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We visited a few places in Italy during our Easter break in 2025, revisiting
our old favourite place and exploring a few new locations. This time, we focused on
three main stops – Venice, Lake Como, and Portofino.
Venice: A City of Timeless Charm
We flew from London Stansted Airport to Venice, where we
began our adventure with a scenic water taxi ride into the city. Although my
husband and I had visited Venice in 1993 and 1996, this was our first time
experiencing the iconic water taxi – an unforgettable way to enter the city.
The host of our apartment kindly met us at a nearby water bus stop, which made our
arrival smooth and welcoming.
A Cosy Place to Stay
We stayed in a spacious three-floor apartment, complete with a large kitchen and dining area – perfect for our family to prepare breakfast together each morning.
Shopping
Our children especially enjoyed shopping for souvenirs, particularly Venetian glass accessories, charms, earrings, and bracelets.
Gelato
Gondola
One of the highlights was the gondola ride, a magical experience that created lasting memories for all of us. When my daughter was small, I rejected her demand to ride a gondola at the Venetian Hotel shopping mall in Macau. I am delighted to finally take her to a real gondola ride in Venice.
Burano and Murano: A Splash of Colour
We took a half-day trip to the nearby islands of Burano and Murano. Burano, with its charming, colourful houses, was absolutely stunning. Although we had only about two hours there, barely enough for shopping, photos, and lunch, I was completely immersed in the vibrant atmosphere and couldn’t stop capturing the beautiful scenery through photos and videos. It did feel a bit rushed, but worth the visit.
Lake Como: Scenic, Even in the Rain
Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on our side during our two days in Como – cloudy skies and rain followed us.
Bellagio
My daughter and I had hoped to take a ferry from Como to Bellagio, but tickets were sold out. Luckily, my husband kindly drove us there. The narrow road along the lake took about an hour and offered glimpses of scenic beauty, even under grey clouds.
Portofino: Beautiful but Limited for Groceries
Portofino itself is a picturesque and peaceful village, but travellers should note – it is very small and has no supermarkets. We only found a small shop selling basic items like eggs and bread. If you are planning to stay in Portofino, I would recommend doing your grocery shopping in Santa Margherita before arriving.
Walking the Coast: Portofino to Santa Margherita
One of the highlights of this trip was our coastal walk from
Portofino to Santa Margherita. The April weather was ideal – not too hot,
perfect for walking. The views were fascinating. The walk took about 1
hour and 45 minutes, though I walked slowly due to a ligament injury when I
skied in Andorra in March.
A Value-For-Money Restaurant
Final Thoughts
This trip was a refreshing return to Italy, filled with
beautiful moments, delicious food, and family bonding. Whether walking along the
coast, riding gondola and shopping in Venice, or navigating narrow lake road, each experience
added another layer to our travel story.
This is my first attempt at writing a travel experience – fulfilling a dream I have had since I was young of becoming a travel photographer, and combining my passion for travel, photography, and writing.
Further reading
Readers can refer to my previous article about nurturing passions and interests "SPICE UP YOUR LIFE: NURTURING PASSIONS AND INTERESTS".
Winner Lee
Passionate Traveller, Amateur Photographer, Writer
12th May 2025
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