Il Refolo

One of the things we enjoy the most about travel is trying the new cuisine. We’re no stranger to gelato but it was high on the list of things to have in Italy. We enjoyed a cannoli or two. I had a Prosecco and enjoyed my first Spritz, but one of the things I enjoyed the most was dinner at Il Refolo. Mitch searched the restaurant reviews and found a very well liked place just around the corner from our AirBnB. It was perfect. We sat on the terrace right by the canal. Kiersten opted for the pizza…which was very good. Hattie had the fried fish and vegetables. Mitch and Leah both enjoyed the seafood risotto while I had the tagliatelle with shrimp and zucchini. It was all good but the appetizer was so fun. The girls don’t shy away from trying new foods. We shared a plate with an octopus salad, sardines, shrimp with pickled red onion and smoked salmon and another seafood spread. It was enjoyed by all! 

After dinner the girls played while we just enjoyed being in Venice. They played tag on a bridge over the canal. They might not remember it, but I always will…my kids, playing in Italy.

Exploring the Island

 Mitch always thinks ahead! I’m so grateful for him and all the planning and effort he puts into our travels. He’s always got things booked ahead of time and the tickets ready to go on his phone. He makes it look so easy. This trip was no different. He had tickets ahead of time for the water hop-on hop-off boat.

We started with a long trip all the out to the island Murano famous for their glass blowing. They had day trips you could book that included a tour, watching them create their art and lunch too, but we didn’t want to commit. We wandered around the island popping in and out of shops. We grabbed a few souvenir gift and got back on the water. From there we saw a park we definitely wanted to check out.

We had purchased tickets for Palazza Ducala or Doge’s Palace. Our gondola guide let us know that Doge means king. The golden staircase was amazing. Gold set the ceiling for a few flights. The walls were covered with enormous paintings but the details on the ceiling in each room was stunning. My neck started to hurt from looking up! On of the things we reas about was the Bridge of sighs. It was a prisoners last view of the outside world before being detained. It was fun to see from the inside and there were so many people taking pictures from the other bridges.

Bongiourno Italia

Back in February when we booked our trip for Fallas in March we had no idea that the girls had TWELVE days off of school for Easter break. When I flipped the calendar over Mitch said it must have been a typo. But sure enough, it’s common practice in Europe to take a long break for the holiday. 

So we decided to go to Italy! Leah specifically has put a tour through the Venice Canals on her list of must-do’s. Here we go! We’re spending a week in Italy for Easter break!

Venice is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. There are no cars on the island…not even any bikes. It would be hard to manage them going up and down all the stairs for all the bridges. Even the Uber eats and Glovo delivery guys just strap a pack on their back and go. It’s so great to just navigate little alleyways and sidewalks everywhere we go.

Upon arrival we kept seeing an Easter pastry, so of course we looked it up and got one! The Colomba Pasquale, dates back to the 15th century. It is a sweet bread (similar to a pannetone) with almonds and powdered sugar on top, the inside has Citrus marmalade and honey. At first we thought it was in the shape of a cross but it’s actually a dove. We enjoyed celebrating with it on Easter morning. He has risen indeed.

 

Music Star Iale

 Finally! Eight months into the school year we finally got a chance to hear the girls perform. The concerts in December were cancelled due to COVID so this week we got to hear the girls give solo performances. Leah was so nervous but she did a great job with her violin. She only got to rehearse with her accompanist once a few days before hand. Kiersten did wonderful with marimba, playing her song from memory. Mr Weirman and Mr Wunderlich were impressed with her rolls.

The next day Kiersten sang at the school music competition. She had to create a video and submit it as her audition. She made it to the finals and sang in front of an auditorium full of her peers. She’s so brave and was pretty happy to walk away with second place. 

Lago Loriguilla

 This weekend we didn’t have much going on. Kiersten swam at a swim meet yesterday. She wasn’t looking forward to it. Coach Davis signed her up for the 200 fly and the 400IM, a first in both events. We told her to buck up and do it, don’t back down from a challenge and she swam that 400IM in 6:41 and walked away with another autonomous time! Today Mitch and I went for a morning walk but we quickly decided with the beautiful weather we needed to do something!!! We got home, quickly packed a picnic lunch and hit the road.

About thirty minutes from our house we found a great nature preserve. Lake Loriguilla was beautiful! We parked and walked a bit before settling creek side for our lunch. The girls were trying to skip stones on the water but they weren’t having much luck. Mitch had to show them how it was done.

After we ate we walked a little more taking in the sights and enjoying the fresh air. We need to take advantage of warm temps and the beauty around us while we can. We’re in for a shock when we return to Midwest winters next year.