Venice

21 – 31 December 2023

Another holiday season meant another trip to meet up with my mum. Winter is always a little tricky to find a good destination, and this year was particularly challenging. Planning was complicated by uncertainty surrounding a diabolical Dutch housing market and some loose ends relating to arranging my new job. Initially, we had a loose target of Athens and Naxos. But by the time it came time to book, flights had become prohibitive. A snap decision was made to switch to Venice, with a stop in Rovinj, Istria.

Both of us had previously been to Venice. I visited back in 2013 as part of an uni-era interrail trip from Milan to Budapest (ie where the cheap Easyjet flights were) with my then best-mate. Venice was a highlight of that trip and we were fortunate enough to enjoy the city largely free from the chaotic crowds that regularly pass through. The initial emergence from the rail-station was a particularly memorable.

This trip would not be quite so memorable, but at least the food in Italy is always top class! It was hardly a bad trip, it just did not meet the standards set by other recent excursions.