Campeggio Ca’Savio is on the Lido di Jesolo, bordering the Laguna Veneta and the Adriatic Sea. We’d chosen it for its easy proximity to Venice but it turned out to be a world unto itself and an introduction to large-scale European camping. Tent pitches were in a wonderfully shady, mosquito-infested pine forest – forewarned, we were armed with an array of increasingly poisonous (but effective) repellents. The beach was a long, soft stretch of sand that sloped gently into the warm Adriatic: perfect for small children. There was a shaded playground, a mini club and – such a highlight – a Lego tent where children could create all manner of machines every afternoon. But best of all, the main pool had a PIRATE SHIP IN IT. Words cannot describe how marvellous it is to have a pool with a pirate ship in it, especially one with a mermaid spouting water decorating the bow, and TWO water slides to port and starboard.