STAYING IN A WEEKEND CAMPING SITE IN SIRMIONE, ITALY

During our stay in Milan, we spent the nights at Weekend Glamping Resort, San Felice del Benaco, Sirmione. We were there from 23rd to 24th of October. We actually should be checking earlier [the evening before] but because of some issues at the airport, we only managed to reach the place at abput 3:00 a.m. [READ HERE]

We stayed in chalets which did not look like the one in a camping site and mine was a house with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a dining area + kitchen. This place was actually huge and I did not have the time to explore as we went out in the morning and were only back late in the evening. There were other types of accommodation here for sure.

the helper in action, only in Italy

Breakfast and lunch were prepared by the tour leader for all the group members so cooking activities happened early in the morning every day here.

close up: olive tree

For one thing, many olive trees were planted around the area. There were olive farms nearby that we passed by every time going in and out of the place.

the male group members

The view outside was lovely but we were a bit unlucky as it was most of the time cloudy with intermittent drizzle during the day. We managed to get good photos the moment before we left the place and move to the second accommodation in Italy.

[MY ITALY/AUSTRIA TRIP MAIN PAGE]

THE WATER TAXI RIDE IN VENICE

   20th OCTOBER 2024    ~ It was time to get back home and we had to go to the parking building at Tronchetto. Instead of walking, we opted to take the Water Taxi this time. We waited for the ferry at a Rialto Mercato Pier, which was located near to the main and famous Rilato Bridge. We missed getting to that very particular spot as we were already late and the boat was about to arrive according to the schedule.

The water taxi was like a commuter bus so it had to stop at a few spots where people came into and got out of the boat. Unlike the first boat we took when we arrived in Venice, it was an express kind of vehicle that did not make any stop at any jetty but sailed direct to the main pier.

Another option people have to travel back and forth the centralized parking building in Tronchetto was the train called the People Mover.

The cruise on the Water Taxi gave us the last opportunity to observe and admire Venice and that should wrap my visit to the historic and amazing city built on mushy swamps and lagoon. There is a prediction that by the end of the century, Venice will be submerged in water because of rising seawater so let's pray that is not going to happen.

[MY ITALY/AUSTRIA TRIP MAIN PAGE]

WHEN IN VENICE, DRINK COFFEE LIKE ITALIANS DO

   20TH OCTOBER 2024    ~ It was time for our coffee break; the gastronomic adventure but without any food, just drinks. So when in Venice, drink coffee like Italians do.

We chose to sit outside under the huge umbrellas and the place was actually filled with people.

We couldn't stay long as we had to hurry back to the parking area as we had promised to be there by 5:00 p.m.

If you are wondering, how much did it cost to drink coffee in Venice, it only cost €6 each. I just realized, even though we had different type of coffee, each drink cost the same. Without converting to RM [Malaysian Ringgit], this should be cheap if compared to drinking coffee in a [hipster] cafe back home.

[MY ITALY/AUSTRIA TRIP MAIN PAGE]

LOOKING FOR MORENO GLASS TO BRING HOME IN VENICE

    20th OCTOBER 2024    ~ One of the shops we went into was to look for Morano Glass. We found one and bought a few small items as souvenirs to bring home.

What is so special about Murano Glass? For one thing, Morano Glass should be produced in the island of Murano in Italy. Murano is then not a brand name but the place of origin of the products.

The shop we visited was bright and colourful, and the reflections of lights on the glasses made it sparkle even more. The only concern  was that the shop was quite small and one might accidentally knocked off a piece of the glass item and break it while moving around.

We just hoped we had bought original products of Moreno Glass. They all looked just beautiful to me and it should be almost impossible to detect whether they were real or not.

[MY ITALY/AUSTRIA TRIP MAIN PAGE]