There are few cities more perfect for a romantic breakaway
than Venice. But does it have the X Factor for families? I recently took my husband,
ten year old daughter Nicole and teenage son Mark, to find out.
If you are coming from the airport then your taxi or bus
will more than likely stop at the Piazzale Roma. It can be a bit of a maze if
you don't know where you are going as the usual modes of transport are not an
option. The Vaporetti (water busses) are fun and easy to use once you've found
your bearings. We decided to go for the decadent option of a water taxi to take
us to our hotel. It wasn't cheap at €60 as there were four of us, but it could
take up to ten passengers, which makes it a reasonable option for a group. The taxis
are limited to travel on the main canals only which made the journey longer and
an adventure in itself. Sitting under the cloudless Italian sky, on plush cream
leather seats, we understood why George Clooney chose this city for his
wedding! 
We felt like rockstars on arrival at the Boscolo Venezia
hotel. The brightly striped red and white mooring posts, mark the entrance of
this fine hotel which was once the French Palace. Boscolo Venezia is housed in the beautiful old mansion Palazzo
Rizzo-Patarol in the residential Cannaregio district. When Venice was at the
height of its power, this was the only area planted with small crops, which is
why Boscolo Venezia is the only luxury hotel in Venice to have a private
garden overlooking the lagoon.
The Boscolo Venezia provides a free water taxi to take
guests to St Marks Square several times a day - it also offers a tour of the
Murano glass factories across the lagoon on Murano Island and all free of
charge. This made a fascinating excursion for the children who got to see
firsthand how the famous glass is blown and shaped.
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While the usual draw of St Marks Square is a must for
visitors to Venice, after we peeked in to see the awesome interior of St Mark's
Cathedral and Nicole had her photograph taken on one of the famous lions
outside, the kids asked to go back to the quieter district where our hotel was
situated. We battled our way past the crowds at the Rialto Bridge and a sense
of calm settled on us in the windier streets.
Prices fell considerably in the bars and restaurants the
further we travelled from St Marks. Once we were settled back in the
residential quarter, we took time to wander through the Jewish Ghetto which had
an interesting range of shops and low budget eateries. Getting lost in Venice
is a wonderful way to put in the afternoon and there is always the attraction
of finding new Gelaterias along the way to savour wonderful Italian ice-cream.
We only had to stroll a few metres away from our hotel to
find the church of Madonna del Orto which houses an original Tintoretto and
allowed me to indulge in a little bit of culture without queuing or expensive
entrance charges. A good alternative to churches is the natural history museum
and it's only a twenty minute walk from St Marks. For kids that are agreeable
to visiting art galleries the Peggy Guggenheim museum is filled with modern
masterpieces that my crew loved.
There is a beauty about Venice at night that is special and
we truly felt like cognescenti as we sat in a small Trattoria on the Rio Tera
Lista di Spagna and ate pasta. We were provided with free wifi which is always
a big hit with my kids, but watching the locals buy from the colourful fruit
and vegetable stalls was more interesting for the adults.
If your kids are still in strollers then Venice may not be a
good city break for you, as crowds, steps and bridges can make it difficult to
get around. But if you can keep up with your kids, it's a great city to explore
with a camera and give them a visual feast for their eyes that will stay with
them forever.
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