15 Days In Italy-and 1 night Amsterdam Part I

For our 6th trip to Italy, we chose to visit Venice, Modena/Bologna, Umbria/Tuscany and Florence. My sister came along as well, this made her third trip to Bella Italia. We travelled late April through Mid-May
Venice
We arrived in Venice around 11PM, due to delays in Salt Lake City relating to mechanical issues. Our lodging was in Canereggio at a vacation apartment. Luckily, finding the apartment proved to be easier than expected. I’d reviewed the route from Fondamenta Nove to the apartment several times prior to departure, so we were in the door about 10 minutes after the Allilaguna boat dropped us off. Canereggio is a really good choice for travelers who want to quiet after a busy day in Venice. Lots of local folks, fewer tourists than other areas of the city. Once our bags were safely stowed, we ventured out for a very late (for us Americans) dinner. We immediately ran into two other tourists, take away Aperol Spritz in hand, who directed us to the main street a few blocks off. We found that many restaurants were still open. Thank God the Italians like to dine late! We had pizza at Zikiya, which is pretty good, but the highlight was Gelato di Natura just down the street. Best gelato of the trip, and the staff was very kind. Highly recommend!
Even with 3 full days, we didn’t see half of what I wanted to see. We spent a day in Murano, which is nice, and I purchased some very pretty pieces of jewelry. Were they authentic? Who knows for sure. I like them, which is the important thing. Unfortunately, I picked up a nasty food poisoning bug from lunch in Murano on day 3, which made the train trip to our next destination, Modena, more interesting for certain. We also spent a lot of time in the San Marco district, mainly shopping (my husband and sister enjoy this activity very much). We also spent some time in the Bienale area, which is so very different from the rest of Venice with its trees and lawns. We also made our way to Arsenale to seek out the Piraeus Lion, which I heard about on the Untold Italy podcast (Which I recommend listening to). The Lion did not disappoint, he is majestic! While I was admiring all 9 feet of his height, a tour guide and his two clients in sea kayaks slid behind us on the tiny canal behind the Lion. This I did not expect. After admiring the Lion, we had dinner at the Trattoria Pizzeria da Paolo, which does not get very good reviews, but what we had was very tasty. The only cultural experience that we had during this leg of the tour was Doge’s Palace. We did the Secret Treasures tour, which was quite enjoyable. The palace itself is marvelous and brings home what a power the Venetian republic was centuries ago.