20 Great Things to do in Venice 6/20 - Art

Tour the Venetian masters of art

Venice is a unique and precious repository of art. From the late Middle Ages until the mid 18th century, artists of the highest caliber left thier mark all over the city and works by Venice's grand masters Titian (c1488-1576), Tintoretto (c1518-94), Canaletto (1697-1768) and Tiepolo (1727-1804) can still be viewed in situ today. See Titian’s glorious 'Assumption' above the high altar at I Frari, Tintoretto's epic masterpiece 'Crucifixion' at Scuola Grande di San Rocco, and Tiepolo's monumental frescos at the Pietà and Ca’ Rezzonico.

For a one-stop-shop of Venice’s foremost artistic treasures, head for the Gallerie dell’Accademia.

20 Great Things to do in Venice 4/20 - View over Venice

Get a bird's-eye view of Venice

At almost 99m (325ft), the Campanile is the city’s tallest building, originally built between 888 and 912 (in July 1902 it collapsed, imploding in a neat pyramid of rubble. It was rebuilt exactly 'as it was, where it was', as the town council of the day promised). Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III rode a horse to the top of the original in 1451; these days visitors take the lift. The view is superb, taking in the Lido, the whole lagoon and (on a clear day) the Dolomites in the distance.

Photo By: Marco Secchi

But my favourite view is from the Campanile of San Giorgio.....you can get there taking the Vaporetto n2 and is just one stop. The entrance is from the beautiful Church, and usually you should be able to admire as well Tintoretto  the Last Supper, 1592-94, one of the last works the artist painted. If is not there....write to Mr Vittorio Sgarbi one of the worst curator of the Italian Pavillion at Biennale...that decided to get it on loan to "sex up" his own very poor choice of "art" for 2011 Biennale Arte

P&O Cruise Ship "Oriana" enters Canale della Giudecca

20 Great Things to do in Venice 3/20 - Ice Cream

Cool down with a delicious gelato

Most Venetians agree that some of the city’s best gelato is served in Boutique del Gelato, a tiny outlet on busy salizzada San Lio. Be prepared to be patient though, because there’s always a huge crowd waiting to be served. See it as quality assurance – it’s worth the wait.

Artisan Ice Cream: The Art of Making Gelato

At Alaska Gelateria-Sorbetteria Carlo Pistacchi is passionate about making ice-cream and experimenting with new flavours using only the freshest natural ingredients. Stick to tried and true choices such as hazelnut or yoghurt, or branch out to sample seasonally changing exotic flavours, such as artichoke, fennel, asparagus or ginger.

Will add my best Ice Cream parlours in Venice soon

Regata delle Befane January 6th

On the 6th of January will take place the traditional Befane Regatta.

This is a playful regatta between the old members of the city's oldest rowing company, the Bucintoro, which, disguised as "Befane", compete in the central stretch of the Grand Canal from S. Tomà to the Rialto Bridge.

The regatta has reached its 41st edition, 5 members of the Bucintoro will participate, the departure is scheduled at 11 am, the finish line is placed under the Rialto bridge, to which a huge stocking is hung.

20 Great Things to do in Venice 2/20 - St Mark's Square

See three major sights in one square

Landscapes Of Venice In The Snow

Standing in the middle of the magnificent piazza San Marco is an experience in itself: Napoleon referred to it as the ‘drawing room of Europe’, apt today as, at times, it appears that much of Europe’s population is crammed into this great square. But it's St Mark’s basilica (Basilica di San Marco), often seen as the living testimony of Venice’s links with Byzantium; Doge’s Palace, once Venice's political and judicial hub; and Torre dell’Orologio, a clock tower built between 1496 and 1506, that are, not just the square's, but some of the city's main attractions.

20 Great Things to do in Venice 1/20 - Gondola

So obvious. No trip to Venice would be complete without a punt down one of the city's picturesque canals in a traditional gondola. The Istituzione per la Conservazione della Gondola e Tutela del Gondoliere (Gondola Board; 041 528 5075, www.gondolavenezia.it) website has recommended itineraries. Prices below are for the hire of the gondola, for six passengers or less. You do not need to book a Gondola (in general will be much more expensive!!)

8am-7pm €80 for 30mins; €40 for each additional 15mins. 7pm-8am €100 for 40mins; €50 for each additional 15mins.

Photo By: Marco Secchi

Venice Real Osterie

A selection of Venice Osterie where you can get wonderful food for 30Euro or less!

La Frasca

This is a small restaurant with just the owner and his chef. Pleasant, no-frills trattoria on a quiet residential square. For a taste of tagliata di calimaro (sliced grilled squid) with arugula or pomodorini tomatoes with strawberries and violet artichokes, wend your way up quintessential calli to La Frasca. Far from the maddening San Marco crowds, this tiny eatery nestled on a remote campiello charms before you even taste the seafood sampler of grilled seppie cuttlefish, canoce mantis shrimp, excellent baccalà mantecato, or sarde in saor. Wines are an important part of the meal here; ask for a recommendation from the ample list of predominantly regional selections. With limited indoor seating, La Frasca encloses and heats their outdoor terrace to accommodate winter diners.

Address: Corte de la Carità, Cannaregio 5176, Venice, 30121 Phone: 041/2412585 Vaporetto: Fondamente Nove No lunch Mon. and Wed.

Dalla Marisa

Signora Marisa is a culinary legend in Venice, with locals calling up days in advance to ask her to prepare ancient recipes such as risotto con le secoe (risotto made with a cut of beef from around the spine). Pasta dishes include the excellent tagliatelle con sugo di masaro (in duck sauce), while secondi range from tripe to roast stuffed pheasant. In summer, tables spill out from the tiny interior on to the fondamenta. Book well ahead - and remember, serving times are rigid: turn up late and you'll go hungry. There's a €15 lunch menu..

Cannaregio 652B, fondamenta San Giobbe Vaporetto Crea or Tre Archi Telephone 041 720 211 Meals served noon-2.30pm Mon, Wed, Sun; noon-2.30pm, 8-9.15pm Tue, Thur-Sat. Closed Aug

Trattoria Ca’ D’Oro

“This picturesque osteria [informal restaurant or tavern] has a well-stocked cicchetti [small plate] counter plus small tables in the back if you order from the menu.”—Michela Scibilia, author, Venice Osterie. One of the oldest wine bars in the city and also known as Alla Vedova; popular with locals and travelers barhopping along Strada Nova; serves Venetian classics and is famous for its polpette (meatballs).

Cannaregio 3912; tel. 39 041 528 5324.

Osteria al Garanghelo

“One of the ever decreasing number of old-time Venetian osterie.”—Ruth Edenbaum, author, Chow Venice: Savoring the Food and Wine of La Serenissima. This simple, casual restaurant is low-key and local; cicchetti (small plates) up front and tables in back; wines by the glass; menu includes a vegetable antipasta platter, seafood starters like sarde in saor (Venetian-style marinated sardines), and pastas.

Close to Rialto market. San Polo 1570; tel. 39 041 721 721.

Dai Tosi (37)

If you're stuck for somewhere to eat after a visit to the Art or Architecture Biennale and are in the mood for cheap and cheerful refuelling, this neighbourhood trattoria-pizzeria, in a residential street that always seems to be festooned with laundry, should fit the bill perfectly. In summer, when they put tables outside in the street, there are few more picturesque dining backdrops in Venice. The pizzas are fine and filling (try the gorgonzola, radicchio and walnut topping), and they also do a good range of Venetian and pan-Italian pasta dishes. This is a good place to come with kids, who can work up an appetite in the play area near the Giardini vaporetto stop. Beware of mixing this up with another nearby namesake restaurant; if you're in any doubt, ask for 'Dai Tosi Piccoli' (Little Dai Tosi).

In summer, when they put tables outside in the street, there are few more picturesque dining backdrops in Venice.

In summer, when they put tables outside in the street, there are few more picturesque dining backdrops in Venice.

Address: Castello 738, Secco Marina, 30122 Getting there: Vaporetto stop Giardini Contact: 00 39 041 523 7102; trattoriadaitosi.comOpening times: Mon, Tue, Thu, midday-2pm; Fri-Sun, midday-2pm, 7pm-9.30pm Prices: pizzas from €5, pasta dishes around €12 Payment type: credit cards accepted Cuisine: Italian, pizza Reservations: not necessary

Restaurants in Venice....my favourites

 Venice Restaurants

This is not a traditional list of restaurants ...most of the places I mention are unlikely to see the light in a "regular" guide but are the places that for one reason or another myself, family or friends tend to use. There are two golden rules for eating well in Venice. First, don’t take pot luck: this is a tourist-trap city where a recommendation by a local, or a well-researched guide, is well worth heeding. Second, "the narrow the road the better the food" !You may have heard that Italy is a country that eats late, in Venice - despite the locals will go for dinner quite late particularly in summer – some of the restaurants serve lunch from noon and dinner from 6pm or earlier!

Venice Cannaregio

£ Restaurants

La Bottega ai Promessi Sposi

Though it’s well hidden, off the busy Strada Nuova, it’s easy to spot this restaurant: the locals spilling out into the calle, wine glass and cicchetto in hand, say it all. Whether you perch at the counter (the bar stools are hotly contested) or bag a table in the dark interior, you’ll eat excellent, unfussy fare – seafood and meat – served by a dedicated, enthusiastic team. The menu changes daily but generally manages to include some Venetian stalwarts. The ample choice of meat-free antipasti keeps vegetarians happy too.

Address: 4367 Cannaregio, calle dell’Oca Contact: 041 241 2747 Prices: Around €30/£25 a head for a full meal.

 Ristorante Diana

Good inexpensive lunch or dinner sitting on the side of a quiet canal in Cannaregio!

Address:2519 Cannaregio, fondamenta de la Misericordia , Venice, Italy Contact: 392 3623092 Prices: Around €13 For Fixed Price Menu

Trattoria La Misericordia

A nice restaurant. Lovely food, excellent service. Little extras such as the free aperitif and digestive and bruschetta made us feel very welcome. Lovely location, away from the crowds, next to a canal, on the way to the Jewish Ghetto

Address:2515 Cannaregio, fondamenta de la Misericordia , Venice, Italy Contact: 0418391729 Prices: Around €13 For Fixed Price Menu

Trattoria Chinellato

If you want a good and inexpensive lunch . First course and second course for about 12 euros/person including a cup of coffee or a dessert this is the place .And you will experience an atmosphere of a positive and good service in a flash !!! The lady who I think is the owner is talking all the time and I was so exciting watching how well all thing worked ...fast !! The food is good tasting . It is those small restaurants you shall visit to feel genuine Italian food and atmosphere. Staff and owners working here makes you feel welcome

Address: Centro Storico calle dei Albanesi No. 4227, Venice, ItalyContact: +39 0415236025 Prices: Around €13 for Fixed Price Menu

Al Nono Risorto

Don’t come here for peace and quiet, or refined service for that matter, but if you want good pizza served up in convivial surroundings – plus the bonus of a garden courtyard with outside tables – then this evergreen budget option certainly delivers . As well as all the pizzas there are a few pasta dishes and classic meaty main courses.

Address: Santa Croce 2338, Sotoportego di Siora Bettina. Contact: 041 524 1169. Prices: €20 should cover a starter, a pizza and a beer. Opening times: Noon-2.30pm, 7pm-11pm. Closed all day Wed, and Thu lunch. Reservations: Not usually necessary. Payment type: Cash only.

££ Restaurants

Antica Trattoria Bandierette Run by two sisters and relative husbands is a fantastic place. Specialty is fish, You can tell this is a place where the emphasis is on what is fresh and in-season. The menus had a moderate selection and you could tell they were typed up at home. Dishes ranged from €6-18. They have Set Menus from €13I had a wonderful Gnocchi and Capesante. I have never had such sweet, tender capesante in my life! The Frittura Mista is out of this world. Bandierette's food shows that you don't need a lot of ingredients or fancy presentation to enjoy good food. Start with a few quality items and let them shine through on their own with a simple preparation and you have a wonderful meal!

Address: Barbaria delle Tole, Castello 6671 Phone: 041 522 06 19

Ristorante Riviera

This comfortable, intimate restaurant, with seating inside for 30, is just a few steps from the Accademia, facing the Giudecca canal right in front of the Mulino Stuky. Here you can savour the delights of Venetian cuisine presented with refinement and attention to detail, in a balance between tradition and innovation. Monica and Luca, the young owners, invite you to savor their specialties on the splendid terrace (seating for 50) at the Zattere from the very first sunny days of January Closed Monday Average price € 35.00 – 45.00 (excluding wine and drinks)

Address Dorsoduro 1473, Zattere Venice tel 041 5227621 fax 041 2447722

Ristorante Le Testiere

Bruno and Luca have been friends for years, sharing a love of good cooking and fine wine. After working in various historic restaurants in the city, Bruno set up the osteria in 1993 and Luca soon joined him. The antipasti, first and second courses are all exclusively of the freshest fish, preferably local, prepared with a dash of creativity and an eye to tradition. The use of spices and aromatic herbs from the lagoon islands and the littoral recall the ancient recipes of the Serenissima while also adding a touch of modernity. The sweets are all made on the premises with simple but tasty ingredients. The wine list offers about a hundred labels, mainly from small local winemakers. The menu changes several times … a day, so is spoken, immediately creating a magical synergy between host and guest. There are only 9 tables, which is perhaps the real secret of this small osteria just a few steps from St Mark’s and from Rialto.

Information Closed Sunday and Monday Average price € 45.00 (excluding wine and drinks)

Address Castello 5801 San Lio, Calle del Mondo Novo

Vini da Gigio Paolo and Laura, a brother-sister team, run this refined trattoria as if they've invited you to dinner in their home, while keeping the service professional. Deservedly popular with Venetians and visitors alike, it's one of the best values in the city. Indulge in pastas such as rigatoni with duck sauce and arugula-stuffed ravioli. Fish is well represented—try the sesame-encrusted tuna—but the meat dishes steal the show. The steak with red-pepper sauce and the tagliata di agnello (sautéed lamb fillet with a light, crusty coating) are both superb, and you'll never enjoy a better fegato alla veneziana (Venetian-style liver with onions). This is a place for wine connoisseurs, as the cellar is one of the best in the city. Come at lunch or for the second sitting in the evening, to avoid being rushed

Address: Fondamenta San Felice, Cannaregio 3628/A, Venice, 30121 | Map It Phone: 041/5285140 Website: www.vinidagigio.com Vaporetto: Vaporetto: Ca' d'Oro. Location: Cannaregio

Corte Sconta

The Corte Sconta is now an important point of reference on the Venetian restaurant scene. Quality and freshness are ensured by using strictly seasonal products, attentively served in a space more geared to function than to form. Try the antipasti, from clams with ginger, with gorgonzola or on their own, to baccalà mantecato and sardines in saor; savour the lightness of our own pasta made fresh daily combined with seafood and vegetables delivered every day; don’t miss the lightest, crunchiest mixed fried fish, and don’t forget the sweets (real temptations). Accompanied by a wine chosen from our interesting wine list, with limited mark-up, the entire meal will offer you a pleasant memory and another reason for coming back to Venice.

Information Closed Sunday and Monday Average price € 60.00 (excluding wine and drinks)

Address Castello 3886, Calle del Pestrin (Arsenale) Venice tel 041 5227024 fax 041 5227513

Anice Stellato

Anice Stellato sits as the Al Timon on a very nice canal in Cannaregio. Tops on my list of Venice fish restaurants is L'Anice Stellato in the Cannaregio on Fondamente de la Sensa. Using spices more familiar on far Eastern menus (Anice Stellato means "star anice" a major component of five-spice powder), the chef manages to bring the flavors together in a way that brings home the idea that you're sitting upon the western edge of a major old eastern trade route.

Anice Stellato Fondamenta de la Sensa, Cannaregio 3272 Venice, Italy Closed Mondays and Tuesdays Telephone: (+39) 041 720 744

Al Timon Nice, busy and trendy place on a canal in the Cannaregio area. For me due to prices and style does not qualify as a traditional Bacaro but more as a trendy restaurant. At the same time do not expect a formal restaurant! Food and Wine are good, and you are right on the water!

Fondamenta Ormesini | 2754, 30121 Venice, Italy

Trattoria Altanella

President François Mitterrand of France used to eat here whenever he was in Venice. But the real draw at this sweet and cozy trattoria, which has been in the same family for 104 years, is the delicious homemade gnocchi, served with tomatoes or nero di sepia (squid ink). Address Calle delle Erbe, 268, Giudecca, Venice, 30133 Phone 39-041-522-7780 Cuisine Venetian Seafood Price Average meal per person 40€ ($51) without wine

La Zucca

This alternative trattoria in San Polo (5) has been going for years, but time has eroded none of its charm, value for money, or culinary bravura. The interior, with its slanted oak panneling, comes on a little like a designer Alpine chalet, but the bottle-lined shelves and paper placemats are pure Venetian bacaro. Unusually for Venice, the menu features as much meat and game as fish, and it also includes several vegetarian options, such as the sformato (a pastry-less quiche) of potatoes and broccoli with smoked ricotta. Service is laid-back but friendly. The few outside tables are sought-after.

Address: Santa Croce 1762, Ponte del Megio. Contact: 041 524 1570; www.lazucca.itPrices: €35 a head with house wine. Opening times: Mon-Sat, 12.30-2.30pm, 7pm-10.30pm. Closed Sun. Reservations: Recommended. Payment type: Cards accepted.

£££ Restaurants

Gran Caffè Quadri

Marcel Proust used to bring his mother to Quadri (2) for lunch, and the French wordsmith would no doubt feel quite at home today in these classically plush surroundings, with their extraordinary view over St Mark’s Square. Since the recent advent of the Alajmo brothers from Padua, however, Proust might be surprised at what he found on the plate.

Address: 121 San Marco, Piazza San Marco. Contact: 00 39 041 522 2105, www.caffequadri.itPrices: Expect to pay at least €150 a head for three courses, without wine. Opening times: 12.30-2.30pm, 7.30-10.30pm Tue-Sun. Closed Mon. Reservations: Essential. Payment type: Cards accepted

Osteria di Santa Marina

Wherea beer costs more or less 18 but where the quality of food and service is reliably high, whether you are a regular or just passing through. On a pretty square a short wiggle north of the Rialto, the Osteria does what might be described as “Creative Venetian” cuisine (sea bass ravioli in mussel and clam broth ) – nothing too fancy, but with an edge of refinement that lifts it well above the uninspiring Venetian norm. The outside tables are lovely, but on sticky summer days the air-conditioned interior can be a better option.

Address: Castello 5911, Campo di Santa Marina. Contact: 041 528 5239 Prices: €70/90 a head with a decent bottle. Opening times: Mon, 8pm-11pm; Tue-Sat, noon-2.30pm, 8pm-11pm. Closed Sunday. Reservations: Recommended. Payment type: Cards accepted.

OUTSIDE VENICE

The Al Gatto Nero restaurant was opened in 1965 when the current owner, Ruggero Bovo, took over an old, popular osteria on the island of Burano. Ruggero and his wife, Lucia, then gradually transformed the old meeting place into a restaurant recommended by the most authoritative restaurant guides, presenting simple dishes but with a focus on quality and local lagoon products. The wine list is entrusted to their son Massimiliano, who has created a fine selection of wines to magnificently accompany every dish.

Information Closed on Moday Average price € 40.00 – 60.00 (excluding wine and drinks)

Address Via Giudecca 88, Burano Venezia tel 041 730120 fax 041 735570

20 Things to do in Venice – 15/20 Acqua Alta Bookshop

Photo By: Marco Secchi

As you walk in the Acqua Alta bookshop you will be greeted by Luigi and one of his cats

Walk in the labyrinth of interconnected rooms, and you will see the full-sized gondola in the middle of the shop, overflowing with books then along to bathtubs filled with books and sleeping cats you will find a doorway leading straight out onto a canal where the water level seems a precarious few centimeters away from spilling into the room. It happened to us to get there in a rainy day and the owner was moving all the books from the floor to bathtubs and shelves because of the danger of high water level!

Keep searching (for books and memorable shots) and you’ll find yourself in a tiny quiet courtyard which hosts a staircase made entirely from books. Climb up to the top for a lovely view onto the Venice canals.

You may feel literally overwhelmed by books. New and old, romance and science fiction, best sellers and b-series novels, you can find anything here if you are patient enough to search. It’s possible that you won’t be able to find any specific books given the bizarre nature of the piles, or you may don’t like the smell of humidity or second hand books, but you should include a visit to Acqua Alta into your Venice tour anyway.

Libreria Acqua Alta Calle Longa Santa Maria Formosa (Campiello Del Tintor) | 5176 - Castello, 30122 Venice, Italy

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If you are looking for unusual, rare, incredibly interesting books about Venice a REAL must is 

Libreria Editrice Franco Filippi Castello, Casselleria 5284 Venezia 30122

http://www.filippilibreriaeditrice.com/

FRANCO IS A WONDERFUL GUY AND AN AMAZING LIBRARIAN AND EDITOR!

FAQ Portraits during a Venice Photo Walk

Behind a nearly negative feedback on Tripadvisor …I got close to get my very first negative feedback after 2 years…and 138 excellent comments!

Dmitriy and his wife, a lovely couple from Russia, took a photo walk, before the meeting we agreed about a Gondola Portrait Photo Walk then due to being a bit late in the day I told them would have been a  Normal Photo Walk and I would have taken few photos….and charged them accordingly. Final results…and rightly so… he was not too happy with the pictures on the other side I knew I had just “taken” some informal pics so was happy with my work.

In some way apart the stress for me and Dmitriy, it was good for me because it teach  me a few more things about this kind of  portraits during a photo walk or a gondola ride

So let’s try to wrap up  some ideas for me and my future guest…

- I have removed the Portrait add on from the Photo Walks. Was far too risky and iffy. I will be more than happy to take for free a few snaps with your camera during a Photo walk. Just ask

Then….few words of advice if you are planning to have your photo taken ….

• This is not the right service if you want the pictures to be a memorable lifetime event. Does not sobstitute  a wedding or engagement photography session either!
• Try to listen to the photographer if he tells you that light is not particularly nice at that time of the day
• Properly groomed and nice hair go a long way
• Wear  smart clothes and nice shoes…do not wear shorts or tennis shoes
• Smile and look at the camera ….at least few times
• A photographer is not  a magician…..if  I look like Danny DeVito…. in pictures I will not be George Clooney …no matter the photographer I used
• Please remember that a mini portrait session during a Gondola or a Photo Walk will never be like a full portrait session in terms of equipment, lights, time …but also price!!  Check here  for my Portraits Sessions
• Check and then check again my portfolio and my style. If you do not like 100% my style it is very unlikely you will like your pictures….there is no if or but… Ask me for details of other colleagues.
• If you are unhappy talk with the photographer, explain the problem.
• During a session I will take may be 150-250 frames but you will ONLY get an edited version with between 15 to 25 images depends on the package you have chosen . You will never get ALL the shots or the RAW (Negative files)

Keeping it Fun! 

A good expression on every face is the very heart of the family portrait. Organize everything before your session so that you do not feel hurried and hassled. This will ensure good expressions!

Clothing

I like to design family or couple portraits with a coordinated color scheme. Keep this in mind when you choose your wardrobe. You do not have to be matchy-matchy, but colors should compliment each other. Usually, I recommend warm-toned clothing for your family portrait. We suggest Black (always flattering ), ‘ Navy Blue, Forest Green, and Burgundy Red, our favorite color. Solid white shirts or pants will emphasize the clothing and not the person. In harsh light white clothing can create a long list of avoidable issues. So, our recommendation is to limit solid white clothing if you can. Yes, Levi’s are fine.

Look for Pose Inspiration

I often try to find poses in magazines or online but send me ideas of images you have seen before abd that you like.

Think Action

A picture of a couple with  faces side-by-side can be nice, but even a beautiful image can be a bit boring if it is static. I will try to incorporate action into your portrait. Please remeber to try to engage in some action

Tell a Story

Powerful images tell stories. Help me in telling how you as a couple normally interact with one another!  Are you serious and very deep/romantic? Or  constantly giggling and playful?

 Get intimate

A quiet moment in a hug, or a soft kiss can be the perfect image to capture a relationship.

Photo By: Marco Secchi

Photo By: Marco Secchi 2012

Photo By: Marco Secchi 2012

Few Links

How to tell what to wear

Venice Redentore 2013

Redentore means “Redeemer” in Italian, and the Festa del Redentore Venice is in celebration of the city’s deliverance from the ravages of the plague in 1577. The Venice Redentore Festival is held on the third Saturday and Sunday of July. A grand secular celebration with festive dinners and fireworks occurs on Saturday evening. Sunday is reserved for religious observances, including High Mass at the Redentore Church and in afternoon regattas in the lagoon.

Photo Gallery is here

My Fav Hotels in Venice

A #bench at hotel #cipriani in… (Photo credit: MarcoSecchi)

You can certainly spend a great deal of money on a hotel in Venice. A night at the Gritti Palace in high summer will set you back at least £750. But for the same amount you could enjoy an entire week in most of the hotels listed here. You won’t get the same status, or quite the same service, or the same superb location, but you will still find a decently sized room, lots of character and a warm welcome.

Cà del Nobile San Marco 987, ria terà delle Colonne (528 3473; cadelnobile.com)

This hotel is just off one of the thronging routes between St Mark’s and the Rialto. Interestingly, it’s in one of the lowest points of the city: if you visit during acqua alta, you’ll be able to watch water bubbling up through the cobblestones below. Lots of stairs and no lift mean that it’s not for the unfit. Price from £79

Domus Orsoni Cannaregio 1045, Sottoportego dei Vedei (275 9538; domusorsoni.it)

In 1291, Venice’s glassworkers were banished to the island of Murano. Today, only one glass foundry remains in the city: Orsoni. Located in the Jewish Ghetto, and set in a delightful palazzo overlooking a private garden and the foundry, the Domus Orsoni channels the Orsoni family’s heritage in five rooms, resplendent with glass-mosaic-tiled walls and mosaic art works. Price from £71

Locanda Orseolo (Corte Zorzi; 041 523 5586; www.locandaorseolo.com; £160).

Step inside the hotel and you might be in a compartment on the Orient Express: elegant, enveloping, and richly coloured and furnished. But it’s the warmth of the young team at this equally young 15-room hotel that makes it really special – Matteo, Barbara and their brothers, sisters and friends. In the morning, Matteo dons an apron and cooks pancakes and omelettes to order, Barbara serves and everyone chats. The comfortable bedrooms are being transformed to echo the ground floor, complete with hand-painted murals and canopied beds. Secure one and you’ll have a real bargain.

La Villeggiatura San Polo, 1569, Calle dei Botteri (524 4673; lavilleggiatura.it)

A short hop from the Rialto markets, in an area buzzing with restaurants and residential activity, La Villeggiatura is an elegantly tasteful home-from-home. Tea and coffee-making equipment in the spacious bedrooms, and gently attentive service, add to the pleasure of a stay here. Price from £71

Hotel Centauro S Marco Calle della Vida Cpo Manin (www.hotelcentauro.com/)

Located in the historic centre of Venice just a stone’s throw from St Mark’s Square (five minutes walking distance), the Centauro Hotel offers elegant, welcoming accommodation from which you can enjoy the city’s art and culture. Housed within an ancient palace from the 1500’s, the Centauro Hotel has Venetian style furnishings from the 18th century and 30 comfortable guestrooms. Rooms have air conditioning and satellite television, some have canal views and those on the top floor have a private terrace from which you can enjoy panoramic views over the rooftops of Venice.

Al Ponte Mocenigo This is another charming 16th-century palazzo, so tucked away that you could walk right past and never know it was there. You will find one entrance down a very narrow alley just up from the San Stae vaporetto stop; the other is on the opposite side, over a small bridge. Officially it is a two-star hotel, but frankly it rivals many establishments with double that number of stars. The very smart, high-ceilinged rooms are in Venetian styles and colours. The best are numbers five and six, on the first floor overlooking a tiny canal to one side (they are classed as “superior” doubles and cost £128 in mid-season).

Zingy Gnocchi

 Gnocchi con burro, limone e ricotta

Gnocchi with butter with store-bought gnocchi must be one of the easiest recipes around. Even when you give it a fresh, lemony twist.

This is a recipe pinched and adapted from the Italian version of La Cucina Italiana. They start by making the gnocchi from scratch, but this time I’ve bought them ready-made, which means you can make the dish in 5 minutes flat, provided of course you have some salted lemon. Otherwise you might have to invest 10 minutes in the preparation of a very fresh and delicious, vegetarian primo piatto.

Ingredients

1 lemon

2 tbsp salt

75 g butter

100 g ricotta

Fresh basil

salt, pepper

Preparation

Cook the lemon in boiling and heavily salted water for 15 minutes

Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water until they pop to the surface

Meanwhile fry the butter until it becomes brown with a slight taste of nuts

Cut the lemon in four wedges, remove the flesh of one wedge, cut the peel in strips and add it to the butter

Mix the cooked gnocchi with lemoned butter, ricotta and leaves of basil before serving

The remaining lemon wedges are really good with white meat or in grain salads.

The Befana in Venice

Every child of Italian heritage has heard of La Befana, a character in Italian folklore who delivers presents to children throughout Italy. It is believed that the legend of La Befana may have originated in Rome, then spread as a tradition to the rest of Italy.Some believe her name is derived from the word Epiphany, but others say La Befana descended Roman goddess named Strina.

In folklore, Befana visits all the children of Italy on the eve of the 6th of January (the Epiphany) to fill their socks with candy and presents if they are good or a lump of coal or dark candy if they are bad. Because she is a good housekeeper, she will sweep the floor before she leaves. The child's family typically leaves a small glass of wine and a plate with a few morsels of food for La Befana.She is usually portrayed as an old lady riding a broomstick through the air wearing a black shawl and is covered in soot because she enters the children's houses through the chimney. She is often smiling and carries a bag or hamper filled with candy, gifts, or both.

Christian legend has it that La Befana was approached by the magi (the biblical three kings) a few days before Christ's birth. They asked for directions to where the baby Jesus was, but she did not know. She provided them with shelter for a night, as she was considered the best housekeeper in the village with the most pleasant home. They invited her to join them on the journey to find the baby Jesus, but she declined, stating she was too busy with her housework. Later, La Befana had a change of heart, and tried to search out the astrologers and Jesus. That night she was not able to find them, so to this day, La Befana is searching for the baby Jesus. She leaves all the good children toys and candy, while the bad children get coal or bags of ashes.

Another Christian legend takes a slightly darker tone. La Befana was an ordinary woman with a child whom she greatly loved. However, her child died, and her grief maddened her. Upon hearing news of Jesus' birth, she set out to see him, delusional that he was her son. She eventually met Jesus and presented him with gifts to make him happy. The infant Jesus was delighted, and he gave La Befana a gift in return; she would be the mother of every child in Italy.

Italians believe that if one sees La Befana one will receive a thump from her broomstick because she doesn't wish to be seen. This aspect of the tradition may be designed to keep children in their beds while parents are distributing candy (or coal) and sweeping the floor on Epiphany Eve.

Traditionally, all Italian children may expect to find a lump of "coal" in their stockings (actually rock candy made black with caramel coloring), as every child has been at least occasionally bad during the year.

Casanova filming in Venice

Few frames backstage and behind the scenes from the new film "The secret of Casanova" produced by ZDFDirector Eike Schmitz Casanova: Adrian Becker

Costumes, Researches, Historic boats etc by Ateleir Pietro Longhi Venezia

You can find all my images here

S Martin's Cake

 The Saint Martin Celebration is an old traditional popular celebration in the North East of Italy that is rooted into the territory and has very old traditions

S. Martin xe 'ndà in sofita a trovar ea nonna Rita nona Rita no ghe gera S.Martin col cùeo par tera E col nostro sachetìn cari signori xe S.Martin

San Martin's short pastry cake

This short pastry cake is made in Venice to celebrate the feast day of Saint Martin, on 11th November every year, and it is a favourite with Venetian children who receive one from their grandparents and parents. The cake is in the shape of Saint Martin on horseback with his sword and, if you come to Venice in that period, you will see it in confectioners’ windows, decorated with sugar icing or coated with plain or milk chocolate and decorated with chocolate drops and candies

Oven-proof paper mould Download it here Prepare the paper mould used to cut out the cake. Cut a sheet of oven-proof paper measuring about 30x40 cm. Draw the shape of Saint Martin on horseback with his sword on the paper, cut it out and set it aside.

Alternatively, in Venice, during the period of the feast day, you can buy the cake mould in shops specialised in household goods.

Ingredients for a “Saint Martin” of 20x30 cm

For the short pastry: 250 gr flour 150 gr butter 100 gr sugar 1 egg yolk + 1 whole egg ½ sachet vanillin or vanilla flavouring

For the icing and decoration: 250 – 300 gr icing sugar 1 egg white 5 drops lemon juice 100 gr mixed sweets: chocolate Smarties, sugar sweets, candies, chocolate drops Cooking time: 15/20 minutes at 180°C

Preparation Light the oven. Prepare the pastry base by putting into a bowl, in this order, the flour, the sugar, the softened butter cut into small pieces, the yolk and the whole egg. Keep the extra egg white to one side in a bowl. Start mixing the ingredients by hand, crushing together the eggs, butter and sugar. Once they are fairly well mixed, add the flour and vanilla flavouring. Knead the mixture with your fingertips until it is homogeneous as regards both consistency and colour, working into a ball. Sprinkle some flour on a sheet of oven-proof paper and roll out the pastry into a rectangular sheep measuring about 30x40 cm and cut the outline of the cake. If you like, you can use the trimmings to make a round biscuit. Put the cake in the oven and bake till golden (it will take about 15/20 minutes). When the short pastry is ready, leave it to cool and start to prepare the icing. Put the egg white in a bowl and add the icing sugar, a teaspoonful at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon. When the first teaspoonful has been absorbed, add the second and so on, until you have added half the sugar. At this point squeeze 5 drops of lemon juice into the icing and keep stirring and adding the icing sugar as before. At the end the mixture will be quite thick and you will have to stir it energetically for a minute until it is nice and shiny. Pour the icing into a bag with a medium star-shaped nozzle and start decorating the biscuit. Scatter the biscuit as desired with chocolate drops, sweets or candies. When you have finished decorating it, let the icing “dry” for about 12 hours at room temperature.

An extra idea If you want, you can cover Saint Martin with melted chocolate or colour the icing with food colourings, choose the sweets for decorating it with your children, or change the shape of the cake, for example making biscuits with a hole at the top that you can decorate and hang on the Christmas tree.

Colours of Floods (Burano)

 The Italian island  of Burano, known for its picturesque canals, is also prone to flooding from high tides, a problem heightened by the Venice  city's gradual sinking. Flooding is common this time of year and Thursday's level that reached a peak of 55 inches (140 centimeters) was below the 63 inches (160 centimeters) recorded four years ago in the worst flooding in decades.

How to Find an Address in Venice

Italy's Venice is a city with many sights to see, but finding these sights can be difficult if you're not familiar with the town's address system. The city was built to make sense to those using the canals, not those on foot. You're bound to get lost at least once as you wander the streets searching for hidden gems of the city.

A map may tell you the name of alleys and squares, but a typical Venetian address is simply: San Marco 1323. Venice is split into districts called sestieri, and each building in a sestiere is numbered in one long consecutive sequence. Venice's random and informal street names are not officially part of an address, although many businesses will helpfully provide one. To pin-point a location therefore, you don't just need the brief official address, you also need a street/square name and also some helpful geographical pointer, e.g. a nearby church.

Even street names are far from straightforward. Most have evolved to describe an established location and mean descriptive things like 'Alley of the carpenters' or 'Courtyard with a well'. Consequently there are often several places with the same or similar names. If you are locating a street, you will require the name of the sestiere as well (what's more, sometimes there is more than one place with the same name in one sestiere). And even armed with official address, and street name, your task still isn't simple.

The next confusion is that sometimes one place may have more than one name. Even one name may have different versions - many streets in Venice are known both by their dialect name and by the Italianised version. Either of these may appear on maps. This is why you'll see many variations of placenames such as Fondamenta Nove (even throughout this website).

Streetsigns are not always easy to spot in narrow lanes. They may offer one or more variations on the name (o means 'or'), and they are often joined on the walls by signs identifying the parish (parocchia) and any adjacent canal (rio) or bridge (ponte).

If you're spending a long time in Venice or are just very interested in the city's structure, there is a good book called Calli, Campielli e Canali which provides extremely large scale street plans, along with property numbers. It covers Venice and the lagoon islands, and enables you to locate any address in the city, as well as providing some background information in Italian and English on landmarks and principal buildings. You can buy it in most bookshops in Venice. Sadly, it's rather too bulky to carry around as you explore.

What the names mean

Here are some of the most common titles for places in Venice: Calle - a lane or alley Campo - public open space (irregularly-shaped and less formal than a 'piazza'). Campo means field, and once these were rough-surfaced in earth or grass, and used for burials. They are still the hubs of their neighbourhoods. Campiello - a small square or courtyard. Corte - courtyard. Fondamenta - canalside walkway. Piazza - public square. There is only one in Venice, Piazza San Marco. Ponte - bridge. Piscina - filled-in pool of water. Ruga - significant lane, generally one which used to contain shops. Ramo - branch off a more important thoroughfare, whose name it takes. Rio - canal. Rio terrà or terà - filled-in canal, now a street. Salizzada - name given to the earliest streets to be paved. Sottoportego - covered passage under a building, often leading only to water.

Navigating Venice - theories, routes and landmarks

You can spend many idle moments in Venice evolving navigational theories. Landmarks are all-important, both major ones and private reminders. Routes between significant points are learned this way: e.g. ' left by the greengrocers, straight over the square with a tree in it, down the lane between the red house and the yellow house, left past the Renaissance doorway'. Even if you're the sort of person who has an excellent sense of direction, you'll still find that concentrating on a chain of landmarks is more effective in Venice than working from a mental map. If you're arriving for the first time and finding your hotel, make sure they give you simple, descriptive directions. Once you've found your base, memorise the route to the nearest major landmark or street (one that's marked on your map) - then you'll be able to find your way back. While route-finding and consulting maps, do bear in mind the Venetian rules of conduct; walk on the right and don't block streets.

There are certain through-routes in Venice - chains of lanes linking places together. At busy times of the day you'll see locals filing along these tortuous routes, striding down seeming dead-end alleys and darting around sharp corners. After a while you learn those of use to you, and create your own mental database of Venetian routes.

The only destinations signposted at all consistently are St. Mark's (San Marco), the Rialto, the railway station (Ferrovia) and the bus terminus (Piazzale Roma). Even these painted signs do sometimes falter, but generally they are reliable and can help you to head in the right direction. The ones to San Marco are the most suspect, as some signposted lanes can take you a long way round (something to do with shopkeepers wanting passing trade, perhaps?).

My Favorite Maps are here

High Tide in Venice

 Yesterday we had the first high Tide of Autumn-Winter 2012.

Generally Venice only has high water in Autumn and Winter and even then it is not every day that the streets are flooded. However when a higher than usual tide is expected in the city, sirens blare to warn the population so that they can prepare themselves. Maps as posted at the boat stops showing alternative pedestrian routes around the city that are equipped with special footbridges to avoid the high water and to reach the main parts of Venice.

level of tide and % of Venice that is flooded less than 80 cm. Normal tide at 100 cm 4% at 110 cm 12% An emergency sound alert the Venetian at 120 cm 35% at 130 cm 70% at 140 cm 90%

If you would like to check the level of your area you can check it here

The causes of the tides are the following: - astronomic: the attraction of the sun and the moon cause the regular rise and fall of the water: "6 hours rise and 6 hours fall". You therefore have two maximums and two minimums a day. - meteorological: a strong south-east wind ("scirocco") may cause the tide to increase by as much as 1 meter. - geographical: the seiche is a sort of long wave that runs through the whole of the Adriatic Sea with a period of approximately 22 hours.

20 Things to do in Venice - 14/20 Getting Lost in Venice

Sign to San Marco and Rialto

There is nothing, I repeat nothing, that is as important when you’re visiting Venice than just wandering aimlessly through its streets and alleys. If you only had 3-4 hours in the city, I’d recommend that you do this before you set foot inside a single museum or attraction – it’s that critical to enjoying your visit. By wandering (especially if you point yourself in the exact opposite of the direction where the herd is going) you can find Venice’s many charming and often-empty squares and streets, which goes a long way toward helping you appreciate the city. I’d almost say you could ignore basically everything else on this list and just stroll around without a map… But although I might not go that far (again, unless you’ve only got 4 hours or less), I do consider the sentence “get lost in Venice” an order, not a suggestion.

But really, the point of Venice – for me, anyway – is to wander its maze-like alleyways and bridges, getting thoroughly lost and then finding your way back to something familiar. It’s about accidentally finding a gondola workshop where the men are working their lathes into the groove of the boats outside in the sun. It’s about seeing a market boat (rather than a brick-and-mortar store) selling Venice’s few residents their vegetables and fish. And it’s quite a challenge to do any of that in a day-trip, or by staying close to the Piazza San Marco.