Innkeepers & travelers, please send us your travel articles for future issues at info@altraverse.com!
Italy 2005
Part Five: Venice
The Trip from Lake Como
 From Lake Como, we took an early morning train to Milan, where we transferred to the Eurostar train to Venice. The train actually crosses the lagoon on a causeway that it shares with the road that brings cars to Venice from the mainland. Both the train tracks and the roadway end at Venice's eastern edge, where the train station sits on the edge of the Grand Canal.
The Venetian People
 Venice has its own language, like many areas of Italy, from its history as its own city-state. Interestlingly to us, many parents in the area don't let their children learn the local dialect, afraid that it will make their children seem backwards and provincial.
We enjoyed hearing the language, though, and the local differences are partly what make Italy so fascinating.
Folks in Venice were almost universally friendly. Like Florence, they have tons of tourists, even in the off season; unlike Venice, they seem to really welcome these visitors.
 You arrive in Venice at the train station in the north-east edge of the city. Venice is arranged in Sestiere (Districts) - there are eigh main sestiere on the central islands, as welll as the outlying islands, which include Giudecca, Lido, Cimitero, Murano, and Burano, among others.
 We were in Venice for five days, and spent the majority of our time in Venice proper, in the San Marco, San Polo, Dorsoduro, Santa Croce and Cannaregio districts, with side trips to Lido and Murano.
 Venice, like the other major cities we visited while in Italy, felt very safe, even when we were walking thru narrow, twisty alleyways and no one else was around. The streets and alleys were all well lit at night, and we had a fantastic time exploring the twists and turns of this Grand City.
 The first thing to remember when visiting Venice is that you need to get away from the central, touristy areas. Don't skip them by any means - there's some great shopping rivalling anything we saw in Italy near the Rialto Bridge, St. Mark's Square is amazing, and there's a reason tourists flock to these places in Venice, among others.
But take some time to wander out beyond the center of town, and Venice will reward you with unexpected Campos (plazas), surprising vistas, chance encounters with locals and other tourists, and a quiet magic that's unique to this amazing city by the canal.
 So let yourself wander. When planning your accommodations, there are no right or wrong answers, either. Folks wanting to be in the thick of things should consider San Marco or San Polo. But you can also stay in the Cannaregio, Dorsoduro, Santa Croce, or Castello, and still be just a short walk or Vaparetto (water taxi) ride from everything else.
 Even Lido is just a 5-10 minute boat ride away from the center of Venice, depending on where you get off the boat.
Venice is, at heart, a small town. It feels huge if you walk it - especially because you can rarely walk straight from one place to another. Get a good map - The Rough Guide Map to Venice was fantastic, and we lost it halfway thru our visit and missed it greatly. Once you find your way around the city, though, you'll realize how easy it is to get from place to place.
Where To Stay
Casa de Uscoli is a fifteenth century palace built directly on the Grand Canal - and overlooks the Accademia of Fine Arts and the Guggenheim Museum. The palace has been restored, and offers a comfortable atmosphere for guests and travelers.
The palace is just off St. Stefano Square in the San Marco District of Venice, and is a short walk (just over the wooden Accademia Bridge) to the Accademia, and a short walk from St. Mark's Square and the Rialto shopping district - the location is central to everything in Venice.
If you take a water taxi from the train station, you can arrive via the Grand Canal at a private landing beside the Palace. Keep in mind, Venice is an old city, The Palace was built over 500 years ago, and though the interior has been renovated, the strict codes governing historic structures in Venice mean that the building looks old. But that's part of the charm of staying in Venice!
The Palace features wifi internet access - we used it on several occasions while staying in Venice - thanks, Arkadius! The common areas are filled with the owners' art - including photos of Arkadius's beautiful horse and a whimsical painting of an updise down man... turned rightside up, which really messes with your mind.
The Palace is furnished with pieces of art and furniture from all around the world. Both the rooms and common areas offer fantastic grand canal views. The guest rooms are huge, with large, comfortable beds and sitting areas.
  
  
This is a great place for couples and business travelers looking for something in the heart of Venice!
Alle Guglie Bed & Breakfast is a one bedroom b&b accommodation in a 16th Century building in the Cannaregio district of Venice. Meaning literally "at Guglie", the B&B is just around the corner from the Guglie Bridge, one of the vaparetto (water taxi) stops on the canals, and is an easy walk or boat ride from the train station. Cannaregio is a charming district on the north-eastern edge of Venice, with a wide pedestrian street that was once a canal, and now offers a number of charming shops, bars, and restaurants.
Antonio is your very charming, friendly host here. He lives in the other bedroom of this apartment flat, and servers breakfast (weather permitting) on his terrace overlooking a cute little courtyard. The rental comes with TV and CCR, kitchen use, and a/c. Ask Antonio to point you to the city hilights. This is a great base for couples or singles exploring the city.
Located on the island of Lido, a 5 minute boat ride across the lagoon from the main islands of Venice, Villa Stella is a family-owned bed and breakfast run by sisters Stella and Michela. We met Michela when we visited - she's a vivacious, very fun host whose company we thoroughly enjoyed. The bed and breakfast is the family home, and has been in their family for generations, gradually being converted from a house to a boarding house to a full-fledged B&B.
Lido was once the island where the Venetian royal family took retreats, but was opened up to development in the 20th century, and is the only major island thathas car traffic and even its own bus line. It's also the home to the Venice Film Festival, and has a popular Italian beach as well. Michela and Stella redo each room every year, so there's always something new here. This is a great place to stay for the film festival or to visit the casino here on Lido (or the beach in the summer), and is also a good out-of-the-bustle place to stay while exploring the rest of Venice.
The building was masterfully designed in the 16th century, and totally restored in 2002, and is a well balanced mix of antiquity with modern time and high functionality. The property offers elegant décor, a quiet location close to the heart of Venice, and a wifi internet connection. Great for business travelers, couples, and singles.
Below: Lido Streets; the Casino, and the site of the Venice Film Festival.
What to See
Piazza San Marco
One of the most famous and popular places in Venice is San Marco Square - you've probably seen it in movies, and if you ever visited Disney World in Orlando and strolled around the lake at Epcot Center, you've seen a smaller replica there. There's also a small version of it in the Venetian Hotel - which captures the feeling of the square, but not the sheer size.
This is the largest plaza we saw in Italy, and one of the grandest. At one end is the Palazzo Ducale, the center of government in Venice and the place where the Doge (Duke) of Venice had his residence. There's a great tour of the palace available - but get there early, because the lines to get in can be very long.
Although pictures are not allowed in the palace itself, there's a courtyard inside where you can take photos - here are just a couple samplings of what you'll find on the tour:
 
 Behind the Palazzo Ducale (and accessible via the Palazzo Tour) are the Bridge of Sigs and the Piombi, or prison, of Venice.
Prisoners were led across the bridge of the way to the Piombi, and the sighs refer to the sounds the prisoners made as they were led to their cells.
The bridge has just a few small openings to the outside wold - you can often see folks reaching their hands thru these when you view the bridge from the walkway along the grand canal. It's kind of claustrophobic crossing the bridge to the Piombi, and the prison is even more so - nothing like the modern prisons we have today, though that may have as much to do with age as anything else.
 Next to the Palazzo Ducale is the Basilica di San Marco, a beautiful church that, as the Palazzao Ducale was the heart of the government in Venice, was the religious heart of the city.
The two were closely intertwined - the Doge even had a private rooftop walkway from his own quarters to the Basilica, so he could easily cross over to consult with the leaders of the church on important matters.
The Basilica is beutifully decorated with a variety of different colored marble, and is a stunning example of Venetian architecture:
 Near the Palazzo Ducale and the Basilica di San Marco is one of the most well-known and striking features of the Piazza - the Campanile, a 325 foot guard tower that was originally built in the 8th century.
The building is actually the newest structure in the square - the original tower collapsed in 1902, and was rebuilt (using as much of the original material as possible) and reopened in 1912.
The Campanile is open to the public (again, lines may be long) and offers some of the best views of Venice, including the two pictures aerial pictures above of the Basilica.
 The main part of the square (which isn't actually a "square" at all, but a trapezoid, enhancing the feeling of size in the piazza) housed many of the functionaries of the republic. The decorations on the floor of the piazza served a dual purpose - both as art, and as markers for the stall locations of many of the merchants who sold their wares in the Piazza.
 There are several places that look like restaurants on the square, but are really bars - they serve gelato, pastries, coffee, and the like, but to find an actual restaurant, you have to look off the square.
 We found a number of them nestled on the walkways off the Piazza's north-east corner; they were all passable, but none of them were particularly good - stick to Pizza if you eat here. Otherwise, look to other areas of the city for your evening dining - we found a couple places in the San Polo area that were pretty good.
 The bars on the square also offer music - there were several competing mini orchestras performing when we were there, but they were far apart and didn't intrude on one another. Take some time and order a coffee or some gelato, and sit and people watch on the square, while you listen to pleasant music. It's a great way to while away a few hours in the afternoon.
 The place is actually full of pigeons, and if you're so inclined (we weren't), you can stand in the middle of the square and hold out your arms, and you may get a shoulder full of pigeons.
Pigeons weren't the only animals we saw at Piazza San Marco - while waiting in line to enter the Piazza Ducale, we ran across this sad little guy (at left), waiting patiently with his master.
 Campo San Stefano
Campo San Stefano is a large plaza in the San Marco district, just across the Accademia Bridge from the Accademia and Gugenheim Museum, and just minutes from Piazza San Marco to the east.
There are several great restaurants here, as well as an affordable, clean internet cafe, and the two giant head sculptures mentioned in the art section below. This is a great place to have dinner, or hang out in the morning at one of the bars and people watch.
 Campo Santa Margherita
Campo Santa Margherita is one of the larger, more active plazas in the city. Located in the northern part of the Dorsoduro District, near the edge of the San Polo and Santa Croce Districts, there's usually lots of activity here, and many of the younger adults hang out here during the day.
Murano
 Just north of Venice's main islands (10 minutes by water taxi), Murano is the home to the famous glass blowers of Venice. On the way from the city, you'll pass Cimitero, the cemetary island. We were in town over Halloween, and the city offered free rides to the locals to Cimitero to pay their respects to the dead on November 1st.
Murano itself is several islands, divided by a mini version of the grand canal. Try to come out here on a sunny day - we visited on a slow, cloudy one.
There's very little here besides the glass shops and a couple small bars and restaurants, so don't plan on spending a whole day here. You might combine this trip with a trip to the island of Burano, a few miles north - a Venetian island famed for its brightly colored buildings.
There is a bar right next to the vaparetto drop-off point that serves heavenly Italian hot chocolate - it's like hot, melted pudding. Treat yourself!
 Several of the glass factories offer free demonstrations - see below. This talented gentleman created several glass sculptures while we watched, including a vase (which he literally "smoked" by placng a piece of paper inside while it was still hot - the paper vaporised and gave the glass a smoked brown hue, and a glass horse, picked out of the motlen glass with a series of tongs and tools in less than 5 minutes. It's well worth the time.
A note on buying glass in Venice - some of the stores in the main parts of the city sell glass from China and other parts of the world. Before buying, ask if it's Murano Glass, and if they have a certificate of authenticity. And be ready to pay for the privelege - we saw (and almost bought) a beautiful five inch high glass torso, flecked with bits of gold - total cost about $700 euros (or $875 US).
The Grand Canal
 The Grand Canal winds through Venice like a snake, and is the main conduit for travel and commerce throughout the city. Here (and on the network of smaller canals that criss-cross the city) you'll see vendors selling fruits and vegetables, shipping companies moving boxes back nd forth through the city on boats, small water taxis and larger water buses ferrying people back and forth, and of course the Gondoliers.
We were fortunate enough to meet the sister of one of our friends from Venice who now lives in California. She and her friend, both 15, showed us around the city one afternoon, and we took them on their (and our) first gondola ride in Venice.
 We've been on these rides before at the Venetian Hotel, but this was different - this was really Venezia.
The ride itself was about 100 euro (we waked away when they first offered 130) and took us along the grand canal for a few minutes and then back into one of the smaller canals as dusk fell. For half an hour, it was like we were alone in this beautiful city - drifting along the canal with our two new friends.
The gondolier at left was one of the first ones we saw in Venice - and he scowled at the tourists a couple seconds after this photo was taken, probably tired of being the object of so much touristic interest. But hey, what do you expect when you work as a gondlier? Maybe he just didn't want his picture taken without us paying for the privelege.
The cheapest way to see the Grand Canal is to tske one of the water busses, or vaparettos - start at one end of the island to get the best seats. Pictured here, two gondolas, the rialto bridge, and a row of tied up gondolas.
Pictured here, some of the architecture along the canal, including a renovation (middle) where the cloth hiding the building has been silkscreened to look like the building behind it. The bottom row, left, is a water taxi stop, and the final picture (right) shows the Campanile at Piazza San Marco in the distance, and was taken from the Dorsoduro District.
  
 
Art in Venice
Sometimes art just happens when you aren't expecting it. The cruise boat above appeared magically out of the fog - the combination of the fog, the old walkway, and the modern sculpture just took our breath away.
In Venice, we found more outdoor art than anywhere else in Italy. To start with, there's an installation going on in many of the campos of the city featuring male sculpture. In Campo San Stefano, where we stayed, there were two huge, hollow heads that drew a steady stream of onlookers, both children and adults, who climbed inside to look out the eyes:
There were also other faces at various points around the city, all amazing and oversized:
In addition, Venice is filled with wonderful galleries, including one on the way from Campo San Stefano and the Piazza San Marco with these sculptures:
There's also art in unexpected places, as you come around corners in Venice, look up at buildings, or sometimes just turn around:
Shopping in Venice
Venice has some of the most fantastic shopping in Italy, too. From the glass shops of Murano to the Rialto Bridge, there's a variety of artwork, clothing, hosewares, and other things to choose from to commemorate your visit.
 The picture above is from a little shop on Campo San Stefano that made us laugh.
The sculptures above are from a series called The Doges by a local artist.
 Each one represents one of the historical Doges of Venice and comes with a card full of information about the Doge's life.
At left is the window of a hairsylist in the San Polo district, showing the skills of the proprieter.
At right are some saples of Murano Glass - it comes in all kinds of shapes and colors, from bright and vivid to more understated and elegant.
 Venice is also famous for its Carnival masques. There are two basic authentic types - those made from papier mache, and those made out of leather. We loved the leather ones, and bought a small one to bring home with us. The one at left was one of the larger ones we say during our visit.
Most of the shopping in Venice is concentraded just north and just south of te Rialto Bridge. To the north, in the San Polo District, there's a farmer's market - fresh fruits and vegetables. There's also an open-air market, with all kinds of tourist knick-knacks lining two streets durectly north of the bridge. And there's the fish market, directly below the Rialto Bridge. Fanning out from these markets, there are a diminishing number of shops, including one that served the best pizza, hands down, that we had in Italy (deep dish) and the place we bought our leather mask.
South of the Rialto Bridge, between the bridge and Piazza San Marco in the San Marco District, is where you'll find the designer shops, the european boutiques, and also a great mix of galleries, gelato shops, bars and theaters.
Below are a few of the other shop windows that attracted our attention in Venice:
Where to Hang Out
Bagolo
Santa Croce, 1584, Campo S. Giacomo dall'Orio
347 3665016
 This bar in the Santa Croce district (northeastern Venice - remember, bar in Italy is more like a cafe in the US) is a great hang-out spot. Giacomo Square is one of the quieter plazas in Venice, but still has some interesting people watching - see the red bench below.
Try the hot chocolate - it's fantastic! This is a great place to hang out in the evening, before heading out to dinner, or for a late-night night-cap.
Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...
 We also ran across this guy in Campo San Stefano - he gave us a big grin as he walked by carrying these boxes on his head.
There are some very talented people in Venice!
Transportation in Venice
As in Lake Como, it's all feet and boats in Venice. You can literally get around all of central Venice on foot, but there are only three bridges across the Grand Canal, so this can get convoluted.
There are also water buses going up and down the canal - be sure you buy a ticket first, as you can be penalized for not having one on the boat though they may not ask. There are also small boats that hop back and forth across the canal, and water taxis are available. But if you have the time and the energy, walk - you'll see so much more of Venice this way.
Eating in Italy
Eating in Italy has its own traditions and idisyncracies, including:
--Most of the restaurants we visited offered water with or without gas - carbonated or non-carbonated. If you say yes to either, expect to pay 3-6 euro for a bottle for two. If you say no, expect a strange look or two.
--Be aware, too, that Cokes are very expensive in Italy - typically 3.50-5.00 euros per can, no refill included. And Pepsi is rare in Italy, for some reason. Most places serve Coca Cola.
--Most restaurants do not offer ice except by request - so if you want ice with your drink, ask for "giacchio" - pronounced "ghee-ah-cho".
--Although offically banned in the larger cities in Italy, many places still charge a cover charge - literally, a charge to use the table and table cloth (cover). This shows up as a coperto charge (cover), or pane e coperto (bread and cover) on the bill. If you visit a bar or cafe and don't plan to stay there to eat, say "no tavolo" (no table) and your bill will be less. If you do want to stay and relax, ask for a tavolo, and expect to pay a bit more (often 1-2 euros, more in some touristy areas - we paid 9 in the center of Milan). This allows you to rent the table as long as you want it, so feel free to stay and people watch for a long morning or afternoon. One other note: usually if you choose to sit, they cashier will tell you to choose a table, and a waiter will come take your order, instead of ordering at the counter.
--Most restaurants will tell you "servizio incluso", meaning the cost of service/tip is part of the bill/food charge. In this case, you do not need to tip on top of the bill, but can give an extra euro or two if you want to a server or bus boy who gave you excellent service - this is always appreciated. If servizio non incluso, then the tip should be left in addition to the bill. If you pay by credit card and want to include the tip on the card, tell the waiter when he first brings the check how much you want to add. Unlike in the US, you can't add the tip to the credit card bill after the waiter charges you. You may want to tip in Euro anyhow, as we were advised by some other travelers that some restaurants do not pass the credit card tips on to the staff.
--Avoid restaurants close to tourist attractions as a general rule, unless the place has been recommended to you by someone who has been there. Often the food there will be expensive and of poor quality.
--Sometimes you'll get a rude waiter (we had several in Rome). Tip the busing staff if you can directly in these cases - you'll never see the waiter again, but they have to put up with this guy every day.
--If you need another coke, bread basket, etc, the word is "altro" - "altro coke, per favore", "altro pane" (bread), etc.
Here are a few resources we found helpful during our visit to Italy. Please remember that the advice in these resources is AYOR.
 Insight Guides: Italyhttp://www.insightguides.comWhile a bit light in detail on some of the outlying areas, this guide is rich in information on the history of Italy, and is a great read before you go or companion in Rome and Italy - but be warned - it's a bit heavy, so it's better for suitcase travel than backpacking.
 Oxford Italian Minidictionaryhttp://www.oup.comOur bible in Italy. We took an Italian for Travelers class at the Italian Center in Sacramento - thanks Patrizia for the excellent instruction. But there's no substitute for having the answers to your linguistic questions on hand. We carried this n our camera case, and used it to translate signs, ask questions, find that word you either didn't know or forgot, and most interestingly in conversation back and forth with folks we met on the trip, when they spoke a little English and we spoke a little Italian. Highly recommended, with English to Italian, Italian to English, Common Phrases, and verb table sections.
|
