{"id":10787,"date":"2020-01-21T10:24:35","date_gmt":"2020-01-21T18:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/?p=10787"},"modified":"2020-01-21T10:24:35","modified_gmt":"2020-01-21T18:24:35","slug":"in-venice-italy-for-avas-13th-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/21\/in-venice-italy-for-avas-13th-birthday\/","title":{"rendered":"In Venice, Italy for Ava&#8217;s 13th Birthday."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>After Croatia, we found ourselves outside of Venice, Italy. Our oldest kid was about to turn 13 and we asked her where she&#8217;d like to spend her special day and Venice it was.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388861122\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388861122_fcc442dc70_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We camped in a paid public lot across the water from Venice. For 18 euros a night, we were in a locked lot for RVs with showers, bathrooms and dumping\/fill facilities. Dan tilted our solar panels to maximize our solar input. We could have paid for electricity for another 4 euros or so but not necessary especially when we tilt. <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/GKlZqz194Tg\">He did a short video about tilting here if you are interested in numbers<\/a>. Now that we are in western Europe, we don&#8217;t feel as safe leaving our van in random public lots as we do in eastern Europe so these guarded lots will be the norm until we return to the east side.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388654451\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388654451_33e5441ddb_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And as per our tradition, we always take a last photo before a birthday the night before.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388654046\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388654046_21ac6f7f6f_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Ava&#8217;s last photo as a 12 year old. Where did the time go?!?!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388857292\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388857292_b928729f60_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In the morning, she woke up to a pile of presents while custom wrapping paper thanks to her sister Mila.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49385714397\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49385714397_01e5c8f9fc_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Pancakes and presents for breakfast.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49385714282\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49385714282_c899fb2370_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>What do you get a kid who lives on the road full-time? Art supplies and a polaroid camera. It was a big hit.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388189973\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388189973_e610978df6_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Next to our camping spot, we caught a ferry to Venice. For the 5 of us, we paid 30 euros for a round trip boat ride.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49385353346\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49385353346_cfa11a5cf4_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This was our view as soon as we stepped off of the boat. All of our jaws dropped from the immediate beauty.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49384885353\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49384885353_c59c400fdc_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Venice is not one island but a series of hundred and something islands all connected by bridges.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388177408\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388177408_2e0f772158_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388665166\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388665166_3a612f9d4a_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>All unique and it was hard not to take a photo on each one. Ha.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388653181\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388653181_23f69e4de3_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Since it was Ava&#8217;s special day, we didn&#8217;t hit up the usual must see spots but instead wandered around to do things she wanted to do.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388190258\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388190258_dea9799434_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Her must do of the day was to eat lasagna and that is exactly what she did. Yum.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49385049573\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49385049573_16a3013fc9_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And to use her new <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Rwr9LC\">FujiFilm Instax<\/a> polaroid camera.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388183483\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388183483_6aab1e10dd_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388851677\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388851677_4d63b3ea62_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Still developing but she chose to take her first polaroid of this quiet canal.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49385539587\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49385539587_1ef88b1e9f_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Next up? Gelato, of course.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388189043\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388189043_81b88859e9_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A peek at the Grand Canal.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49385397528\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49385397528_d715e953d2_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And to laugh at seagull on statue heads.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49384863063\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49384863063_28872eb741_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>More photos on bridges. Can&#8217;t. Stop.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388184233\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388184233_cea34034f5_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49384884193\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49384884193_19426e789e_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span>The best part of our full-time adventures is getting to watch our kids grow up. Hands down.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388652631\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388652631_1271071c60_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Time to catch the ferry back to our cam spot.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49388860417\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49388860417_7fd3a5f6a6_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>He&#8217;s trying to hold it together after walking 6 miles today.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49385553062\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49385553062_6c6fefe04e_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Back in the van for a cake with candles. And when I say cake with candles, I mean, grocery store mystery pies with a matchstick. Ha. That&#8217;s all we could find today on a Sunday. Look at that smile. Ava didn&#8217;t care. We were all together and that&#8217;s all that matters.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49385866196\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49385866196_7bb5e6817b_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And before I say bye, here is that polaroid fully developed. So beautiful, Ava!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"49385046923\" alt=\"Venice, Italy and Ava\u2019s 13th birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/49385046923_c9c8645444_c.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s the video Dan put together for our day in Venice. Enjoy!<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XFbHCLkr5yk\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Thanks for following along,<br \/>\nMarlene<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After Croatia, we found ourselves outside of Venice, Italy. Our oldest kid was about to turn 13 and we asked her where she&#8217;d like to spend her special day and Venice it was. We camped in a paid public lot across the water from Venice. For 18 euros a night, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10788,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[215],"tags":[225,259],"class_list":["post-10787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","tag-birthday","tag-italy"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/49384884193_19426e789e_c.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pkBzA-2NZ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10787"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10787\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}