On Collette’s Reflections of Italy tour, a grandmother-and-granddaughter adventure unfolds — one scoop of gelato at a time.
By Wendy McClung
Recently, I embarked on my second solo journey with one of my grandchildren – an experience rooted not in spontaneity, but in a cherished family tradition. A tradition started by my mother, each grandchild, upon turning twelve, was invited to embark on a journey designed not just to see the world, but to begin understanding their place within it. It is a rite of passage of sorts – one that trades routine for discovery and creates a shared chapter that belongs only to the two of us.
This time, it was my granddaughter Maeve’s turn.
Our journey began long before we packed a suitcase. Together, we entered the planning phase with intention – discussing destinations, navigating school schedules (as best we could), and balancing activity levels with safety and educational value. There is something quietly powerful about involving a child in this process; it transforms the trip from a gift into a collaboration, from a vacation into something far more meaningful.
Italy quickly rose to the top of our list – a country where history lives and breathes in the streets, in the architecture, and in the rhythm of daily life. Ancient ruins stand alongside vibrant piazzas, and art, culture, and tradition are woven seamlessly into everyday moments. For a young traveller, it offers not just sights to see, but stories to absorb. And, of course, the gelato.
There is far more to Italy than pizza and pasta, but we soon discovered that embracing these simple pleasures became a joyful ritual in itself.
I decided not to limit our tour choice to a “family-specific” itinerary. Instead, we joined a Collette tour where Maeve would unknowingly be the only child among a group of seasoned travellers. Rather than feeling out of place, she was embraced – welcomed with warmth, curiosity, and generosity that turned her into a cherished companion for the entire group.
Travelling with a child, I've come to realize, does not require reshaping the world to fit them. Instead, it invites them to rise to meet it.
And sometimes, all it takes is a sketchbook, a willingness to pause, and the freedom to see a place through their eyes.
One of the most memorable moments of our journey came not in the shadow of the Colosseum itself, but later, in the quiet of our room at day’s end. After a full day of exploration, we laid out our travel-worn art supplies, and Maeve began to paint – not just what she had seen, but what she had experienced.
She worked from memory and her phone pictures, selecting the details that had stayed with her: the warm, timeworn stone of the Colosseum, the brilliant Italian sky, and the way it revealed itself from behind a sweep of green. Her painting was about impression – what lingered after the crowds had faded and the day had settled.
It was in that quiet ritual of reflection that the true value of bringing art supplies became clear. Travelling with a child is not only about what they see, but what they carry forward. Creating space to revisit the day allowed Maeve to process, interpret, and make the experience her own.
In many ways, these evening pauses became as meaningful as the destinations themselves – a gentle reminder that travel, at its best, is not just about movement, but about meaning.
The journey we selected – Reflections of Italy, an 11-day guided experience with Collette – offered more than a thoughtfully designed itinerary; it provided a framework that allowed us to be fully present in each moment.
When travelling, particularly across generations, the foundation matters. The company you choose sets the tone for everything that follows – from pacing and logistics to the overall sense of ease. Collette delivered on this with a level of organisation and care that allowed me to focus less on details and more on the experience itself.
But if the tour provides the structure, the tour manager brings it to life. Ours, Simone Giovannoni, did so with remarkable skill. Knowledgeable, intuitive, and deeply attuned to the group, he had an ability to read the room – balancing history with humour, structure with flexibility. In a brief conversation I had with him, he summed up his role elegantly: “Collette writes the music. I’m the director of the orchestra.” That philosophy was evident in the way each day unfolded, with just enough guidance to inform, and enough freedom to allow for personal discovery. “”It’s your vacation” he adds. “Tailor it according to your needs.”
For Maeve, this meant feeling not like the only child on an adult tour, but like a welcomed and valued participant in it. For me, it reinforced something I’ve come to believe: while itinerary and destination matter, the human element – the people who shape the journey – can define it.
The itinerary itself traced a classic arc through Italy, but as with most meaningful journeys, it was the moments in between that shaped the experience.
Our travels began in Rome – the Eternal City – where layers of history reveal themselves not in chapters, but in footsteps. From the grandeur of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel to the vast scale of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome set the tone early: a place where art, faith, and history coexist seamlessly. For Maeve, it was captivating; for me, a reminder that seeing the world through a child’s eyes offers renewal.
Leaving Rome behind, we moved into the quieter rhythms of Umbria. Assisi invited reflection, while Perugia’s medieval streets encouraged wandering without agenda. It was here that our own small tradition began to take shape – seeking out gelato at each stop along the way. What started as a simple treat quickly became a daily ritual, occasionally replacing dinner altogether and always marking the close of another well-lived day.
Tuscany followed, offering its familiar yet no less breathtaking landscapes. In Cortona, perched high above the valley, we paused to absorb sweeping views before continuing on to Florence – the cradle of the Renaissance. Florence rewards both intention and spontaneity; its landmarks are well known, yet its charm lies in the spaces between them. For Maeve, it became a place not only to observe but to interpret – where art moved from museum walls to her own sketchbook.
A brief immersion into the Chianti region highlighted Italy’s deep connection to food, wine, and tradition. A cooking demonstration and shared meal underscored something we had begun to understand more fully: in Italy, nourishment is as much about experience as it is about sustenance.
Venice, by contrast, felt entirely fluid – experienced as much by water as by foot. The city unfolded as a series of impressions: Murano’s centuries-old glassmaking, the serenity of hidden neighbourhoods, and the spectacle of St. Mark’s Square. It is a place that resists hurried exploration, best appreciated slowly – best experienced by gondola.
Our journey concluded along the tranquil shores of Lake Como, where the pace softened and reflection came naturally. A boat ride across its still waters offered a final vantage point – not just of the landscape, but of the experience we had shared.
While the itinerary was thoughtfully curated, what defined the journey was not the structure, but the space within it. Travelling with a child did not require altering the experience to fit her; instead, it allowed the experience to be enriched by her perspective. Whether through an evening spent painting, a thoughtful question posed at just the right moment, or the simple consistency of a daily gelato, Maeve engaged with Italy in a way that was entirely her own.
And in doing so, she reminded me that the true purpose of travel – especially when shared across generations – is not simply to see the world, but to connect more deeply with it, and with each other.
To learn more about Collette’s tours of Italy and other destinations, visit gocollette.com.
Tips for Travelling with Kids
- Consider arriving a day early to ease into the tour experience. Collette offers extra hotel nights and add-ons before and after the tour, making the transition much smoother for families. We used the extra time in Rome to take a pasta-making class through Get Your Guide – a fun and delicious way to kick off the adventure.
- Pack a small travel art kit with acrylic markers, charcoal crayons, paints, brushes and a sketch pad or mini canvases. After busy days of sightseeing, we loved relaxing in the evenings by sketching scenes from the day.
- Check hotel locations before arriving so you can get your bearings. One of the highlights of travelling with Collette on the Reflections of Italy tour was the excellent hotel selection. In Rome, the Grand Hotel Palatino was perfectly situated near iconic landmarks like the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain, making sightseeing easy and manageable with kids.
- Embrace the culinary experience. Italy is a feast for the senses, and children will remember the food as much as the landmarks. Encourage them to try fresh pizza, handmade pasta and, of course, gelato. In Florence, we loved the bustling indoor food market filled with countless food stations and communal picnic-style tables.
- Pack lighter than you think you need. Although Collette takes care of transporting luggage throughout the tour, repeatedly packing and unpacking can still become tiresome. Packing cubes helped keep everyone organized and made moving from city to city much easier.