Italian adventures | Venice, Florence, and camping in the Dolomites

Rich and I booked a very last-minute trip to Italy, which turned out to be one of the best city-break and camping experiences I’ve ever had. We flew from London Stansted and arrived in Venice at around 2 pm, which was great because we just dumped our bags at Hotel San Geremia and went straight into Venice.

Venice in three days

The hotel was situated in an ideal spot opposite Santuario Di Lucia – il suo corpo – and within a stone's throw of everything we wanted to see. The rooms were on the smaller side but perfect for what we needed, super clean, and had big Venetian shutters so that we could get a great night’s sleep.

We spent a lot of time mulling around the backstreets and smaller canals to begin with – fuelled on caffeine and pasta for most of our first afternoon (and the rest of the entire trip). The coffee was so cheap compared to the UK.

The pasta was amazing – I accidentally ordered Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino on the first night (my Italian’s a little bit rusty; I thought it had pepperoni in it) which turned out to be spaghetti in garlic, chilli flakes and pepper. It was a happy mistake and we washed it down with a glass of house vino rosso. Tiramisu for dessert (and more wine), and then we hit the town to see St Mark’s Square, Piazza San Marco. We took a look at the exteriors of St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace.

Venice had such a playful vibe – with live music in the streets, giant Aperol Spritz bottles on every corner, gondolas appearing from under tiny stone bridges, and carnival Venetian masks across the streets. On the second day, we sat down with a coffee and people‑watched, and as we were drinking, a big throng of small butterflies fluttered around us – it genuinely felt like something from a storybook.

I’d booked Rich and me a little treat to check out the Da Vinci Interactive Museum via Get Your Guide, and we got to play with some of the interactive inventions, themed around the four elements: earth, water, fire, and air.

After that, we visited the infamous Bridge of Sighs and the Ponte di Rialto, where we watched gondolas and boats pass through the archways. I’d just bought a new camera after saying goodbye to my Canon M50 – I’d upgraded to the Sony A7Cii, which was the best camera for street photography and shots of the ornate Venetian architecture.

A visit to Murano

On our final day, we thought we’d check out the water taxis, also known as the vaporettos, so that we could visit Murano for our first stop – famous for its traditional glass‑blowing techniques. Murano was beautiful – like a pearlier version of Venice, whereas Venice was more rustic with its hideaway alleys and aged buildings.

Rich bought me a beautiful Murano glass bracelet and we went for a glass of wine by the canal – it was a really romantic spot for a couple’s holiday. We then hopped back on the vaporetto and rode to Burano, known for its brightly coloured buildings and traditional lace‑making.

Dropping into Burano

Burano was vibrant and quirky, with its many coffee shops, bars, and canalside boats. We spotted an Italian man doing a crossword puzzle in the street, wearing a straw hat. There were so many photo opportunities in Burano – the vivid buildings were the perfect backdrop and we even met another fellow photographer, who we chatted with and exchanged photos.

They sold beautiful lace umbrellas and dresses on the stalls along the canals, with little stone bridges leading to the different islands across Burano Lagoon. It was possibly my favourite spot of our Venice trip – it felt tropical and lively but still had the romance of Murano and the rustic style of central Venice.

Off to Florence

It was time to pack up and embark on the second part of our trip, so we jumped on a train from Venice to Florence for a two‑hour trip via the high‑speed rail. I crocheted half of a blanket on the way and we arrived mid‑afternoon. We were carrying three 20 kg bags, plus hand luggage – one containing our camping gear and bell tent for the third part of our trip. It was knackering but worth it when we walked through the doors of our second hotel, The Social Hub Hostel.

This was a brilliant hotel with a rooftop bar and pool, super‑spacious rooms, and lots of social areas to meet new people. I met two lovely New York ladies at the bar who were en route to Lake Como for a wedding – they were really friendly and after speaking with them, I’m definitely putting New York on the list for Rich and me next!

Our first afternoon was similar to Venice – mulling around and visiting the small and larger Duomo: the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The cathedral was phenomenal and the food was insane – more expensive than Venice but better in quality. We had a few great pasta dishes and treated ourselves to a gorgeous Florentine steak at Il Nutinos – we almost ordered 1.2 kg of steak each, but the waiter helped us out and explained how much that would actually be – it would have killed us.

We shared one T‑bone steak Florentine and washed it down with a nice bottle of Chianti, Hannibal Lector style. The Chianti was vintage and absolutely gorgeous – then we had another tiramisu with extra chocolate to finish the evening.

One day, Rich booked us into a pasta‑making session over the bridge where we learned how to make tortellini, tagliatelle, and ricotta ravioli. Antonio, who led our session, was hilarious – his catchphrase was “don’t ask me, I just work here,” and he shared stories about the Amalfi Coast. We had a lot of free wine, and as we left the session to cross the road, Rich knocked my cup flying and drenched me in house red.

We had such a lovely time in Florence – dancing in the streets and indulging in pasta, wine, Aperol, and the Renaissance views. We even saw David (possibly a smaller version) and the myriad of gothic statues across the squares. Very different to Venice, but both places were equally magnificent – I’d fully recommend trying out these two spots in Italy.

On our final night, we headed to an authentic Italian opera at Santa Monica Church – they had a big fan, which I was very grateful for, as it was bordering on 30 °C even in the evening. We’d never seen an opera before, so it was definitely a sight to behold. The music was awe‑inspiring, with the soprano, baritone, and pianist harmonising seamlessly; I was genuinely taken aback by how emotional it made me feel. People were crying – I wasn’t the only one. We added Italian opera to the playlist for our road trip.

To the Dolomites! The highlight of the trip

After Florence, we jumped back on a train to Venice and picked up a car near Marco Polo Airport. We drove around two and a half hours to our campsite, Camping Alleghe, where we could hear Lake Alleghe’s waters and see Monte Civetta’s crisp peaks just around the corner from the nearby town. You could tell the winter sports must be amazing there – Rich and I would love to return for snowboarding season.

The campsite also had a heated pool that cost around €11 for three hours, with stunning mountain views and the sound of crickets in the hedges. Each caravan had a little wooden hut attached, resembling a rustic shopfront, with striped canopies and flower beds beneath the windows.

We set up on Pitch 1 and assembled our big white(ish) bell tent, bought on Facebook Marketplace a few weeks earlier for around £150 – such a bargain. We’d already done a shop and visited Decathlon for a few essentials, and that evening we cooked pasta from scratch under the stars. The only problem? We’d bought the wrong gas canisters for our portable mini stoves.

Getting hangry, we drove into town at around 10 pm – it’s worth noting that restaurants shut early and shops close around 7ish, so we were pretty hungry. We made crisp‑and‑mayo sarnies, and a kind lady at a local bar gave us a giant bag of bar crisps – truly a godsend. We had a light dinner, stargazed, and curled up on the air mattress.

Day two was much better as we were actually able to cook! We made ricotta ravioli, combining eggs, semolina, and flour for the pasta, and ricotta, lemon zest, oil, and seasoning for the filling. I made the pasta, and Rich handled the sauce (he is a saucy boy), combining lots of butter, parmesan, pasta water, garlic and seasoning in a pan before tossing in the pasta to create a buttery, cheesy treat. This may have been my favourite meal of the holiday – made with love under the night sky, hand‑designed pasta shapes and all. We savoured it and appreciated those calmer evenings after days of hiking, driving and exploring.

Spormaggiore Nature Belpark

On our first proper full day, we took a trip to Spormaggiore Nature Park – the place for bears. While we didn’t spot any in the wild, the park is home to two female bears, Cleo and Cora, just outside the village of Albare–Plan della Fontana. It’s recommended to explore the conservation site with a guide, in case of encounters with brown bears, lynxes or wolves.

We’d just missed the last guided group, so instead explored Alto Adige in Trento to see if we could spot any ourselves (we didn’t). We took a ski‑lift to Monte Lusia and hiked through forested trails, discovering small huts and waterfalls that gave the journey a woodland fairy feel. Very cottage‑core.

The Life Ursus Project has provided Italy with invaluable bear‑safety guidance to reduce human‑bear conflict so that we can observe these remarkable creatures safely. I adored the nature park, where you could view animals safely – from wolves, golden jackals, and lynxes to the main attraction: the bears.

Alpe di Siusi

Day two was Rich’s idea – which was absolutely breathtaking. We visited Alpe di Siusi, the highest alpine expanse in the Dolomites. Each pasture featured delightful wooden huts that looked beautiful in photographs. It genuinely felt like I was in Skyrim for much of the trip, and by the end of our time there, we’d pretty much completed the entire soundtrack of the game.

Alpe di Siusi was very ' The Sound of Music' – with plenty of hiking routes, gorgeous picnic spots and biking trails. While we didn’t do any via ferrata (iron‑road rock climbing), we’ll definitely be back next time to try it out. Rich captured stunning drone and Blackmagic footage, while I focused on photographing the mountains across the pastures — always perfectly paired with a cheeky mountainside prosecco.

We ski‑lifted down, which felt odd without a snowboard attached to my legs. The views were astronomical, and I could totally understand why hikers love this place.

Wild swimming in Lago del Mis

We wanted to get active and work off all the pasta, steak, pizza and wine we’d been consuming, so we headed to Lago del Mis in the Province of Belluno. The waters were crystal clear with an emerald glint. There are so many more lakes to explore on our next trip, but this one was by far the quietest compared to the more popular Dolomite lakes. The scene reminded me of Thailand, with lush green domes of vegetation surrounding the water.

We didn’t take photos — we just enjoyed the wild swim and watched the fish through our goggles. It was a swift visit, but well worth it: the lakeside beach was incredibly relaxing and easy to find on the map.

A final lunch at San Pellegrino

Once we’d packed up and checked out from Camping Alleghe, time was precious — so we made our way to San Pellegrino and found a little picnic spot. We set up our mini camping table, the crocheted tablecloth (originally intended as a blanket but working perfectly as décor), a big bottle of Chianti, and our herbs. We cooked pasta arrabbiata with a tomato‑marinara sauce, tinned pomodoro tomatoes, basil, bay leaves, salt, pepper and garlic, all doused in olive oil and goodness.

The portable camping stoves we’d bought from Mountain Warehouse (Highlander brand) were a dream — literally the easiest thing to use. Just remember to buy screw‑in canisters (rookie error) and use a lighter to ignite. We ate, drank and filmed until it was time to hit the road and head back to the airport.

We had such a brilliant time — it was definitely one of my favourite holidays with Rich and one of the best of my life. I'd like to say a personal thank you to my boyfriend Rich for making the trip extra special and being my travel buddy for life. Thank you for helping us to get here, you are truly the golden goose.

We covered so much, yet barely scratched the surface, which is why we’ll return to the Dolomites again — to explore the Via Feratta, cycle, and go on bear‑watching photography tours. Until next time…

Check out all of the photos from our trip.

Thank you for reading!

Nat, The Cool Animal Blogger X