And amazing place we were stand by the beauty in all of the architecture that is in the area. I…read morestrongly recommend seeing this in your lifetime

This is one of my favorite places in Padova! Beautiful oval…read moreshaped park with a fountain in the center and four grass sections with trees divided by the walking paths. A great place to walk around or even just hang out for the afternoon or at night. We always used to meet up with friends here when we wanted to hang out but not necessarily go to a bar--you can even bring your own wine or beer to the park. I have many fond memories here and will always go back to the park when I return to visit Padova

I was driving from Venice to Bologna and I found the World Heritage site in between that lays claim…read moreto being the first botanical garden on Earth, so I figure I would have to stop by. I didn't have much time because my rental was due back, and to compound this issue, parking was tough, so time spent driving around trying to park definitely ate into my time I wanted to spend here. When I finally did park, I literally ran, well jogged, to the entrance, paid around 10 euros to come in and then I was at peace. There are two areas worth exploring. First is the original garden and circular garden with various species thoughtfully planted about. The second, new area is a brief walk away and features plants from different ecosystems, like tropical, temperate, etc. The huge lily pads out front and in the tropical room were my favorite and I only wish I had more time to explore here (1.5 hours are needed) and also check out the architecture of the nearby town. Good luck parking and once you do that, you'll have fun here. And always great to support another World Heritage Site.

A beautiful Renaissance medicinal garden, well worth a stroll for the flowers and herbs (we were…read morethere the first week of May). Not to be missed, however, is the series of modern greenhouses that lead the visitors from one climate to another starting with the tropics and ending in the desert. From the piazza outside St Anthony's, take a short stroll down a quiet residential street, over the ancient moat and into the garden. Established as part of the university college of medicine in 1545, it is believed to be the oldest one in Europe, with over 7000 varieties of plants including medicinal, poisonous, and carnivorous. The flytraps quiver in anticipation if you have your hand over them! On the less creepy side the roses are gorgeous. Entrance 10 euros, 6 for seniors.

Really fun day out(side)! We ventured up to the park on Easter Sunday with our dog. Yep, they were…read moreopen on Easter in Italy. Already earning brownie points. They are also dog friendly. Score, again. You park at the top of the town and walk down to the main entrance. Your GPS will try to convince you to drive all the way down. Don't do it! The road becomes very narrow and pretty much pedestrian only. Once at the entrance, you pay the entry fee (€6 per person as of April 2019), grab a map and set out to explore. They have three trails in the park. Green is the easy one and takes you past two really impressive waterfalls. They say it takes 30 minutes but we spent about an hour with breaks, photo ops, our dog's desire to smell everything, etc. Red is medium and black is difficult. We stuck to the green trail this visit but hope to tackle the red one next time. There is a small cafe in the park that serves cold drinks, ice cream and a few other snacks. They even have a little gift shop where I was super excited to find a magnet to add to our collection.

The one thing I'm quite proficient at in Venice is getting lost. Virtually as soon as I start…read moreambulating I'm done for. One nice thing about this park is it's so close to the Piazzale Roma that it's impossible to become displaced; simply amble across the bridge toward the center of Venice and you've arrived. In addition, for a small garden, it has a fair amount of seating, grass, and shade when succumbing to an afternoon nap. It's definitely worth a quick stop before roaming aimlessly as you venture from the Piazzale Roma toward more notable sites in Venice.

We visited Terme di Giunone while on vacation from California, and it was such a wonderful…read moresurprise! My 4 kids (17, 15, 12 and 10) wanted a break from the beach and after some quick research we ended up at Terme di Giunone. Tucked away in the countryside with beautiful greenery and the sound of cicadas all around, it felt so peaceful yet fun for the kids. Super affordable, plenty of space, free parking, free lounge chairs, and even a great snack bar. The water slides were a huge hit (no swim cap required there, which our kids loved. Caps ARE required for all other pools). A perfect break from Lake Garda. We're so glad we made the drive, highly recommend !

Roach hotel. Worse ever. Garibaldi hotel in Italy. Smells like feet. No elevators, no one to…read morehelp with luggage to go up the stairs. . This place should close down. Not sure how they stay open.