Venice

🇮🇹 A Birthday in Venice: A Family Journey Through the Floating City

When planning our two-week Croatia itinerary, I stumbled upon a day trip to Venice and immediately stopped scrolling. I’d been once before – over twenty years ago, during my study abroad in 1993 – when I was young, fearless, and traveling on a student budget. My husband had always wanted to go but never made it. And our oldest? She studied abroad in Florence in 2018, traveling across nearly every corner of Europe. The one city she missed was Venice – her trip was canceled that weekend because the city flooded.

So when I realized we could reach Venice by catamaran from Pula, I didn’t hesitate. “Why not?” I said. “Let’s all go… on my birthday.”

The Journey Across the Adriatic

We woke before dawn, the streets of Pula still hushed. The catamaran bobbed gently at the dock, the sky pale with the promise of morning. As the engines hummed to life, I found a seat by the window and sipped coffee, the sea stretching endless and silver before us.

It felt surreal returning to a place I’d last seen as a student, now with my husband and daughters beside me. My husband, content with his “agua,” smiled when I ordered a morning Prosecco. “Birthday rules,” I told him.

Three hours later, the skyline of Venice began to appear — church domes and campaniles rising out of the lagoon like mirages. I remembered that exact feeling from my first visit: awe mixed with disbelief that such a place could even exist.

First glimpses of Venice from the Grand Canal

Piazza San Marco

Stepping off the boat, we followed the flow of visitors toward Piazza San Marco, the heart of Venice for nearly a millennium. The scene that unfolded was dazzling – golden mosaics glinting on the Basilica di San Marco, marble arches of the Doge’s Palace glowing pink in the sun, and pigeons swooping and swirling in every direction.

I had remembered the pigeons as vividly as I remembered San Marco itself. On my first visit, I’d never seen so many birds in one place – a cloud of flapping wings above the crowd. I was half convinced one was going to take off with my hair… or at the very least, do something on it. Decades later, I found myself laughing at the memory as the girls darted between photo ops, trying to capture the square from every angle.

Standing there twenty-plus years later, I felt time blur – the same square, the same sparkle, but now seen through the lens of motherhood instead of youth.

My girls took it all in with a mix of curiosity and digital enthusiasm. At one point they asked me to take photos of them – not selfies exactly, but close enough (maybe worse). There was one picturesque bridge overlooking a canal where I must have taken a million shots, and only two “survived.” Every few seconds I’d hear, “That’s my bad side!” or “Ugh, my eyes are shut!” or my favorite, “Mom, do you even know how to take pictures? Turn your camera the other way – no, up and down! Are you stupid?” Eventually, I gave up and went back to what I do best: taking classic scenic shots. The canals never complain about angles or lighting. Eventually I reminded them, “It’s one day, and it’s my birthday. It’s time to explore some more!”

We continued walking but had to pause when we neared the Doge’s Palace, where intricate marble carvings told stories of saints, sinners, and serpents. One column depicted Adam and Eve beneath the Tree of Knowledge, their expressions frozen in eternal hesitation. A fitting reminder — beauty often hides just a bit of mischief.

The Basilica di San Marco, still as dazzling as I remembered from my student days.

A Family Gondola Ride

We couldn’t leave without the quintessential Venetian experience: a gondola ride. Climbing in, the boat rocked gently as our gondolier pushed off with a practiced rhythm. Dressed in his striped shirt and straw hat, he maneuvered us through narrow canals framed by pastel-colored buildings and candy-striped mooring poles.

Venice unfolded in motion – emerald water lapping at brick walls, balconies overflowing with flowers, laundry fluttering like flags of daily life.

Our gondolier pointed out landmarks, humming softly as we passed under arched bridges. The girls leaned together for another selfie, and even my husband smiled, watching their laughter bounce between the buildings. For a moment, I set my camera down and just breathed – the sound of the oar slicing through water, the scent of salt and stone, the feeling of sharing something timeless.

My husband reached over, squeezed my hand, and said, “Venice was worth the wait.” I couldn’t have agreed more.

Gondoliers in traditional striped shirts guiding visitors through quiet canals lined with pastel façades and candy-striped poles.

Passing under centuries-old bridges, reflections of coral and gold dancing in the water.

Lunch Among Locals

After the ride, we wandered until we found a small trattoria tucked beside a quiet canal. The air smelled of garlic and sea breeze, the kind of place where locals linger long after their plates are empty.

I ordered linguine alle vongole, paired with a crisp glass of white wine. My husband lifted his sparkling water and smiled, and together we toasted – to Venice, to my birthday, and to simply being here together as a family.

Our oldest tried seafood risotto, adventurous as always, while our youngest ordered, predictably, pasta with cheese. Between bites, we shared stories, laughed, and watched other families savoring the food and atmosphere.

It wasn’t the fanciest birthday meal I’d ever had, but it was one of the happiest.

Windows open to the water, boats gliding past as diners lingered over lunch.

Colorful buildings glowing in the afternoon light, every canal, every alleyway leading to another picture-perfect scene.

Venetian Colors and a Birthday Keepsake

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering without a plan, which is the only way to truly see Venice. The buildings shimmered in every shade imaginable – coral, butter yellow, faded peach – their reflections rippling in the green-blue canals. Each corner offered a new surprise: a hidden bridge, a courtyard echoing with footsteps, or an artist painting beside the water.

In a small shop near the Rialto Bridge, I spotted a simple Venetian glass pendant — a swirl of colorful millefiori flowers encased in clear glass. I slipped it into my palm and smiled. It wasn’t extravagant, but it was perfect – my birthday souvenir, small enough to wear, bright enough to remember.

My birthday pendant — a tiny swirl of millefiori flowers captured in glass.

Farewell to the Floating City

As evening approached, the sun draped the Grand Canal in gold. The white dome of Santa Maria della Salute gleamed across the water, its baroque curves glowing in the late light. Beyond it, San Giorgio Maggiore stood serene against the lavender sky.

Venice, for all its beauty, feels fragile – as if one strong tide could wash it away. But that’s part of its magic. It’s a city that endures by floating, by balancing between water and sky.

As our catamaran pulled away, I looked back at the skyline – the same one I’d fallen in love with decades ago — and felt that quiet mix of gratitude and nostalgia that only travel brings.

A birthday, twenty years in the making.

A city that never loses its spell.

And a reminder that the best memories are the ones shared – imperfect photos and all.

Santa Maria della Salute from the Grand Canal.

If You Go:

Getting There: The Pula–Venice catamaran (Venezia Lines) runs seasonally, about 3.5 hours each way. Bring passports and arrive early for customs.
Don’t Miss: Piazza San Marco, Doge’s Palace carvings, Rialto Bridge, and a gondola ride through the quieter canals.
Best Views: The Grand Canal near Santa Maria della Salute and the skyline of San Giorgio Maggiore at sunset.
Dining Tip: For quieter meals, step a few blocks away from St. Mark’s Square.
Souvenir: Authentic Murano glass jewelry — the perfect, portable memory.
Fun Fact: The striped poles along Venice’s canals once marked the homes of noble families, each painted in colors representing their lineage.