Italy Roadtrip Part I: The Dolomites and Venice

In mid-September, Mom and Dad Shoaf spent some time with us here in Europe. They flew into Munich and on their second day, we departed for a roadtrip through Italy. We kicked it off by stopping in Mittenwald for lunch. Mittenwald is a picturesque Bavarian town nestled in the Alps. Neither of us had been before, and we were all pleasantly surprised by its quaintness. Although the weather was wet and chilly, we had a light lunch and did a little bit of souvenir shopping – only to stretch our legs, of course! ;)

After our brief stop, we got back on the road. We drove quite a few hours on the first day, but it wasn’t all bad, as we were treated to some stunning views of the Dolomites. The Dolomites are technically part of the Alps, though they look quite different from most of the mountains we have seen in Germany and Austria. It was a bit foggy at times, but we still managed to get a few good photos. Admittedly, the drive was a bit stomach-turning, what with all of the hair-pin turns, but it was definitely worth it.

We had dinner on the road at a rest stop on the Italian highway – not gourmet dining, but it is always interesting to see how different countries and cultures handle normal, everyday things such as these. For example, you won’t find any burgers or fries at the Italian rest stops; instead, it was mostly panini and pizza. Also, it is worth noting that every stop we visited had a coffee bar. The Italians truly love their espresso.

We arrived late at our first hotel, located in the city of Padua, which is a short drive from Venice. The next morning, we were up early to catch a quick 30-minute bus into Venice. When we first visited Venice in 2010, we stayed at a small place within the city itself. But we greatly preferred this method, since we didn’t have to worry about finding parking or dragging luggage through the crowded streets (and countless bridges) of Venice. It was drizzling a bit when we arrived, but the day quickly cleared up and we had a gorgeous Saturday. First things first: we made sure to stop at a café for coffee right when we arrived. Throughout the day, we did a lot of strolling around and photographing. Though very crowded and admittedly very touristy, Venice does not disappoint when it comes to Kodak moments. Window shopping is also a treat here, thanks to all of the shops selling the beautiful and famous Murano glass. We finished the day with a delicious pasta dinner and of course—gelato! We took our chances at a random (to us) gelato place, but we were not disappointed! I checked the reviews later, and we happened upon one of the highest-rated in all of Venice. A great start to our time in Italy!