I took my mum to Venice – it was instantly special

My mum is not a sun bunny. She likes active holidays: walking about interesting towns, gazing at historical things (churches, art, gardens), plus non-spicy food and, possibly, some water to paddle in.

When my brother and I were young, our summers involved much traipsing through National Trust properties and banging seaside windbreaks into blustery British beaches. Before that, my parents travelled quite a bit: they drove round Europe in a Mini, even making it to Russia. But my dad can’t really manage a holiday these days, so my mum’s options are more limited. Day outings with her book group, occasionally further afield with a friend. And sometimes she goes on holiday just with me.

My mum and I are good at holidaying together, as long as nobody else comes, too: teenagers require too many compromises around food (never-ending pizzas) and activities (no museums, no secondhand shops, nothing “dead”). We both like to be busy but not hectic. Bit of culture, bit of window shopping, bit of people‑watching.

Our most recent jaunt was late last September to Venice – an exciting holiday for anyone, because it’s instantly special. Just getting to your hotel is a delight: a shared boat taxi skimming across the lagoon and into the canals, chugging up to rickety walkways and shadowy hotel doors, the driver helping passengers off the boat into unknown adventures.

We were last to disembark, as we were staying in a hotel on the Lido: another island, a slim strip of land in the Venetian Lagoon, a little way away from Venice proper. My mum had camped at the Lido when she was expecting me (“They wouldn’t let me go water-skiing because I was pregnant”), and it’s good for anyone wanting to escape the city’s tourist madness: cheaper and more everyday than higgledy-trinkety-glitzo Venice. It has a wide main street with a few restaurants. We kept meaning to have our evening meal in Venice itself but never did. The people-watching was too good, especially in Ristorante Gran Viale, a large local place filled with all ages, from a young couple with a tiny newborn to a boisterous group in their 70s, the women rattling with jewellery, the men with long hair combed back.

The Venice Biennale was on. The official part of this international art show is held at Giardini, a couple of vaporetto (public waterbus) stops on the way from the Lido to Venice proper. There are pavilions from each country, lined up like Lego pieces along shaded boulevards, each showcasing a representative artist, so you can pop into one, stay longer at another. Beware: you have to book for the Biennale, and, indeed, for almost everywhere else. I managed to snaffle the last couple of tickets for the fantastic Ducal Palace, but many of the main tourist haunts were already full. So we hopped on a boat to San Tomà and the Basilica dei Frari to look at the Titians.

Venice is tiring, especially for an eighty-something, but there are small areas of respite: the neat rectangle of the Giardini Reali, just round the corner from San Marco; the tiny but perfectly formed Olivetti Showroom on San Marco itself. And because we were staying at the Lido, the 20-minute vaporetto ride home (linea 1) became like a meditation at the end of the afternoon. The engine chugging, the people chatting, the warm air in through the windows, the mad renaissance beauty of the scene outside. Watching my mum nod off a little bit before waking up and smiling, ready for our next activity.

Bond over a podcast

Sharing a podcast series can be a great way to bond on holiday. Miranda Sawyer chooses five favourites.

S Town
Great for long-distance drives. Immense, twisty true-life storytelling that keeps everyone gripped without descending into grimness. stownpodcast.org

Off Menu
James Acaster and Ed Gamble will make all generations laugh, plus there are loads of episodes to choose from. offmenupodcast.co.uk

You Must Remember This
Hollywood history and tales of derring-don’t. Good for older parents. youmustrememberthispodcast.com

British Scandal
Alice Levine and Matt Forde sit us down to tell us the UK’s maddest escapades as though they’re very funny Jackanory stories. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/british-scandal/id1563775446

Sweet Bobby
Real-life British catfish thriller. Excellent way to open up discussions with teenagers. tortoisemedia.com/listen/sweet-bobby/