Venice - Get Local (Article 2 - Con't)
Today its Byzantine, Moorish, and Oriental influences are both felt in the culture and the architecture throughout the islands that make up Venezia. Comprised of 100+ islands, there are merely six "sestiere" or neighborhoods of importance.
Check out the major attractions - St. Mark's, the Doges Palace, and get a glimpse of the tourists eating and drinking at Florian's at St. Mark's Square. A walking tour is highly suggested.
Check out the major attractions - St. Mark's, the Doges Palace, and get a glimpse of the tourists eating and drinking at Florian's at St. Mark's Square. A walking tour is highly suggested.
But the best thing to do in Venice is get lost. Tuck a map in your pocket if you must but try not to refer to it too much. Just quietly wander around and find the local cafés where the residents of Venice enjoy their morning coffee (or, wine! instead) and enjoy “cichetti e ombra” (small plates), locate the little shops where they buy groceries, household items, and clothes. Visit the Rialto Market but be cognizant that people are there to shop - please ask before you take pictures.
Be sure to take a gondola ride. Yes, it's a very touristy thing to do, but it's an excellent way to see how the Venetians truly live. As you silently slide through the narrow canals, you'll be going by residents' homes, stores, and restaurants. You'll see galoshes set outside the door, sale signs in shop windows and people enjoying a morning coffee or late afternoon aperitif on their balcony. And, it's fun to watch the gondoliers laugh, sing and perform antics as they proudly take you around their beloved city.
If you're there for more than a day, purchase a vaporetto pass. This is how the locals travel around the city going about their daily lives. Go out to Murano Island to see how the very talented glass blowers create their magnificent pieces. Visit Burano to see the colorful doors and lace making.
Dining is special in Venice. Your hotel concierge can suggest some excellent eateries but by wandering around you'll find tiny restaurants full of patrons which usually indicates good food. Fish is superb here and fresh Wednesday - Sunday (the market is closed Mondays and Tuesdays). Sarda en saor (sardines) is a signature dish of Venice and monk fish, smelt, vongole (clams) are also very popular. Be sure to enjoy a "spritz" which is a special Venetian drink of Prosecco, Campari, and club soda.
Please call us at 559-324-8150 or email us at info@perfectvacationtravel.com to set up an appointment to start planning your extraordinary travel to Italy.
Italian Ventures travel agency at 1122 E. Champlain Dr., Ste 102 in beautiful Piazza del Fiore shopping center in Fresno, CA.
Be sure to take a gondola ride. Yes, it's a very touristy thing to do, but it's an excellent way to see how the Venetians truly live. As you silently slide through the narrow canals, you'll be going by residents' homes, stores, and restaurants. You'll see galoshes set outside the door, sale signs in shop windows and people enjoying a morning coffee or late afternoon aperitif on their balcony. And, it's fun to watch the gondoliers laugh, sing and perform antics as they proudly take you around their beloved city.
If you're there for more than a day, purchase a vaporetto pass. This is how the locals travel around the city going about their daily lives. Go out to Murano Island to see how the very talented glass blowers create their magnificent pieces. Visit Burano to see the colorful doors and lace making.
Dining is special in Venice. Your hotel concierge can suggest some excellent eateries but by wandering around you'll find tiny restaurants full of patrons which usually indicates good food. Fish is superb here and fresh Wednesday - Sunday (the market is closed Mondays and Tuesdays). Sarda en saor (sardines) is a signature dish of Venice and monk fish, smelt, vongole (clams) are also very popular. Be sure to enjoy a "spritz" which is a special Venetian drink of Prosecco, Campari, and club soda.
Please call us at 559-324-8150 or email us at info@perfectvacationtravel.com to set up an appointment to start planning your extraordinary travel to Italy.
Italian Ventures travel agency at 1122 E. Champlain Dr., Ste 102 in beautiful Piazza del Fiore shopping center in Fresno, CA.
