We did it!

Next was a long drive to Pisa, but we made it to the top of the tower.
We ended up in Parma at a farm that was great.
Kids got to drink fresh milk at milking time, and they also had Parma ham and Cheese as the farm is part of the Parmesan CO-OP. Nice rooms (with A/C) and a great host and family. Kids loved the fresh Yogurt cake they would make in the mornings. We also got some Balsamic in the next town over.

We then drove to Mestre, parked the car and took the train into Venice. Did the Gondola ride for 62 euros, the Gondolier had fun with my bargaining and gave us a great ride in the Grand canal and all along the small little canals… he was a 3rd generation Gondolier. We did see the glass blowing shows in Murano (seems the true masters do not work for the public), very touristy and hot, but worth a look. We also got a great mask from a local artist.

Then it was north to Germany.

Wow, you can tell that you really did your homework. Sounds like an awesome trip that you and your family will never forget. Please keep writing....really enjoy reading your footnotes about all your travels.

Wow, does sound like you did alot, I am sure you need to rest!! Would love to hear more about your adventures when you are rested!

What a great trip! How did you cope with the heat on such a tight itinerary? Or did you get back before the temperatures soared? We had to scale back our activities in Italy a bit or it would have been hell to drag the kids along. But lazing at a pool under the Tuscan sun is "magical" too ;-)

Beatrix: He did it by wearing shorts! (see David's two other posts on the infamous topic of shorts)That and lots of water.

Glad you had a good time. Can't wait to hear more of your stories.

Now start talking about the next trip in....3...2...1!

Welcome home and glad to hear you had a great time.

I too started my first ever trip in Italy minus luggage (for 3 days!!!) but it just added to the adventure.

Get rested and then share your stories!

We were able to do Rome in two days, thanks to Ron.
Sorry about the Spelling.
Day 1 was Vatican City, Spanish steps, Treve, Pantheon.
Day 2 was Coliseum, the Palatine Hill, Forum, Piazza Novona and a late lunch in Campo Fiori.
And then Bone church and finally Borghese Villa.

Sorrento was fun and did a day trip to Pompeii and the Amalfi drive. Because I forgot my ATM card back at the hotel, on the day we were to go to Capri, we ended up driving to Nerano and had a great day out on a small boat swimming, and then playing and jumping off the dock with the local kids.
So instead of a $500+ day trip to Capri. It ended up costing us under $100 with a great lunch and it was about the best day on the trip.

Kent,

shorts aren't everything. My hubby is no fashion icon and wore shorts, dark socks and shoes ALL the time just for comfort (well, he changed into long pants for the Vatican). He still felt our CT hike was one of the worst on our trip because of the heat. And he is a pretty fit guy.

David,

which beach did you go to when you went to Nerone? We came through that little town twice. First time just passing through at the end of the day to take a dip on the beach of Marina del Cantone. Second time, we parked the car in Nerone, took a picknick lunch along and hiked westward to a small beach that had a view of Capri. Beautiful! Only access was through the hike or by boat. So there were only a handful of people. Oh, and that was the only time I saw a nude person on the beach in Italy - 3 year old Lila - and I had a very nice chat with her French parents who live in Geneva ;-)

We were at the beach in town.
My kids loved running of the dock with all the other kids. We also took a swim off the boat we took out.
We were swimming in the direction of Positano, we did see Capri on the drive.
We got a nice mix of locals and tourist sights on our trip. This was a great little town.