Redacteur's Dagboek

Last week I stayed with my beloved and in-laws in beautiful Venice. I had never been there before and the place was high on my bucket list, so expectations were high. The party started on the water taxi, which took us from Venice airport to the hotel. I was as happy as a child and couldn't take my eyes off: all those beautiful and cozy colored houses by the water, just like a fairy tale. And how amazing is it that people get around here by boat from A to B? Instead of a car, there is a beautiful wooden boat in front of every house. By the way, this seems to me the perfect solution for the center of Amsterdam, but that's beside the point.

Back to Venice. This place was so much more beautiful than I thought. At first, I was a bit afraid of extreme crowds and high temperatures, but we managed to avoid both in a clever way. During the day we lounged on the beach (yes, Venice also has beaches) and only around seven o'clock did we start exploring the city. At this time, most tourists had already left and the temperature was perfect. I recommend this to anyone going to Venice during the high season. By the way, you can find those lovely beaches on Lido (part of Venice), an island on the Adriatic coast, where you can easily sail to by boat.

The Italian cuisine is of course my favorite, so every day I enjoyed the tastiest pastas, pizzas, and pistachio ice creams. In between meals, I enjoyed the stylish and well-groomed (sometimes a bit ordinary) Italians, who all looked like they could be models. During a lovely dinner out, we met Roberta, a hilarious Italian mama, who was quite strict and had a clear idea about a woman's life. Roberta thought I could flutter around for another three years and then really should start having children. She talked about five children, which she thought would suit me well. She also gave some tips and tricks on how to best keep an eye on my children's phones by that time. I laughed a lot at this little lady, but I really shouldn't think about children just yet (or for a long time).

The most beautiful restaurant of the trip: Ristorante Riviera, a stunning place by the water. At this restaurant, you find very few tourists. The service is a bit arrogant, but once you taste the food here, you can't blame them. Here I had the best pasta vongole ever, so a visit is definitely worth it. And if you still crave bizarrely delicious peach sorbet after dinner? Then take a stroll past Harry's Bar. This place is known for its bellinis, but the ice cream is even better.

Never been to Venice? Then I absolutely recommend you to go at least once, because this historic place is a must-see. I promise it won't disappoint.