We visited Venissa to see the beautiful vineyard and taste the unique native wine of Venice. I decided to bring a bottle of this special wine home.
Stop at Art Café to rest, get shade, and have a cappuccino in Murano.
Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 12
Weather: Cool and cloudy in morning. Warm and sunny in afternoon. Overall nice day.
- Underwhelming breakfast at Combo hotel.
- Walk to Venice in a Day experience start.
- Walking tour of many of Venice sights.
- Gondola ride through canals.
- Started raining, duck into Ristorante Chianti just outside of Saint Marco Plazq for a delicious lunch. Tammy orders a bottle of Moscato d’Asti to go with lunch
- Meet back with our group to see the Church of Saint Marco.
- Detailed tour of Doge Palace and introduction to the Venetian government system pre-Napoleon.
- explore to find gelato. Took a bit and found “a really cute place” that Mazie found.
- Walk back to Combo hotel.
- Tammy and Jamie both fall asleep.
- Wake up just in time to walk to Pastry Tour.
- Fast walk to train station to meet Maria, Pastry Tour guide. Jamie’s injured left leg hurt a lot.
- Explore 5 different places.
- Get 3 meatballs at restaurant recommended by Maria.
- Walk back to hotel.
- 😴
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Family photo on the Grand Canal of Venice at sunset.
Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 11
Weather: Started warm in the morning. Thunderstorms in Milan in afternoon. Warm in Venice.
- Great breakfast at iQ Hotel. Impressive spread.
- Check out of hotel.
- M3 train to Duomo
- Explore Galleria Vitoria Emanuele
- Get coffee at Marchesi
- Take full tour of Duomo. Incredible! Rooftop views are impressive.
- Tammy and Tyler run to get take home gift for his friends. Jamie and Mazie take pictures in Duomo plaza while thunderstorm approaches.
- Duck into Metro just as storm arrives and take M3 back to Central FS.
- Train 9735 from Milan to Venice
- Arrived in Venice
- Take water bus 4.2 to hotel
- Checkin at Combo
- Poor choice and decide to have a fairly simple and non-Italian dinner at the hotel
- Walk around Venice for an hour and see the city. Amazing golden hour photo opportunities.
- Return to Combo hotel.
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We have arrived in Venice! 🤩
We went back to Mad Machines and completed the Time Machine room. This room is ranked 39th in the world and had incredible effects and awesome puzzles as well. Incredible job to the designers at Mad Machines!
We also escaped the Birth Machine room! Full list of escape rooms.
Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 10
Weather: Hot and hot
- Amazing breakfast at iQ Motel
- Catch express train 8803 from Milan to Modena for Ferrari Day!
- Walk out of train station wrong way because of cute train mural on walls
- Walk to Enzo Ferrari Museam
- Briefly explore the smaller side of museam
- Shuttle to Maranello
- See the museam- Jamie shed some tears at the F1 racing display
- Photo shoot in yellow Ferrari
- Lunch at Museam Cafe (much better than the equivalent in the US and cheaper)
- Panaramic factory tour- short naps for all
- Shuttle back to Modena
- Racing simulation for Mazie and Tyler
- See larger section of the Rnzo Ferrari museam
- Macarons, coffee, and chocolate crumble at museam cafe
- Walk back to train station and wait for delayed train
- Train back to Milan- seating troubles
- Train 40 mins late, so have to take a White Taxi to Mad Machines
- Taxi driver hauls it like we’re on the Amazing Race, but we are still 5 mins late
- Time Machine: another amazing escape room with so many rooms and creative challenges
- Tram to Pizzeria Fabrico
- Delicious pizza, pasta, and tiramisu
- Metro back to hotel
- 😴
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Tyler and I were having fun watching the max speed of our train back to Milan. Hit 245 km/h or 152 miles/h. Felt fast! 🚄
The Museo Ferrari Maranello exhibit for the various Formula 1 winners over the years was an incredible experience. Standing amongst such legendary winners was amazing.
On the express train 8803 this morning from Milan to Modena to visit Ferrari today!
We completed the Birth Machine room at Mad Machines in Milan, Italy! This is the 4th ranked escape room in the world and we had a great time. The subject of the room was fun and “unique”, and the puzzles were so well done! 🧩
We also escaped the Time Machine room! Full list of escape rooms.
Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 9
Weather: Warm and sunny in the morning.
- Breakfast in Soglio and sending goodbyes to our hiking group: Dave, Erik, Gary, and Theresa 👋
- Tammy and kids explore Soglio while Jamie has a cappuccino and tended to tasks on the deck
- 🚌 B 632 to Promontogna nice and easy with bus waiting for us
- 🚌 B 4 to Chiavenna super packed bus that we barely squeezed on and had to stand with all our luggage
- 🚊R 10165 Train to Colico
- 🚊R 2825 Train to Varenna
- Lunch at Locando Cavanillo
- 🚊Train to Milan
- Check into iQ Motel
- Take M2 train to Porto Geneva
- Walk to Pizza & Mozarella for delicious pizza
- Walk to Mad Machines
- Escape the Birth room at Mad Machines!
- Walk back to Porto Geneva stop and take M2 back to central station
- return to hotel super tired and debate which train to take tomorrow. Pick 8:05am departure.
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Having a cappuccino at Albergo La Soglina with the mountains, luggage ready, getting some tasks done before we start our travel to Milan.
- 🚌 B 632 Bus to Promontogna
- 🚌 B 4 Bus to Chiavenna
- 🚊 R 10165 Train to Colico
- 🚊R 2825 Train to Varenna
- 🚊Train to Milan
With four heavy suitcases. 💪🧳
One of many waterfalls along the trail to Soglio.
After six amazing days of hiking in the Engadine the Thingelstad family all stepped foot in Soglio at the same time and marked the moment.
Hike to Soglio
Our sixth and final day of hiking into the beautiful town of Soglio.
Part of Switzerland & Italy 2023 collection. Also see Casaccia to Soglio from Europe 2004 Collection collection.