Are We Crazy?
For winter break this year, Rita was adamant that she didn’t want to sit on a beach. We were looking for potential destinations, and Rita was looking to book a trip to New Orleans. As we were looking into plans, the cost of the flights kept rising – to the point where a flight to Milan was cheaper than New Orleans. We went to London and Paris for winter break a few years earlier so we weren’t afraid to sightsee in the cold. We did ask ourselves if we were crazy for taking a 3 and 1 year old in tow with us! We decided to split the trip between Milan and Venice, and with our double stroller and wristband leashes for the kids, set off for Italy!
Milan – Day 1-2
Friday
Memoriale della Shoah – This unique Holocaust memorial/museum is located in the train station in Milan. This is where the Jews of Milan and Italy were loaded onto cattle cars to be sent to concentration and death camps. Set right in the middle of town, it was a stark reminder to how normalized the Holocaust was. Platform 21, where the deportations occurred, remained intact since the Holocaust and we saw two original boxcars used to transport victims.
Duomo – Our hotel offered Bentley service to take us around town, so they drove us to the center of town. We listened to Rick Steves Audio Tour beforehand, which gave us an appreciation of the historical significance of the buildings around the Piazza, especially those from Mussolini’s fascist Italy. The famous Milan Duomo is a huge imposing Gothic cathedral built from 1386 and completed in 1965. The front facade had statues of biblical figures, and the stained glass windows inside had familiar biblical scenes. We went up to the roof of the Cathedral and saw the spires, flying buttresses and gargoyles up close.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – Right next door, was the historic shopping gallery with its beautiful glass ceilings. We also took a twirl on the bull at the center for good luck. Once the kids fell asleep in the stroller, we had some time to walk through the shopping gallery and walked around the square.
Shabbat
For Shabbat, we ordered food from a local caterer to the hotel. We were upgraded to a suite in our hotel which gave us plenty of room. We spent Shabbat walking through the Indro Montanelli Gardens near our hotel and the playground there for the kids, and by the indoor pool.
(We went back to Milan for the last day of our trip below)
Venice – Day 3-5
Sunday
We took the train straight into Venice and picked up our tourist cards which gave us access to the ferries along the canals. Venice is a place like no other, with all the hustle and bustle in the canals, bridges, and buildings that line and cross them. It was nice being there in the quieter season, and I can imagine how busy it is in the summer. Navigating the bridges was a challenge with our stroller throughout, but we did what we needed to do, carrying the boys up and down when necessary. (We got plenty of looks!) We stayed at the Gritti Palace, which was a spectacular hotel. We were upgraded to a suite again, which was very finely decorated – and we were scared the kids would break some of the knickknacks laying around. We ate dinner nightly at Gam Gam – their bolognese was delicious.
Museo Ebraico – The Jewish Museum of Venice showed what Jewish life was like in this international city. We got to see two of the shuls used by the Venetian community which was wealthy and expensively decorated. We also walked around the Jewish area and a memorial to the Shoah here.
Gondola Ride – Taking an obligatory gondola ride through the canals with the kids was fun. The driver navigated the tight turns around the canal and we enjoyed the ride.
Monday
St Marco Square – Monday, we started off on the Eastern end of the canal, and St. Marco square. There, we visited the Doge’s Palace, where the kids mostly ran around. The Doge was the elected leader of the Republic of Venice, somewhere between king and president. We saw the Bridge of Sighs, that connects the interrogation rooms at the palace, and showed the kids the dungeons. Also on the square was St Marco’s Basilica, another church where we also went atop the facade to see the famous horses of Venice. They were originally in Constantinople and brought back to Venice as spoils of war. The square floods often and we saw the risers used to navigate the square, but it wasn’t too bad while we were there.
Murano / Burano – That afternoon, we took the ferry to the islands of Murano and Burano. Murano is known for its glassmaking. We walked through a few shops, and attended a glassblowing demonstration. Burano is another nearby island with brightly colored houses, perfect for Rita’s instagram!
Tuesday
Rialto Bridge and Market – This, oldest bridge spanning the Grand Canal, is filled with shops and tourists. We also stopped by Libreria Acqua Alta, a unique bookstore with books everywhere, some showing signs of what happens when Venice is flooded.
Gallerie Dell’Academia – This fine art museum showcased Venetian art through he centuries.
Ca’ Macana – This mask making class was a lot of fun. We all painted Venetian style masquerade party masks. We learned about these parties, and had fun painting them with the kids. It was a nice souvenir to take home as well.
Milan – Day 6
Cenacolo Vinciano – The Last Supper – Back in Milan, we went to see the famous last supper painting by Leonardo Da Vinci. The site was extremely secure, and we had to book tickets in advance from NY. It was cool to see such a famous painting, and learn a bit about it, but it was pretty time consuming.
Museum of Science and Technology – That afternoon, we spent in the museum. one cool exhibit showcased the various inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci. The kids had fun playing with some of the interactive exhibits as well, and seeing the planes and trains on display.
