopping.









Once we got to the Rialto bridge,



harder rain set in again and we decided to stop and have lunch. To be very honest, the Rialto bridge is not the best stop for lunch if you want to have a really good lunch, but we were there and the view was nice, so we were looking for seats, but the only ones “outdoors” (under a canope) were away from the Canale Grande and towards the open side of the covering. We went up and down twice and finally decided to give up on the outdoor lunch idea and look for a table indoors. We quickly found a restaurant and were led into the side room. The tables were pretty close together





and since there was quite an “unusual” cable – plug at the wall we didn’t sit right next to the wall, thankfully.





We seemed to have started a trend, as the room quickly filled after we had sat down, but the big problem was that the tables lining the side of the restaurant were only about 3 inches apart from each other and had to be moved for people to squeeze in and sit down. It took quite some time for a waiter to stop by and take our order and then it again took quite some time for our Diet Cokes to be served.



And then we sat and waited. And waited some more.
To be continued .....​

 

[dizneeat]

Day 2, May 2
Venice – water from above and beyond - Part 2

And then we sat and waited. And waited some more. It took a long time for our entrees to be served.
Tom had the





Tagliatelle with Bolognese Sauce, while I had ordered the



Lasagna. There is only one thing to say about it – it can be done much better.
Both dishes had come straight out of the microwave. They were piping hot in the middle and could have used some herbs and spices. We ate some of it, as the price was rather on the high end, but then we asked for the bill.
Tom had to pull out the table, so I could actually climb out from behind the table and off we went. It was still raining, but not as hard as it had rained before. So we headed towards the Rialto Bridge again



and didn’t even stop on top as the crowds were so heavy.



So we walked down the other side of the bridge and past the little stands at the end and we had made it to our next stop, the Disney store!!!



It’s a small store, but it’s a Disney store and we had to walk in. They did not have too many new things since our last visit in the fall, but we did pick up a bathrobe for our cousin’s little boy George and a Cars playset.







We must have walked through the tiny store three or four times before we headed to the check-out.
Now, Tom was wearing a Mickey shirt which we had bought on our last cruise and his Castaway Club backpack. And while I was trying to sort out my money and which kind of bag we wanted one of the Cast Members struck up a conversation with Tom about DCL. And while he was not sure IF the Disney Magic would stop in Venice this summer, he was stunned when we could provide him with the dates it would be in port. We talked a bit about the different ships and Castaway Cay, as the cast member tried to explain to his workmate that it was Disney’s private island, which most of the Disney ships stopped at. We chatted for a few minutes before we left the store with our purchases. It was still raining and we quickly made our minds up that instead of pushing on and walking all the way to St. Markus square we would just turn around and head back to the car.



We followed the signage, thinking we would walk back the same way we had come to the Rialto bridge, especially since we had seen some really nice bakeries and we wanted to pick up some yummies.
Unfortunately we must have picked a wrong turn while trying to keep our purchases dry under the umbrella.



Tom had chosen the better jacket, as his was waterproof, while I had a soaking wet back. We stopped at a jewelry shop to pick up some Murano beads for my Camilia bracelet and to wait out another bad downpour. And when we set out again 15 minutes later we were hot footing it towards our destination.
But again after a few minutes we had to seek shelter under another balcony as it was raining so hard.









We stood there for a few minutes, until ………….










lightning was striking somewhere pretty close. The “boom” was incredible and you had the feeling that the whole city shook. So, as soon as the rain got just a little lighter we were done with waiting and got moving again. By now I was already pretty wet and there was water literally “standing” in the streets, so our jeans soaked it up good and became pretty wet as well. It took us about 10 minutes to make it back to our car and by that time I was thoroughly soaked. And I do mean, SOAKED!! .

To be continued .....​

 

[dizneeat]

Day 2, May 2
Venice – water from above and beyond - Part 3

It took us about 10 minutes to make it back to our car and by that time I was thoroughly soaked. And I do mean, SOAKED!!
Back at the car we loaded everything into the boot, then headed back downstairs to pay for parking and to have the farewell ice-cream we usually have. So we walked to the back entrance of the structure and right around the corner was a little souvenir shop, where we picked up two 2015 Venice calendars, then headed over a few steps to the ice-cream stand. Tom got



cookie dough and pistachio, while I had



dark chocolate and mint chocolate chip. We stood there, enjoying our cold treat and watched the downpour. Ice-cream devoured we headed back to pay for parking,



then up to our car, covered the seats with blankets, so they would not be soaked all through and got on our way. It did not take long and we were back on the mainland, and driving towards Lignano again.



The drive takes about an hour and since the rain was not stopping



we decided to just do some shopping and start packing up things. So when we got into the city we stopped at the huge Spar food mart and stocked up on things we wanted to take home.
They were running a special on Pasta and we got several packets of shapes we cannot get where we live. We picked up a few other bits and pieces we wanted to take home and quickly and easily filled the boot of the car with our purchases. By now it was already past 5pm and after parking our car in the tight spot again we hauled our purchases upstairs, got changed and relaxed for a while. Around 6.30 it was still pouring down, so we decided to just pop down to the bakery for some fresh rolls and then to stay in. When we returned from the bakery we set the table and indulged in all the yummy things we still had in the fridge. There were still



doughnuts and





Profiteroles for dessert and some yummy









adult drinks. Lateron we watched a little TV and since we were dead tired by about 10pm we decided to just call it a day and have and early night.

To be continued .....​

 

[jedijill]

Ugh, so sorry Venice was so rainy! That's not a fun way to spend the day. I have a teddy bear from that Disney Store! The pastries and gelato look delicious!

Jill in CO

 

[jenseib]

Wow, that rain really sucks!!!!!
At least you di get to do a few things.
Who would think an Italian restaurant wouldn't serve good Italian food???

 

[dizneeat]

Ugh, so sorry Venice was so rainy! That's not a fun way to spend the day. I have a teddy bear from that Disney Store! The pastries and gelato look delicious!

Jill in CO

And while it was not the best visit to Venice it was fun in the end, running through the rain. AND, it means we have to go back soon.

That is such a cute Disney Store. It reminds me a lot of the one in Covent Garden/London. Both are just tiny and still you feel the magic of Disney.

Wow, that rain really sucks!!!!!
At least you di get to do a few things.
Who would think an Italian restaurant wouldn't serve good Italian food???

Yes, we picked the wrong day to go to Venice. Well, another reason to return there soon.
We knew that it would be expensive to eat in a restaurant right there at the Canale Grande at the foot of the Rialto, but that restaurant really was a rip off. I have had better frozen food from the supermarket.

 

[Teri1]

Loved all the pictures. We didn't go to Italy while we lived in Germany. Looked like they had more Frozen dolls at the Disney Store than we have here in Ohio or online. I have gotten Olaf in North Carolina and Anna online for Lily. Still looking for Elsa. I'm sure we will get her one eventually.

 

[MEK]

Oh wow - bummer about all the rain. No wonder you were exhausted when you got back to your villa, which, by the way - was very nice! That is a nice sized verandah. I hope you get to use before your vacation is over!

 

[LuvEeyore]

Great updates!! Sorry about the rain in Venice. Cant wait to hear more.

 

[dizneeat]

Loved all the pictures. We didn't go to Italy while we lived in Germany. Looked like they had more Frozen dolls at the Disney Store than we have here in Ohio or online. I have gotten Olaf in North Carolina and Anna online for Lily. Still looking for Elsa. I'm sure we will get her one eventually.

Oh, what a shame you never made it to Italy while you lived in Germany. It is a beautiful country.
And yes, I was surprised at how much Frozen merchandise they were selling. I was not really interested in it, all I was really looking at were things for little George and the items, that said Venice or Italy on it.

Oh wow - bummer about all the rain. No wonder you were exhausted when you got back to your villa, which, by the way - was very nice! That is a nice sized verandah. I hope you get to use before your vacation is over!

The downpour sucked! But it gives us another reason to go back in the near future.
The veranda was put to good use, having drinks and ice-cream outside.

Great updates!! Sorry about the rain in Venice. Cant wait to hear more.

Thank you! We had a really nice time in Italy and I could have done without the rain in Venice, but we were on vacation, so all was fine.

 

[dizneeat]

Day 3, May 3
Nothing special - Part 1

There was nothing special planned for the day, so we slept in a bit, then headed down to the bakery and picked up some fresh rolls and pastries and sat down to have a nice big breakfast. We still had lots of “leftover” hams and cheeses and really took some time to enjoy them. Then we had some pastries, which we had to try. Tom had opted for a



vanilla cream filled doughnut. I had gotten three bit-size options.



One was a



short crust tartlet, filled with vanilla pudding and a strawberry on top. And then I had picked out two profiteroles, a vanilla one





and a chocolate one.



I saved the chocolate one for later and enjoyed the vanilla one. Once we had finished our breakfast, we quickly cleaned up the kitchen and dining area and then got ready to stroll down the main street again.
Today it was a lot sunnier than the day before and we enjoyed the warm sun and blue skies. We took our sweet time to stroll down the streets,









stopping ever so often to pop into a shop and take a good look around. It was fun to just window shop and talk about plans for our upcoming summer vacation. Within an hour we had made it to the end of the shopping street and there is a little plaza with more shops which we visited, then turned around and slowly walked the same way back.
We popped into a few more shops in the side streets and soon we were back close to our hotel. It was now shortly after 12 noon and since we were just at our favourite restaurant we were thinking about having lunch there. Neither of us was really hungry, but since we were right there, we thought why shouldn’t we. We asked for a table and were immediately taken to a table and handed a menu.
We ordered our drinks and made up our minds about what we wanted to eat and soon placed our order. Tom had opted for two starters, while I stuck with my favourite, pizza! And while we waited we were not only served a



basket of bread, but an amuse gueule as well. We were served two small plates with just a tiny portion of





salad leaves and a celery stick filled with herbed cream cheese on top. And soon, Tom’s first course were the







Mussels with spicy Marinara sauce, served with toasted bread seasoned with oil and parsley. And a minute or two later my pizza, the





Pizza Burrata, Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Burrata Pugliese, Rocket Salad, and Cherry Tomatoes. Both portions were huge and extremely tasty. Once Tom had finished his mussels he waited for quite a bit for his next course to be brought out and we should soon find out why. His pasta had been freshly cooked and he really enjoyed his



Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, Peperoncino, Spaghetti with oil, garlic, chili peppers and basil. There was a lot of oil and garlic, but it was not greasy at all. To say he loved it, would be an understatement.



We were too full for dessert, so we settled the bill and slowly, very slowly headed back to our hotel.





Once there we had a short break sitting out on the huge balcony with a drink and enjoying the day.

To be continued .....​

 

[KatMark]

Food and more food. You are killing me!

I'm all caught up.

That's awful about the mold on the cheese. I would have taken it back too.

Venice is beautiful; sorry you had to deal with rain.

I so want that Olaf. I have not been able to find one anywhere.

 

[Teri1]

Great pictures!

 

[dizneeat]

Food and more food. You are killing me!

Sorry again!

I'm all caught up.

Yeah! You rock, girl, being all caught up already after your vacation.

That's awful about the mold on the cheese. I would have taken it back too.

Venice is beautiful; sorry you had to deal with rain.

It is an awesome city. And yes, the rain ...... well, another reason to go back.

I so want that Olaf. I have not been able to find one anywhere.

Wow! I cannot believe that you all have such a hard time getting Frozen merchandise! They had plenty of stuff in the store.

Great pictures!

Thanks, Teresa!

 

[dizneeat]

Day 3, May 3
Nothing special - Part 2

Once there we had a short break sitting out on the huge balcony with a drink









and enjoying the day. After a while I felt like I should have some ice-cream now, so I went to the little ice-cream shop just next to our hotel and got myself a cup. This time I tried



Nutella and Coconut ice-cream. Both were yummy, even though I would not have tasted the Nutella would I not have known that that was what I was eating. We sat outside for about two hours, enjoying the afternoon sun but then got antsy again.
So we went for another walk. This time we first walked along the beach to the old lighthouse.



















Even though it did not rain that day it was not super hot and the beach was practically empty. We walked out onto the pier





and enjoyed the view while taking photos.















After a while we decided to walk around the harbour, then head back along the beach to the Terra Mare, and even further along the beach.

To be continued .....​

 

[dizneeat]

Day 3, May 3
Nothing special - Part 3

After a while we decided to walk around the harbour,







then head back along the beach to the Terra Mare, and even further along the beach.

















After a while we turned right into town again and walked back along the main street,



picking up a few things we had been thinking about buying. We returned back to our room at around 5pm and we quickly debated what to do for the rest of the day.
Well, a quick look outside decided it for us. It looked like rain again, so we headed to the small grocery store around the corner to pick up Mortadella and different varieties of ham, some more olives and cheeses to take home. The owner of the shop is a very sweet lady and always chats with us for a while, so we brought some rum soaked prunes, covered in chocolate for her. So, after we paid our bill, we handed her her little sweet treat and it was so cute to see how surprised she was. We left shortly after and headed back to our villa, right in time for the rain to start.
It was pouring down.
BAD!
So we packed up whatever we could already, then watched some TV and around 8pm, when it was still raining we put everything we still had in the fridge out on the table and had one more yummy picnic. For dessert we tried the bakery goods we had bought while going for a walk and while one of them was really yummy,





an apple filled puff pastry, the other one was just heavy and overly sweet.



We finished off the evening by watching more TV, while enjoying some adult beverages before we went to bed at around 11pm.

To be continued .....​

 

[dizneeat]

Day 4, May 4
All good things must come to an end … - Part 1

The alarm rang at 6.30 and we both were still too tired to get up, so we slept in for another hour, then quickly got ready and headed to the bakery to pick up some rolls for breakfast and a few more sweet treats, some of which ended up being brought home.











Once breakfast was finished we were running behind schedule, as we still had to pack up the rest of our stuff and load the car before check out at 10am. And it was really awesome to have the car, as it meant that we did not have to worry about weight limits or pieces of luggage.
I had brought a lot of reusable shopping bags and soon everything was stowed in the car and we headed to the front desk to pay the rest of our bill. We had a little chat with the owner of the hotel and she told us that she only had one villa with a large veranda in the category we had booked and that she had put it “aside” for us as we were regular guests.
We were so pleased when she explained it all. But it was getting busy, so we said our goodbyes after asking if we could leave the car in the garage for about one more hour. Needless to say that our request was met with a smile. And then we headed down the main street again. Since we were going straight home we had decided on having one more ice-cream at an ice-cream parlour we had already visited when we had been kids.
On the way there we passed a shop with knick-knacks and we noticed a fun kids cutlery with handles that look like sailors and they can be linked together. We found a blue set for little cousin George and a few shops later we made another stop for a cute necklace I had seen the day before. Then it was time for ice-cream.













We were the only guests, and found out why within a few minutes, all the tables were in the shade.



We had already placed our orders and they were soon brought out. Tom had ordered an







espresso gelato cocktail. A scoop of ice-cream placed into a cocktail glass and topped with espresso. I should have ordered the same thing as my







“iced coffee” consisted of several scoops of vanilla and chocolate ice-cream, topped with coffee and whipped cream. It was HUGE and even though it was really good I was not able to finish it.
Once we had finished our ice-creams we strolled back to the car and got on our way. We had one more stop we wanted to make. There is a huge wholesale market and we wanted to pick up a few more groceries to take home. We found quite a few more cheeses, which at home were all portioned and frozen, some Ravioli and Tortellini and some Panfrutta, a sweet bread with candied fruit inside. And finally we were able to get on our way.

To be continued .....​

 

[dizneeat]

Day 4, May 4
All good things must come to an end … - Part 2

And finally we were able to get on our way.





When we reached the motorway it was shortly after 12 noon and we soon left the flat area and the Alps greeted us again.



















Traffic was light and around 2pm we crossed the border into Austria.



In Carinthia we stopped one more time to fill up the car and have a restroom break.















We had thought about stopping for an early dinner on the way, but instead we just pushed on and made it back home at around 6pm. We made a few rounds from the car to the dining room to haul everything we had loaded into the car up to our house. And after saying hello to Pixie again and getting her all sorted we had some Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner. I got home to my flat at around 9pm and I was not happy that our vacation was already over again and we both had to go to work the next day.

​

 

[dizneeat]

Italy DONE .........

now let's move back to Disneyland Paris! ​