So when I was 10 years old, mom moved us to Manhattan as she was on stage in the musical "Applause." She took over from Lauren Bacall.
That summer, she took us, my sisters and I, on a trip to France, Italy and Denmark, all in 30 days. Venice was a real highlight and also very scary.
We landed at the Venice airport and were directed into a small motor boat, 5 of us, including my mom's dresser, Dottie from England.
As females traveling, we had way too much luggage and the small boat was more than full.
Mom was standing up on tiptoe snapping pictures as we flew across the water to The Gritti Palace hotel, our home for the next few nights.
Suddenly, WHAM, we hit something. Mom toppled backwards, and picked herself up and continued snapping pics, until she felt water at her feet and realized the boat was taking on water and fast.
She knew Spanish, French, a bit of German and no Italian, but thank goodness water in Spanish is close in Italian, she yelled "AGUA" at the driver, who turned around, went WHITE AS A SHEET, and gunned the boat harder.
In mere moments, we were slammed up on a concrete ramp, assisted out of the boat by help at the dock, and my last view is of the driver, waste deep in water, tossing everything he could lay his hands on out of the boat.
It was his livelihood.
Mom whisked us off to a lovely dinner and the next morning, she told us that she'd spoken with the police and they told her we'd hit sabotage that has been intended for the Italian President who'd arrived a day early.
It was our own James Bond family moment!
Clearly, I have a soft spot for Venice and always wanted to go as an adult because it was my mom and older sister that got serenaded by the gondoliers that trip, we were tucked in bed.
And you can USE 'GALT10' AT CHECKOUT TO SAVE 10%.
HUGS,
Melissa
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![[Image: Breakfast in Venice | Spring Virtual Tour]](https://hostedimages-cdn.aweber-static.com/MzAzNTcw/optimized/b751729f08ba4ab287f37c044c94342c.png)