For this holiday the usual Hundereise team split up. Since Martina goes on a beach holiday every year and has already been to Croatia and Greece with the Galgos, this year a new destination is being tackled. So Atlas, Tiago and Neroli are off to Italy – more precisely to Cavallino-Treporti, a place situated between Jesolo and Venice!
Here is the travel report from Martina:
Arrival and Accommodation in Italy.
The roughly 6-hour drive didn't bother the boys one bit, as usual. They were completely rested by the time we arrived. The little bungalow we rented was a real jackpot!
The bungalows are situated a little outside and have small paths for walking between the greenhouses. Our landlords, the older couple Maria and Piero, live next door and run the Bungalow Gambarow together with their son. That we were arriving with large dogs was no problem at all, although Maria did look a little sceptical at the sight of Tiago. ;)
But since all the sighthound boys behaved completely calmly and without any fuss, I think she quickly took us to her heart. We got fresh tomatoes in the morning, and every time I see her I try to have a little chat in my broken Italian.
The bungalow is very nice and newly renovated, with a very well-functioning air conditioning unit and has everything you need. There is also a small outdoor sitting area that is covered and fenced in.
A Brief Scare on Arrival.
We get the key to the bungalow at 4 p.m. The plan was to stretch our paws and legs a little before unpacking. But as so often: things don't go as planned. ????
Since you have to try everything on holiday, the big pony decided he wanted to meet an Italian vet as well.
Here's the story:
Right next to our bungalow there's a path alongside a small canal. Tiago used to hate water when I first got him and now he throws himself into every muddy puddle. Well, it was hot – the pony naturally jumped straight in and slipped somewhere with his back paw.
So Tiago comes out of the water and won't put any weight on it, and behind the paw pad his leg starts swelling and he shows me he's in pain when I touch it. He can sometimes be over-dramatic, but we could see straight away that this time it was serious. Where do you find a vet around here? So I asked Google for vets and drove with him to the nearest one.
How Do You Find a Vet in Italy?
It wasn't easy to find one, and of course: we found ourselves standing in front of a locked door! There were 3 phone numbers written on the door and I called them all until at some point a friendly man appeared before us and made it clear that he was the vet.
Me with no Italian and the friendly Dr. Sandro with no English. But he immediately took a look at Tiago's foot and invited us in. So the pony was placed on the table and examined. Every toe bent, inspected with a magnifying loupe, and suddenly he draws up a syringe. A quick prayer to heaven and holding the pony's foot firmly while the doctor jabbed three times into the swollen spot. Tiago was SO brave!!!
Pointing to the tendons on my hand, I asked Dr. Sandro if that was what it was. Thankfully he shook his head. Good! Then he gave us 2 painkillers to take away and said: "Piano, Piano! No Running." That I understood!
Happy Ending!
By evening the spot was still a little tender, but by the following day there was no sign of anything.
A big thank-you to the lovely vet! So this story had a happy ending, thank goodness.
What exactly was wrong with him I never found out, because unfortunately I couldn't understand the vet.
One quick evening trip down to the beach, and then just collapsing into bed.
The Beach "Punta Sabbioni".
Punta Sabbioni is about 10 minutes away by car. I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw the beach for the first time. Very spacious and completely clean, which I suspect isn't always the case at a dog beach.
On one side it is bounded by a jetty, with a lovely little lighthouse at the far end. There is also a small café or beach bar there. Behind it are sand dunes with shrubs. I'm bad at estimating distances, but it must be a few hundred metres before the beach sections belonging to the campsites begin.
Our First Proper Day at the Beach.
Atlas, Tiago, Neroli and I pack up all our beach things and are absolutely thrilled.
Atlas would love nothing more than to run and play, Tiago keeps his excitement in check as usual — but little Neroli suddenly takes a shine to the water, even though up until now he'd only ever dipped his toes in once.
I'm loaded up like a pack mule: a beach umbrella, Hundereise travel blankets, a beach mat, towel and water are of course non-negotiable. The seating arrangements on the beach become clear pretty fast. I'm sitting on the smallest blanket again while the boys lounge under the umbrella. Works for me ????
Every now and then they join me in the water, but they're just as happy to stay under their umbrella when I head into the sea on my own. Occasionally other dogs trot past or splash around in the water, which my dogs completely ignore. After a few hours of sunbathing we treat ourselves to a little nap in the cool bungalow before heading out for the "best Pizza in Town."
Pizza! Pizza!
On a recommendation we find one of the best pizza restaurants around. Tiago and Neroli are with me and we're greeted with genuine warmth. A spot in a corner is quickly found where Tiago and Neroli can lie comfortably. Hundereise travel blanket on the floor, the command "Decke" — and the boys don't budge until we leave. Am I ever glad I practised that so much…
And the pizza: Molto Bene!!!
Otherwise we cook for ourselves in the bungalow with Italian specialities, and just like that a few Hundereise days in Italy fly by in no time!
It was absolutely wonderful, and we'll definitely be back in autumn or winter to visit Venedig!
