Venice, Italy - July 2026

 Not long after getting back from Hamilton, NY, we were already packing again. We're excited to head out on a nearly month-long journey to Europe, with Italy as our first stop and Hungary as our final destination. Our itinerary for the trip wasn't too packed, allowing us travel at our own pace.. The only major commitments we had to keep were the weekend of July 18 - 19 in Udine, Italy for the wedding of Paul's nephew, Nathan, and July 25 in Regensburg, Germany to catch our 8 day river cruise. 

Leaving Philly for Venice.

                                               Never seen an international flight this empty!.

Sunrise over the Atlantic.

Our first stop in Italy was Venice. It had been about fifteen years since our last visit, but it was still the same mega tourist destination, especially in the summer. Needless to say, it was incredibly hot and crowded! 

First view of Venice! Waiting for a water taxi right across from the beautiful Church of St. Simeone Piccolo -

Life in motion on the Grand Canal. 


Water taxis.⛴.

Speed boat🚤.


Big boat ⛴.


Gondola hard at work!🚣

                                                                    

Gondola parking deck.

Another beautiful church along the canal, the San Geremia.

Disembarking from the water taxi, directly across from the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore.

Along the narrow canal bridges of San Marco.

Doge's Palace.

                                                                   

Interior of St. Mark's Basilica.

St. Mark's Basilica.

St. Mark's Basilica.

Leading to the sanctuary housing the "Golden" altarpiece .

St. Mark's Clocktower.

St. Mark's Square.

Bell tower of St. Mark's Basilica.

The Columns of San Mark and San Theodore at St. Mark's Square.

San Mark's Square is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Venice and Its Lagoon".

Watching the gondola maneuvering through the narrow waterway.

Exploring the winding alleyways leading to Rialto Bridge.

The "famous" Rialto Bridge.

Taking a breather at the heart of Venice's Grand Canal.💙

After having an early dinner of pizza near the Rialto bridge, we caught a water taxi straight to the dock. From there we headed back to our hotel, the Crowne Plaza Venice East, which is just a short walk from the Quarto d'Altino station. 

~~~~~~💤💤💤~~~~~

Hamilton, NY - July 4th weekend 2026

 A few days before the July 4th weekend, we headed north to visit Andrew, Jen and their family in their new house north of Philly. After staying with them overnight in Wyndmoor, we continued northward to Hamilton where we stayed with Michelle, Seth and their family. Andrew, Jen, Carter and Sawyer drove up for our family reunion over the long weekend, staying at an AirBnB not too far from Hamilton. It was a wonderful few days spent celebrating the Fourth of July, Linden's 4th birthday and a great summer get-together.

Two-month-old Julien with grandpa!

The two brothers.

Reading time.

Entertainment time!

All eyes on Julien - including Millie.

Cater, Linden and Sawyer: Taking play very seriously!

Grandpa and Linden: post-ride break.

First trial 💏👦!

Sawyer's turn 😀👍!.

Perfect 👍💗!


July 3rd -Birthday party at the park two days before Linden's birthday.


A must-have: pinata!






The birthday boy and his cupcake.


With Uncle Andrew and Julien looking on.

🎆🎇🎉

Hamilton Village Green is packed and ready for the annual July Fourth Parade.


Parade spectators.


More spectators.


And many more...😊😉.

Yes, it actually rained on the parade!. Some of us cut it short and ran home in the rain, while others toughed it out to the very end. I can't remember the last time Hamilton got the rainy Fourth of July parade, but it definitely made this year one to remember! 
💧💦⛆🌊🌀


July 5th ~ The birthday boy is ready.

Everyone says "cake"!

Happy 4th Birthday, Linden!💙💛💚💗

What a wonderful weekend! We had a great time sharing many laughs and fond memories. Until next time. ~ Love you all 💓!!