Venice was a surprise trip for us. We planned on staying for 2 weeks in the Cinque Terre, but cut our trip short after a scary,  near-explosion at 2 a.m. when an old Italian hot water tank went boom and forced us to find new accommodations. Jessica started scouring AirBnB’s in Venice and to our surprise, we found a newly listed beauty. A recently remodeled property right in the heart of it all.  It even had air conditioning which cannot be underestimated in the stifling humidity of Italy in the summer!

Ways to experience Joy in Venice with Kids:

1) Unique Experiences Equal Memories that Last

Traveling to a place that is unmistakably unique in the world is THE experience in itself.  Venice is the quintessential definition of this kind of place.  From the moment the kids saw the Grand Canal, they knew this place was special. “Why would people go through the trouble to build a city that is constantly flooded and hard to get around?” they asked.  We had so many history lessons here.  From the protection that the city was afforded by being built within more than 100 islands, to man made structures that sometimes defied logic for the sake of art and architecture. Venice exemplified beauty and style like no other. It's a living time machine everywhere you look.  Yes, it’s massively overcrowded. How could it not be?  Visitors should look past the crowds and the daily tax that's been imposed on visitors. There’s such unique eye candy it's impossible to be “bored” in this city with kids.  The kids didn't care about the crowds. Great lesson to learn. It's the mindset that determines the success of a trip.  Stay positive!

2) Art, Music and Architecture provide once in a lifetime lessons

We were constantly trying to find unique ways to experience art in Venice.  Of all the things to do in Venice, how could one pass up a gondola ride?  Well, at over $100 for a short ride, we did pass it up.  We had a budget that was feeling heavy at the time.  However, that didn't mean that we didn't marvel at the style of the profession of the gondoliers and learn how one came to have one of the best jobs in Venice.  Just like any profession, you could see from afar or up close who was at the top of their game. It was a lesson in craft and how beautiful it is to see people taking pride in their work.

We saved that money and redeemed it for an evening performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at a small, but beautiful theatre. Our kids first concierto in a special place like Venice was memorable. We could have spent 3 times the amount to see a performance at the Famous Teatro Fenice or at Goldoni, but that didn't matter. We spent 45 euros each for adults and as far as the kids were concerned, might as well have seen Vivaldi perform himself!  It was magic.  After that night, we listened to Vivaldi in the evenings on Spotify as we prepared late dinners at our apartment while learning basic Italian.  The kids loved the full immersion.

3) Free is For Me

Keeping with the art theme, there are many free or inexpensive ways to enjoy Venezia without breaking the budget. One thing that was a highlight of our stay was the music being played in St. Mark’s Square nightly.  Sure, you can easily reserve a table at one of the local restaurants on the perimeter of the square and overspend for decent Italian. It will get you up-close and personal to the live music playing. We opted for buying gelato and watching from outside the ropes and were able to spend magic evenings admiring the 1000 year old cathedral from afar while gorgeous music filled the air.

4) Hidden history of the Bridges

With a little front-end work,  a family can learn some fun, free and obscure history while in a place like Venice. We were constantly finding places like the Ponte Del Pungi (The Bridge of Fists) where rival factions , the Castellani and Nicolotti, would engage in fistfights trying to knock each other off the bridge into the canals. This tradition went on for hundreds of years until the 1800’s according to the lore.  The kids had fun re-enacting the fights.

The famous Rialto Bridge, one of four spanning the Grand Canal, and most famous, was rebuilt many times and has stood since the 1500’s.  It’s intricate architecture, and shops that span both sides of the bridge seem to defy practicality and was predicted to collapse centuries ago.  It's still there as a symbol of timeless ideals and ingenuity.  We took selfies with the thousands of others from atop the bridge and loved every minute of it. There are over 400 bridges in Venice and each one has a story.  With a little mobile Wikipedia in our hands, it made learning fun and hands on.

Cheers to dreaming, Matt