Where to next? Verona & Venice, Italy (best of)

Aperitivo

At a time of day similar to happy hour in the US or tapas in Spain. It is a time between when people get off of work and when they have dinner (because in Europe it is common to eat dinner at 8p). Light snacks of nuts, chips and bruschetta pair with spritz and wine. 

Gelato

Gelato is not ice cream. Gelato is however cold and creamy much like ice cream. To identify a good gelato place look for natural colors, some of the best flavors are the fruity ones, and gelato that looks smooth, but that is not overworked into an artful display. 

Gondola ride in Venice

Venice is mostly water, so what better way is there to get around. A typical gondola can fit about five people. When splitting the bill that comes to 20-30 euros per person. The gondolier will then take you through some of the calm, narrow canal to see the sinking city. The smaller canals are very smooth so it is better if you are someone who is prone to seasickness on boats. 

Get lost in Venice

It will happen. It is not hard to do. Venice has a lot of narrow walkways, narrow canals, dead ends and is split down the middle by the Grand Canal. All of the buildings look the same and until you step out into a large plaza, the sun does not offer much help in terms of direction. Getting lost and being able to explore the city is fun though. Pro tip: if you are going down a walkway and see water, you are going the wrong way. The Grand Canal is the only canal wide enough to be able to see from a distance and there are no walkways along it.

Local fresh fruit

May and June is a little early in the season for most fresh fruits, but you can still find some. While on a narrow winding road between Redoro Olive Oil and the place we were heading to have lunch, the bus I was on struggled on one of the turns. The wonderful driver eventually made it thanks to perseverance and a local farmer who was stopped on the side of the road. After we made the turn, the farmer ran after the bus with a bag of cherries. Those cherries were some of the best I have had.