Up the Adriatic Coasting
Pescara and Montesilvano
How we got there: From Termoli you can take a train from the central station directly to either of the two destinations. As our Hotel was located in Montesilvano we went directly there. The train ride is approximately 40 minutes.Where we stayed: As one of our family members has extended family that owns a hotel so we opted to stay in the more subdued town of Montesilvano.The Sole hotel is a low key, welcoming and perfectly situated hotel. The Hotel has both an older side and the newer side. If you opt to stay here I would request the newer building with a sea facing room. An added perk was the private beach that the hotel operates less than 100 feet from the lobby. Each room comes with two beach chairs, an Umbrella and beach towels. If the sea is not your thing check out the pool! This hotel is VERY family friendly and there were plenty of parents with kids of various ages. A great perk is that there is a beach activity group that plays music and organizes events for the children on the beach. While Pescara is the busier of the two towns; we enjoyed our time in Montesilvano to decompress and recharge for the final few days of our journey.
What We did: The good news about your time in this region is that doing nothing is perfectly fine. Time crawls into slow motion as you make your way to the beach, dip in the warm still waters and soak up some amazing sun. In the evening as in most towns you can do some shopping, enjoy an apertivo and conclude with some dinner and of course Gelato.Insiders Tip: The city of Pescara has a more robust city center with higher end shopping. For the shoe lovers check out Viktor. With three locations and name brand shoes at steep discounts its a great pit-stop. Additionally Viktor owns an outlet store with even better sales but less of a selection. Please note that the stores are on a more traditional schedule here and WILL CLOSE at 8p unlike most of the other towns where closing time was at midnight.What we ate: For our first night we went off of a recommendation of some friends and opted for fish. Dei Pani E Dei Pesci was located just off the main square in a quiet street. Run by a young chef we would highly recommend this venue for the fish lovers. While there is no outdoor seating it was a great break to have some great air-condition after basking in the sun all day. On our second night we remained local and opted for traditional "Naples" style pizza. Based on several local recommendations we chose Carpe Diem Pizzeria located in Montesilvano just across the street from the sea. Reservations are highly recommended as this place was the most bustling of all the local eateries. The pizza does take about 45 minutes when its busy so grab a starter and enjoy the delayed gratification.
Insiders tip: While in the region a typical regional food known as Arrosticini is a must try. Small pieces of meat or liver grilled and served on skewers. Have one or two or thirty but definitely don't skip this local treat. In Montesilvano check out Voglia Carnale. 
[wpvideo vFKmpt2P ]Insiders tip: If you make your way into Pescara you must navigate to Alla Chitarra Antica. This local store has the most delicious and amazing cheeses, pastries and pasta. The owner offered us a try a freshly prepared ravioli that was out of this world!!! ![wpvideo GW1k2TP0 ]
Insiders tip: For the guys if you are in need of a little trip or a whole new hairstyle check out Parrucchiere Per Liu Men in Montesilvano. All of us got some fresh fades and were very happy with the service.
VeniceHow we got there: our longest train journey so far the route between Pescara and Venice is approximately 5 hours in duration.Where we stayed: as we were only spending one night in Venice we opted to stay walking distance from the train station. We really enjoyed our stay at the Bellini hotel located approximately one block from the main train terminal. Welcoming and very helpful staff made our arrival seamless and pleasant. The hotel common spaces are adorned in mutant class and the small gallery sitting room could easily make the cover of architectural digest rooms are on the smaller side but have that Venice charm. Splurge for a superior room for a little extra space. Breakfast was included in our price and was delicious!
What we did: with only a few hours to spend in the city we targeted some of the main sites including the Rialto and the Piazza San Marco. The rest of the day was spent wandering the picturesque small winding roads and beautiful vistas. Insiders tip: while we did not end up doing a traditional Gondola ride we would not recommend doing this at night rather in the later afternoon. The price is approximately 80 Euros for 36 minutes.Where we ate: we only had the opportunity for one dinner in Venice. After promoting our concierge at the Bellini hotel for a more local recommendation he recommended " Casa Bonita" a place that he would frequent himself for dinner. Located slightly away from the tourist masses this restaurant was situated on a picturesque street. The staff including the manager were friendly and welcoming. A welcome glass of prosecco set the tone for a lovely dinner. We opted for a mixed seafood platter that was the Antipasto of the House. Shrimp warped in fried potato, polenta, white fish, octopus and scallops disappeared as fast as they arrived. For mains we would highly recommend the Branzino cooked in salt and served as a fillet, a traditional "Coda Di Rospo" a local fish embellished with cooked potatoes and zucchini and lastly a delectable spaghetti alle Vongole. We would highly recommend Casa Bonita to anyone visiting Venice. 
MilanHow we got there: from Venice an express high speed train will connect you to Milan in just under 3 hours.Insiders tip: the business class on high speed trains offers in seat charging, complimentary snacks and WiFi.Where we stayed: we booked an Apartment known as the Leonardo duplex apartment (available on multiple sites including booking.com). Well located this two bedroom two bathroom unit was great.
What we did: since we only happened to have a couple of days we spent most of our time shopping! The duomo is beautiful and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele is a must!
