Hey my Lovelies,

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to go to Venice, Italy with some close friends of mine!

Prior to getting on a plane last week Thursday, I hadn’t been on a plane in about 19 years… (Yep you read that right) the last time I boarded a plane was when I was 5/6 years young, so my nerves were beyond the roof & anxiety was super intense.

Carry on reading to find out how my 4 days in Venice turned and take a peek at some of the pictures I snapped throughout my short holiday!

 

I’m not particularly scared of heights but a plane is a whole other category of heights in its own.

I’ve also heard not so pleasant stories about the airline I was booked with (Ryanair) so I had been apprehensive about the journey all the way through the process of getting to Italy. If I saw any funny business or behaviour going on I wasn’t ready to tolerate it at all.

In the end, my flight wasn’t too bad. It was a 2-3 hour flight and I had a window seat which gave me the opportunity to admire the view but then closed the shutter as soon as I felt uneasy again.

It also helped that I said a prayer & sat next to a supportive friend on the way to Venice so although I felt anxious I knew I was somewhat safe.

 

On the way to Italy, I tried out my new FlyFit earplugs which I purchased from Amazon a few days prior to flying out. I checked the reviews and saw they were quite good, so now that I have been able to try them myself I will eventually get round to doing a review on my blog.

The worst part was travelling back home on the return flight as I had forgotten my flight plugs in my suitcase so I suffered that awful ear pressure pain which took over a day or two to go. I already suffer from my ears blocking up and hurting most of the time so the flight pressure just really sent them into shock. It’s the absolute worst sensation especially when your body is already burning with chronic pain 😢

 

 

 

 

Traveling around Italy

The accommodation was chosen by a majority vote within the group of friends I went with. Most buildings are rustic and have no lift or other means to enter other than by stairs.

The Air BnB I stayed in was on the top floor with steep stairs and so every time I made a trip out of the apartment and came back I had to mentally prepare myself for the challenging treck up and down the stairs.

Getting around a non-accessible place with a disability aid whilst in pain is really hard.

What I found nice about travelling around Venice is that as it’s a small island, being surrounded by water was very refreshing. The weather was mid-20’s and higher so feeling the breeze of the sea was well appreciated.

Unlike London, there isn’t a TFL system that offers a variety of transport options or busses that come to every 5 minutes, oh no, instead, boats are taken every 15+ minutes and these round tickets are very expensive at a time. All the same, it was an interesting and different way to travel throughout the weekend.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

 

Eating Out in Italy

 

 

 

 

Venetian’s are definitely night people!

Small Breakfast, Medium Lunch & Big Dinner… or something like that!

Like London, Venice never sleeps, which was quite surprising to see. There were both restaurants and fast food street shops available at all hours of the evening so getting food was ok regarding that you’re already out of the house and/or have the company to help find your way around. It was more so the options of food that were harder to find i.e gluten-free, vegan etc.

Prices are in the mid-high range, of course, the nicer the decor of the restaurant the more money it was & the less food they give. You can easily find yourself spending 25-30 euros a day just on lunch and dinner.

We, fortunately, found a supermarket the day we arrived and made an effort to buy water and a few things to eat for our breakfast for the next couple of days.

There was a spaghetti dish that I ate for lunch on Friday, I enjoyed very much and would so recommend it (photographed above).

A lot of what I ate was food that my body doesn’t particularly respond well to but I had to eat as the body needs fuel especially when burning it all on exploring.

How I coped during the days

 

 

 

 

 

With the aid of my cane and finding a seat or wall at any given moment, I was able to get through venturing around Venice.

On the day after getting there, waking up early and going through all the airport checks my body was done for and so I swore I wouldn’t be able to face the next day and was anticipating how I would tell my friends that I wouldn’t be venturing out of the BnB on Friday. I felt gutted as I knew it was such a short trip and really didn’t want to miss out on enjoying it because of my body doing its normal shut down shindig. I never expressed this as I felt to wait it out and see how I felt. Fortunately, after my shower, a peppermint tea and some croissants, I motivated myself to get dressed and conquer the next few days in Venice.

It was very taxing on my body and I just wish that there were more benches around, but just like public bins, there weren’t any to be seen. Every day I had looked forward to what we would come across as everywhere was rather aesthetically pleasing and the sun shining made it that much better to look forward to it. Although I had a recurring headache and I was in agony every step of the way I took in as much as I could so as to have memories to keep me going for years to come.

Fortunately, I had the company of 7 other ladies who were helpful and assisted me with my suitcase and other loads which I really appreciated.

*I also made sure to bring my water, vitamin c capsules, battery pack and a few other items to put me at ease whilst exploring… I’ll make a post about some key items to have in your travel checklist!

 

 

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

I live to tell the tale of my Venetian Getaway & I’m resting for my next adventure…

One Spoon At A Time  🥄💛

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

 

Tips for visiting Italy

 

•  Research the area before you go
• Book airport assistance if travelling with your aids etc.

• Travel with someone who is good at reading maps, the streets are very similar and easy to get lost
• There are restaurants and cafes in different areas of Venice try to get fast street food instead of restaurant meals as it’ll help to save money
• In Venice, it is very difficult to travel if you have a chronic illness that limits your mobility and anyone with near to no mobility at all would find Venice to be a very mentally and physically taxing place to visit. Try looking up other places in Italy that are more modernised and have easier access for people with disabilities and physical limitations.

 

Just a few photos I took from my 4 day trip to Venice, Italy!

 

 

 

 

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

YOUTUBE CHANNELS

Laura Spoonie – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb2OZo8sCP4ZtGvm-g1VWug

Chronic Illness + Mental Health Topics

Laura Spoonie Vlogs – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF0d0iBHqrTuGLT9xCACOpg

Vlogs of day trips, medical appointments, painting & drawing etc.

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

 

 

SUBSCRIBE, COMMENT & SHARE

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

 

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

Twitter – Follow @LauraSpoonie

Pinterest – Follow @LauraSpoonie

If you enjoy my content –  Support Me on Ko-fi

Thanks for stopping by.

Laura,

XOXO