Snow in Venice

It's been a few years since I last posted on this blog. I'd almost forgotten about it! But rest assured since my last post in 2015 we've been back! This time it was for a biggie: the 50th Birthday and we spent another 10 days in La Serenissima.

As always we used Luxrest Venice for our accomodation and booked their Canal Grande apartment and then extended an invitation to stay to close friends. My besties from high school, college and today heeded the call - two flying from Sydney and the other from the UK. It was meant to be.

What was NOT meant to be was "the beast from the East" which for the last week of February turned the weather upside down. We dealt with -8 and -15 degrees celsius temperatures in Slovenia (the day we travelled to Lake Bled is permanently etched in my memory thanks to the freeze) before arriving in our beloved Italy, first to Trieste and then to our second home. VENICE.

And we experienced something we've never experienced here before. SNOW. Arriving at lunch-time on the 1st March (yes this post is somewhat delayed lol) at Santa Lucia train station, as always we stopped and took in the view. We were home. Then we walked up from the train station (in hindsight should have caught the vaporetto as we didn't realise how slippery it would be in the snow) and 20 minutes later weaved our way around to one of our favourite tavernas to meet the Luxrest people - because as luck (or so we thought it at the time) would have it, our apartment just happened to be right next door to Taverna al Remer! We were originally delighted by this until we realised it had changed a lot in the past couple of years and our favourite menu options and our so-called "businessman's lunch" were no longer offered. That said, the first night two of my friends arrived in Venice we took them to dinner there and they loved it. It was still excellent, just not as affordable as previous visits, and it was fucking noisy at night time. Between that and the bars across at Rialto, I'm glad I packed earplugs!

I digress. What this post is about! SNOW! IN VENICE! Yes, we had snow. Snow everywhere. Here are some pics from when we arrived - keeping in mind the weather had turned and it was raining as well so they were taken with my phone while holding up an umbrella! There's a video on my Instagram page here that showed the canal from our apartment.

Unfortunately the next day it well and truly rained which meant everything white disappeared. It would have been a sight up at St Marks - we know it was a site, we saw the drone footage! - but I still think seeing snow was a little miracle for us. It was beautiful.

Festa Di San Martino in Venice

For the past few days we've noticed a treat that we haven't seen before in the windows of the local pasticceria, the supermarkets, general food shops etc. The treats are of varying sizes with the same picture on it - horse and rider - and the words San Martino.

Today in the Rio Marin Pasticceria across the canal from our apartment a few women came in and purchased the biscuit/cake which was of course wrapped up beautifully by the shop keeper there. When the shop had emptied we asked about it and what it meant. 

She told us that it was today, in Venice, the Festa Di San Martino and that it was mainly for children. (We had guessed that by the design and components of the treat which included chocolate coins, Lindt chocolate balls, loads of icing etc) she told us about the crowns - and a few hours before we'd seen a large group of children singing with yellow crowns on their head - and she told us about the noise.

What noise.....?

Well it didn't take long before a group of school kids, young, primary school age, came tumbling down the canal, banging and clanging on pots and pans, and singing a song. I filmed them as it was very entertaining, but won't post the actual video here, just a screenshot from it.

We then spent some time researching San Martino and the festival itself. Time Out described it as "Kids armed with mamma’s pots and spoons raise a ruckus around the city, chanting the saint’s praises and demanding trick-or-treat style tokens in return for taking their noise elsewhere. Horse-and-rider shaped San Martino cakes, with coloured icing dotted with silver balls, proliferate in cake shops."

One of the things we discovered today was that many Venetians were pleased to see old traditions get a new life, even if it is with noisy children who will be in a sugar coma at the end of the day after the treat! 

It was educational too for us as we were not familiar with the story of San Martino. Legend says that St Martin met a starving, freezing beggar in Amiens. He cut his cloak into two pieces and gave the beggar the other half, hence his association as the saint for the poor and for charity. When he did this, the sun apparently came out. Now we do love Venice on a blue sky day and these past few days have been foggy and overcast. St Martin, would you mind sending some sunshine our way? That would be wonderful, thanks... 

We have arrived home to Venice

After a couple of weeks traipsing around Tuscany and Lake Garda we finally came home to Venice on Thursday. Once again we are using Luxrest Venice and we are staying in the same apartment we spent a month in back in 2010. We made our own way to the house on Rio Marin canal this time around as we were on very familiar ground. That said, I did take a wrong turn off the Grand Canal, I'm embarrassed to say, and ended up down a dead-end! But it didn't take long for us to be back in the Venice swing of things, particularly around Santa Croce.

It's been five years since we last stayed in this part of town and I must say there's been a bit of change. Firstly, the graffiti throughout the city is worse. I'm surprised at how much there is. I mean, it's always been there, but now it looks ugly. 

Secondly there are a lot more restaurants (by that I mean everything from an osteria to a ristorante). And a lot more are open in November! It may be because of the Biennale but it's very noticeable. 

Thirdly there is a lot more restoration work going on. We ventured up the Grand Canal today and of course spent some time in Rialto. The entire bridge is under construction! Over the years we've seen the Bridge of Sighs covered up, Salute covered in scaffolding, St Marks itself seems to be an endless round of work, but to see the Rialto Bridge today, well let's just say it left me a little sad. 

But then again, I'm home. Our canal is still beautiful and the pasticceria is still open (very important for a) hot chocolate and b) morning pastries when you feel like a change in your breakfast routine!). 

The local mask maker gave us a very warm welcome (we have been a good client over the last five years) and the wonderful sales person in Fanny's glove shop was so delighted to see us it warmed the cockles of our hearts. In fact, she told us how many years since our last visit. Four. (Too bloody long between visits I say!j The waiter in the restaurant opposite told us that he recognised us and knew we'd been in there before. And it's so nice to have that in a city that millions upon millions of people visit every year, often for only a day or two.

This time we have a two weeks. Plenty of time to start the plan for returning to Venice for a seventh time wouldn't you say? 

We continue to be drawn to Venice

It's been a while between posts but I'm excited to say I will be shortly in Venice - trip number six is very much on the horizon. We will be staying in the same red house we stayed in nearly five years ago. We lived there for a month then, and it was too short a time! This time it's only a fortnight but I think it will be like coming home.

The best thing about this next holiday? We have no plans again. In fact, we're thinking of cutting out a batch of things to do and draw them from a hat each day! I'm looking forward to taking a few thousand photos, as I always do. I love the canals - whether it's the Grand Canal or small canals away from the hustle and bustle - and I love the ambiance of the place. Each canal has it's own light, it's special colours, it's special meaning. And I hope I capture those in my photos.

I think I will take a tripod again and get out some nights and early mornings. I haven't done sunrise from the Rialto Bridge or Accademia, so I might try that this year.

Just being in Venice will be enough. It's not in the busy tourist times and it's a little colder, many places will be shut, but we don't care. It's our second home. And we love it. x

Spending New Year's Eve in Venice

Three initials say a lot - O.M.G. What an experience spending New Year's Eve in Piazza San Marco.  We didn't spend the whole evening there but did the countdown to the new year and watched the fireworks.  Here's some things you need to know.  

1. BOOK A RESTAURANT.  Just about every restaurant will be fully booked (with some doing multiple sittings).  We chose one of our favourites - Taverna San Lio between San Marco and Rialto and watched dozens of people come in for dinner only to be told they were fully booked.  Restaurants generally put up their NYE menu a week in advance - most are set menus for 90-100 euros so you need to be prepared for the price hike!  
2. ALLOW TIME TO GET TO PIAZZA SAN MARCO.  The crowds start increasing around 11pm as everyone makes their way from their restaurant to the Piazza.  The crowds at this point are reasonably well behaved but it's packed, it takes time, and you have to be patient.  We left our restaurant around 11.15pm - normally it would take 5 minutes to be in the square.  We got there 11.45pm.  
3. BE AWARE FOR THE NYE DRUNKS!  Yes people are already sloshed before the new year commences.  We saw an awful lot of young people (funny saying that considering I'm still in my early 40s) already behaving badly, tantrums, crying, sobbing even!  You don't have room to move in the square comfortably so find the mood of the crowd that suits you. 
4. BE AWARE OF BROKEN GLASS and CIGARETTES.  There's an awful lot of bottles littered about during the evening, many of them smashed.  Keep your balance and be aware of your surroundings.  You could really hurt yourself.
5. THE FIREWORKS AREN'T AT MIDNIGHT.  This year they advised on posters they were at 12.15.  The crowd will surge from the Piazza to in front of the Basilica, the Palazzo Ducale, and out on the water.  Be prepared because that's where the fireworks will go off - in San Marco basin there at the front. 
6. THE FIREWORKS ARE GOOD BUT NOT MIND-BLOWING.  If you're from Sydney (like we are) we are spoilt with our fireworks.  Incredibly.  Off buildings, off barges in the harbour, off the Bridge of course, but not in Venice.  Don't be disappointed.  Just enjoy.  It's pretty special being in the Piazza and experiencing NY there.  
7. BE PREPARED FOR SOME SCARY CROWD MOMENTS.  When it's over, it gets frightening.  The crowd surges, like a football crowd.  Let's just say you can see how people are trampled to death.  We would encourage NOT to take small children, prams, animals etc into the vicinity, or if you do, sit it out somewhere away from the movement and let the crowd disperse.  We saw some horrendous things last night with families trying to protect young children and people practically falling into prams.  The paramedics cannot get to you quickly.  You can't move.  It's hard to breathe.  And you are pushed about in ways you never thought imaginable.  If we'd known how scary it would be, we would have planned better - but once you are caught in the crowd, you have to go with it. 
8. IF YOU ARE STAYING IN THE SAN MARCO AREA, BE PREPARED NOT TO SLEEP WELL!  Our apartment was less than a minute from the square.  We had drunks singing under our windows throughout the early hours. (We'll never again hear Meatloaf's I will do anything for love (but I won't do that) ever again without thinking of the drunk who sang it at the top of his voice while on the bridge below our apartment!!!)  We endured loads of cheering, loud conversations, whistles, smashing of bottles etc. for many hours.  The music in the piazza eventually died down, it was really just the crowds coming home that create the noise.

At the end of the day, enjoy the evening but be prepared for the behaviour of the crowd, particularly if travelling with small children, elderly, and animals.  In fact, I would seriously reconsider bringing babies and prams to the event unless you can sit tight for quite a while after the fireworks display has ended.  Play it safe, and have some fun, but be aware of the pitfalls and plan your evening accordingly....

Night photography in Venice

I love taking photos.  Most people I know would consider me an addict.  I can't help myself - I see beauty and composition in so many things.

Venice is a photographer's heaven.  No one can take a bad photo here.  All you have to do is head in front of San Marco and take the gondolas in front of you with San Giorgio Maggiore in the background.  It's the postcard shot and I have several of them on my Flickr photostream.  Go down a canal.  Catch a gondola going under a bridge.  Look for the beautiful reflections in the water.  And for my personal favourite, go to the middle of the Accademia bridge and look across to Salute.  That's probably my favourite view in all the world.  Glorious - whether it's a sunny day or a foggy day, the grand old dame at the mouth of the Grand Canal is wonderful.  Time it just right with a vaporetto or gondola going by, and bang, another postcard shot!

These past two visits to Venice I've bought my tripod along for the ride.  I don't have a really fancy camera - it's a digital SLR, Sony A350.  I love it, it does the job nicely, and I have a few lenses I take with me when I travel.  I'm not an experienced night photographer by any means but it really is lovely to "have a go" and get out there into the piazzas, along the bridges, when the sun goes down.  The only thing I've noticed about Venice, particularly in off season which is when we travel here, is the lack of buildings being lit up at night.  I'm used to Sydney where all the sites are proudly and magestically lit up but I remember on my last trip to Venice being disappointed Salute wasn't glowing at night, there was small light, but nothing to show off her beauty.

So a tripod is what you need.  I play with various settings on the camera and just enjoy the experience but last night, in FREEZING weather, I went to Piazza San Marco (around the corner from our apartment) and IN THE RAIN took dozens and dozens of photos.  The rain - particularly at night - produces such wonderfully creative reflections.  The light from buildings casts such a glow on the water, it really is a lot of fun.  Mind you, I didn't like the cold or the rain, but here's a few from last night:

If you can pack one, bring a tripod to Venice.  And head off one night to your favourite campo, bridge, canal, and see what magic can happen.

Burano - it's all about the colour

We've had a gorgeous time here in Venice.  Because we had no plans, no itinerary, for this holiday we've pretty much relaxed and walked around our favourite parts of this glorious city.

On the 27th we went out to Burano again.  It was one of the things we wanted to do but it was dependent on the weather.  And what stunning winter weather we've had.  Days and days of sunshine.  It's been wonderful.  So we woke up on a beautiful day and walked the back streets from San Marco down to Fondamenta Nuove.  Since our visit to Burano last year, the vaporetto number had changed - it's no longer the LN, it's the 12.  There are also several vaporetto points at Fondamenta Nuove to get out to Murano, Burano, various islands, the airport, the cemetery etc so check the boards carefully and make your way to the right departure point.  There is 100 metres between them so if you have bags, leave enough time as there are bridges (and steps) between them.

The trip to Burano still takes around 40 minutes.  This time we got off at Mazzorbo and walked around the island.  One of the canals was undergoing major work so we just walked around it.  There was a detour in place as once we got to the other end near the church (Santa Caterina)  it was a dead end. We found the church relatively small and plain, so it was a quick visit.  I had read about a byzantine church on the island so I was a little disappointed, having equated byzantine with golden mosaics!  Or more to the point, my love of the church at Torcello - a highlight on any trip to Venice.

We then strolled alongside the path to the cemetery.  It was an incredibly beautiful blue sky day - not a cloud to be seen.  We had Burano to our right and it was lovely.

We then walked across the bridge to Burano.  Burano is one of the most colourful places you can visit.  Make sure your camera is charged and you have plenty of space on your memory cards!  Every corner is a delight.  The colours are vivid and the reflections they produce in the canals are absolutely stunning.  It really is a photographer's paradise.  Whether you are a professional or a hobbyist, you can't take a bad photo in Burano.

Here are just some of my favourites from the day however you can also view my Flickr album here.

This year we didn't treat ourselves to a fabulous seafood meal at Trattoria al Gatto Nero, but went to Trattoria Al Raspo de Ua near the piazza.  We took the recommendation from our Lonely Planet guide and I must say I was a bit surprised it was there.  Bit touristy - not helped by a few tourist groups in the restaurant - and food average.  Nevertheless it did the job and there was a clean toilet there (even though we purchase our weekly vaporetto tickets with the public toilet passes, it's always good to have back-up plans!)

Once we had lunch, done some shopping, and looked at the church - Chiesa di San Martino - the one with the lopsided bell-tower/steeple - we stopped for a hot chocolate and a pastry.  I wouldn't recommend the former, it was one of the worst hot chocolates we'd ever had, but the pastry was fine.  We then caught the vaporetto back to Venice and spent hours in our apartment checking out the photos we took while in Burano.  Just gorgeous.  It's not about the food or the drink, it's all about the colours.

Christmas time in Venice

Christmas Day in Venice

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day have now passed, and we've had a lovely time here in Venice.  The weather has been glorious - sunny wintery days, crystal blue skies, most unexpected...Tour groups appear from time to time and every third person has a camera strung around their neck, but it's not busy and it's very easy to get around the laneways, bridges etc.

St Mark's, late afternoon, Christmas Day

As it's Christmas time, we asked people we know here in Venice about church services at St Mark's for Christmas Eve and searched the web as well.  We got very different information.  In the end we went straight to the Basilica's own website and they noted mass this year was at 11.30pm.  (Last year it was 10.30pm due to Acqua Alta so it pays to check times directly).  We left the apartment around 10.15pm and we're literally a 30 second walk to the church (!) - would you believe the queue to the side entrance was already near the main entrance?!  Needless to say we stood out there in zero degrees for about 45 minutes before the doors were opened.  We talked to a lovely couple, originally from Australia, now living in London and that managed to pass the time away.

By the time the side doors opened, the queue was well past the Palazzo Ducale!  Of course there will always be people who don't queue up and we noticed several people join us as we started to move.  Very rude but what can you do?  Likewise when we got our seat in the church.

When you visit Basilica di San Marco you cannot take photos inside the church.  Yet dozens and dozens of people took cameras and recorders into the church for the service.  To me it is one of the most extraordinary churches in the world.  Those byzantine mosaics are just glorious and it's an absolute wonder to behold, but if you are going to church, you don't take a camera yet flashes went off everywhere for quite some time.  I must say, I was surprised it wasn't "policed", there weren't any obvious signs reminding people not to take photos, nor were any announcements made over the loud speakers.  Of course, I ached for my own camera, but soaked up the mosaics all around me in a totally different way.

Just a note for those planning to attend a Christmas service at St Mark's - hundreds of people left their run to the church late and when they came in realised there was no seating - standing room only.  Again a few people here and there just barged in and tried to take prime viewing spots, blocking the view of those that had patiently queued.  We were lucky - we had good seats.  They were cold but it wasn't nearly as cold in the church as I had expected (then again, I was wearing a number of layers of clothing!).

There were booklets on everyone's seats, translated into 4 languages - French, English, German, Italian.  You could follow it but about 80 minutes into the service, no one could find where we were up to and as it was all in Italian by this stage, you were kind of lost if you spoke English.  We ended up leaving at 1pm but it was an amazing experience.  The choir, the chants, the spectacle, the history, it was quite something to be a part of.   Just remember, if you want to go to St Mark's for Christmas, QUEUE early!

Ristorante Cantinone Storico

For Christmas lunch we went to Ristorante Cantinone Storico over the Accademia Bridge in Dorsoduro.  We had booked prior to coming to Venice.  It was a set menu for 70 euros - six courses, wine, water, coffee etc - and wonderful hospitality.  The owner there made sure we were very comfortable and told us everyone else in the restaurant was Venetian - so we were among locals on Christmas Day.  We spent three hours there, enjoying the meal and the day, and strolled back to the apartment as the sun was setting across the lagoon.  Just beautiful.

One thing to note about Christmas Day in Venice - church bells go ALL DAY!  We're so close to the Basilica, so we're hearing them loud and clear.  Mind you, we do love hearing the church bells ring out through this wonderful city, but let's hope they ring out less often in the days ahead!

Speaking of which, for Boxing Day we'll try and head off to Frari for a 4pm concert.  Just another glorious thing to do around this time of the year in Venezia.

No itinerary, no rush, just an easy day in Venice

Another glorious day in Venice.  The wonderful thing is we don't have an itinerary, there's no place we need to be, we're not in a rush and we can take it relatively easy.  The apartment is just around the corner from San Marco, it's a 10 minute walk to Rialto or Accademia, everything we need is closeby. It's also really pleasant in winter, particularly on a sunny day, because the crowds are manageable. They don't annoy you, they don't get in the way. I took a photo of St Mark's Basilica today with no one in front of it, same alongside the Doge's Palace.  It's lovely!  I can't imagine what it would be like in summer.  It's the one time of the year we WON'T come to Venice!  And of course, we wouldn't choose to stay around San Marco, it was just that this most recent trip wasn't exactly planned and it was organised in less than six weeks, which meant our first choice apartments were already taken.  But we do like being central.  It's just that we prefer areas with a more local feel.

Today we had to do some food shopping so we headed off to Rialto.  If you love food you simply must go down to the markets in the morning.  Whether it's meats & chickens, seafood, fruit & vegetables or meats and cheeses from the deli, Rialto is the place to be.  It's wonderful watching the Italian women do their shopping, discussing the produce, chatting away to the locals.  It always sounds so vibrant and interesting. It's times like this I a) wish I was Italian and b) wish I could SPEAK Italian!  We don't really have recommendations around the Rialto area - I think everyone should make up their own mind what they like based on what they see there.






After shopping we decided to go to Taverna del Campiello Remer which is one of our FAVOURITE places for lunch.  It's a little difficult to find but the location is on the Grand Canal around from Rialto.  It attracts a mainly local clientele - although Lonely Planet did list it in their Venice guide! - and it's great value - you help yourself from the buffet (where there are really yummy things!) and then there's usually a choice of two pastas (today we had zucchini with a soft cheese) and dessert (assuming you can fit it in!).  Add in wine, mineral water, and bread, and you're up for only 20 euros.  We love it there.  The background music, the setting, the ambience, and the experience.  Easy Venetian living.

entrance to Taverna del Campiello Remer

After lunch we popped into the apartment and then headed off to Campo San Stefano as we'd read on another blog there were Christmas markets there.  Um, no there wasn't.  So we headed over Accademia bridge for that GREAT view of Salute and then to a restaurant we'd booked for Christmas Day lunch, at the back of "Peggy's place"  (sorry we are not a fan of the Guggenheim - extraordinary price for an ordinary and somewhat boring modern art collection).  We went over to Salute, which I just adore, and then cheated and caught the vaporetto one stop to San Marco!  We waited for the sun to start to go down, took a few photos, grabbed some gelato and headed back to the apartment.  Tonight we'll probably just go a pizza, somewhere locally, because we had such a wonderful lunch, we really don't need a big meal.


It is Christmas Eve tomorrow and while I said we had no plans this Venetian holiday, that's not 100% true.  We do know one thing we will be doing and that is going to a church service in St Mark's Basilica.  I think it will be an amazing experience.  Let's hope the crowds aren't too bad!!

And so we return

It's been one year and 12 days since we were last in Venice.  When we were planning for this latest trip we thought it would be too soon but the minute we got off the train, we realised we were home.  It seemed like only yesterday we left.  The church opposite Santa Lucia was still being restored!  We went straight to the Venice Connected stand to pick up our vaporetto weekly ticket and toilet passes.  We pre-ordered them about a month ago and simply handed over our printed confirmation and a few minutes later we were on the 2 express up to San Marco.  Apart from a couple of photos on the Blackberry to load quickly onto Facebook to let our friends know we had arrived safely, the cameras stayed tucked away and we chatted quitely away as the vaporetto took us up to the hub of Venice. 

We rented an apartment again from Lux-Rest and the lovely Barbara met us at the Ferrari shop next door.  It was good we knew where the apartment was - it was the one we stayed in back in January 2008.  Very central but probably good for this time of year.  NEXT time we'd like to try another sestiere.  A few changes had been made since our last visit.  Once the formalities were done, cleaner money, and tourist tax handed over, we headed off to an ATM for some money and then to a restaurant just off San Lio which we hadn't been to previously.  We had a relatively simple meal and then popped into our a favourite restaurant of ours to book it for New Year's Eve.  We were a little surprised we had to leave credit card details OR 50 euros to reserve our table!  We ended up going for a 9pm setting, after which we'll head off to San Marco Piazza for midnight. 

A coop supermarket was in the area so we filled the apartment with some groceries - coffee, sugar, milk, bread etc - and then headed back out to the square (a minute away!) and walked up the Riva Schiavoni to via Garibaldi and back again, watching the sun set beautifully over the water, San Giorgio Maggiore, Salute and other wonderful churches. 

My love of the pink lamps of Venice was also getting a workout.  This time I photographed them as the sun set behind - just glorious.

We had a little hiccup tonight when all the power went out.  About 90 minutes inconvenience but then it righted itself, with the help of an electrician, and we ended up going somewhere close to the apartment for dinner.  Not usually a wise suggestion, seeing we are so close to San Marco, and we ended up choosing Ristorante "da Carletto" in Castello along Calle delle Bande.  The menu was in multiple languages but we both just wanted a pasta.  We both enjoyed what we ordered - salmon pasta and a fresh crab one - but were shocked with the bill.  The salmon pasta was only 14 euros but the crab one (a special of the day) was a whopping 25 euros.  I would have recommended the pasta there and indeed the restaurant itself - even though it was more touristy than we usually like - but the bill - at 52 euros for two pastas and a mineral water - was too expensive for what we got.  Ah, we all get caught doing things the wrong way.  Live and learn. 

Part of us doesn't really care, we're in Venice and we are happy. 

Another trip to our favourite place

Well, trip number five to Venice is on the horizon!  It's not quite 12 months since we spent our month there and the return is much sooner than we expected - I thought we'd be back when my long-service leave kicked in - in 2013!   Never in a million years would we have imagined a return so quick, but life is full of wonderful surprises.

Once again, we'll be there in off-season - arriving just before Christmas and leaving shortly after the New Year.  We know it will be cold - really cold! - but we're excited by that.  Christmas Day in Sydney, for example, is generally a hot day.  And we've never been a fan of summer, so why not head off to the Northern Hemisphere for a nice cold Christmas break?!  And a hot meal on the day rather than cold meats and seafood will be wonderful!  We just have to remember to organise everything as soon as we arrive because we'll have to work around public holidays and shop closures for the festive season.

We've organised an apartment through Lux-Rest - the third time we've used them -  and funny enough it's the same one we stayed in back in 2008, up around St Mark's. While we prefer to be out of the main hub of Venice, we're actually quite happy to be central again. For example, it will be great to watch NYE fireworks in the square and know that we're less than a minute back to the apartment and not a 30 minute vaporetto ride to San Croce.  The apartment is on a canal and close to absolutely everything.  And it's literally a hop, skip and a jump to the Basilica and Palazzo Ducale.

Part of me wanted to stay in another sestiere (Dorsoduro, Cannaregio, San Polo) but with only six weeks to go, we didn't have a lot of planning time!  It's a holiday that's being added to a work trip for the "better half" and is something spontaneous.  We still can't believe the flights are booked, accommodation is being finalised, train rides too (we're going to go via Siena, Bologna on the way up from Rome).  This time a fortnight ago we wouldn't have even contemplated it!  We were gearing up for summer in Sydney not winter in Italy!

Ah, as I said, life is full of wonderful surprises. So with another Venice trip on the horizon I'm back on this blog.  We know the place so well so I'll be posting the odd thing while we are there.  Perhaps providing more information to those travellers that go off-peak like us.  Share the love, so to speak.  Afterall, it is a place we love dearly....

Still dreaming of Venice

We've been back in Sydney for weeks and I think of Venice every day.  It doesn't help I'm still going through the 5,000 photos I took during our month there.  I look at the photos and remember that particularly day, what we did, what we saw, and how happy we were in La Serenissima.  It's so hard to come back to reality when you're daydreaming of a fantasy land on the other side of the world. It really is heaven.  A magic place.

And even though we're no longer in Venice I've decided to keep this blog going with some journal entries.  Share the experience with those who read this blog through my Flickr link or just finding it on a web search.



And I'm going to keep playing around with the thousands of photos I took on our last trip to Venice.  I've been using Adobe's Lightroom to come up with enhanced photos, sometimes I little "out there" but I like how many of them turn out.  Appeals to my creative side, I guess.  I never used to do much with my photos apart from crop them or tweak a colour but when we were in the apartment in Venice I had time to play with the program.  I'm enjoying enhancing them and loading them on my Flickr page. I love being on Flickr, such a wonderful community of talented photographers.  Their feedback over the years has helped develop my own style and influences.  But I digress....

I've decided to put the journal and the photos together in a book.  Will make such a change from a standard photo album.  There's soo many programs now available online so I'll explore a bit and see what works for us.  I've had several suggestions from my Flickr friends to do a photographic book of Venice but I can't see that ever coming off.  Maybe one day I'll be discovered or asked to have my photos in a beautiful coffee table book, but being in the world of publishing, I can't see it selling that many copies!!! 



I also believe that anyone can take a good photo in Venice.  It's a photographer's dream.  Actually, it's a dream.  Fullstop.

Acqua Alta in Venice

There are certain sacrifices you make when travelling to Venice in November and December.  For us, we don't have a problem with the weather (cold and rain) if it means less tourists and easier access to site-seeing with a minimum of hustle and bustle.  And seeing we are here in late autumn and the beginning of winter, it also means Acqua Alta time.

Before we came to Venice we knew our apartment was in an area prone to flooding.  We knew there would be a flood barrier at the front door and we were told to leave it on at all times.  The downside is that we have to jump over it every day but the upside is the place doesn't flood!

For the past three weeks, we've only had a little bit of water to contend with.  We hear the sirens (often in the early hours of the morning) and then listen out for the rising tones.  When we first arrived the tones were level, usually repeated four to five times.  In the earlier part of the trip, we thought the number of times it was repeated was indicative of flooding levels.  Until we heard the rising tones.  We've had a couple of two tones, but this morning at 5.15am the siren went off and there were four tones, which I believe is the maximum.  Yep, it was going to be a biggie today!

We're based in Rio Marin canal in San Croce. Even when we hear two tones, the water levels outside our apartment aren't too bad. The water is above the canal for a while and then subsides. By the time we leave for the day, a good pair of boots or walking shoes is sufficient to get around.

Until today. Unfortunately I haven't been able to acquire a good pair of gum boots or "wellies" due to my enormous calves! (The less I say on that one the better!) I tried on a few when we first got here - but we feared they would cut off my circulation! And then when we realised we didn't have to worry about the tides that much, we stopped looking. When we hear the sirens and the tones, we simply work out the areas least affected by flooding and go there.

But this morning, after the four tones, we knew it was going to be a different day. You could hear the SLOSHING noises very loudly and it was soo unique. Slosh Slosh Slosh. Those with high gumboots or the waders are still getting around. Mind you, I had to laugh when I saw children being carried. Oh and dogs. The poor little things would drown at the current water levels. So they are being carried around. Looks very sweet.

I'm just glad we aren't leaving Venice this morning. The thought of carrying our bags instead of rolling them across the sidewalks (see earlier blog post on "the sounds of Venice"!!!) filled us with dread.  Afterall we've done A LOT of shopping!  Luckily for me, most of it consists of light weight presents - jewellery, scarves, CDs, pens etc.  Oh, drats, forgot the books.  There's one or two of them.  Oh, and the painting we picked up.  Hmmm.  Needless to say we are praying it's not Acqua Alta when it's our turn to leave!  Praying. Hard!

Weekdays in Venice

Ah, the weekend is over and we all breathe a sigh of relief.  Bucketloads of tourists have left Venice, returning home or moving onto the next point of call on their holiday.  Mind you, there are still plenty of tourists here, even in the "off-season".  But nothing like the weekend onslaught.

We actually caught "peak-hour" on the vaporetto yesterday afternoon.  Soo many people crammed into the number 1 down the Grand Canal with their backpacks and suitcases.  All headed for either the train station or Piazzale Roma to take the bus (or taxi) to the airport.  Ah the Sunday rush.  Up until yesterday, we didn't realise it existed here in Venice.  But it does!

As per the last blog, we struggle with the massive amount of visitors to this glorious place.  Particularly the day-trippers.  And we have learnt to plan our days around the increased numbers on the weekends.  We know about avoiding Rialto and St Mark's, no matter how much we love the areas.  They can get too cosy and there's a lot of bustling going on, particularly with those keen photographers who are angling for the shot.  (Although as I've said before, you can't take a bad photo here.  It's a photographer's paradise whether you are a professional or amateur...)

When you stay in Venice for an extended period, you really do notice the massive increase of visitors on the weekends.  Because come Monday or Tuesday, it's much easier to get around.  There's no congestion along walkways or bridges.  It's pretty easy and you can take photos without having dozens of people in the way.  Some Thursdays are also pleasant.  Last Thursday, for example, was relatively quiet, but then again - we are travelling here in "off season" and the weather wasn't that great.  And today, it was heaven.  Quiet.  Peaceful.  And only a handful of tourists in sight!

The weather does play a part.  Winter in Venice is actually quite pleasant, except when the cold sets in - particularly the wind.  Sunny days are just lovely.  Blue skies.  Gorgeous light.

But turn a corner and boom, that cold rush can go right through you.  And it's hard to get excited about going out for dinner when you have to walk 20-30 minutes somewhere in the dark, cold or wet.  We try and keep dinners to the local area on those nights. And don't get me started on the rain.  Rainy, cold days have an impact.  You can be guaranteed of getting into places on those days and nights.  Everyone who can is remaining indoors, safe and warm!

We've only got a week and a half left on this trip before we catch the dreaded flight home.  We'll go from probably zero degrees to 30+ in Sydney.  And before you know it we'll be back at work and dreading weekdays in Sydney.  Ah peak hour traffic jams.  Cars!  Urgh, after a month in Venice we're soooo not looking forward to that!

Tourists Tourists and more Tourists

After several weeks in Venice, we wish we could be defined as being "locals" rather than "tourists". What point do you cease being a tourist and become a visitor, a local, a resident?  I'm sure there are legal definitions but in our hearts, we don't wish to be tourists. (That said, I'm a photography nut so I've always got the digital SLR close-by - a dead-giveaway we're not as local as we'd like to be!!!).

I once read the average time someone visits Venice is one day.  ONE DAY!  How on earth can you get a feel for La Serenissma in 24 hours?  A large number of people come here on cruises and basically hop off for some general site-seeing, shopping and eating, before heading off to the next destination. Tourists come in droves - from the airport, from the train station, from the buses.  And it gets worse on the weekends, particularly when the weather is nice.  You can't cross a bridge without running into massive tour groups, even in our quiet and suburban canal.

At a vaporetto stop today we overhead a conversation between several British people and they were all basically staying for three days. Now three days I understand. Three days is the number I spent here when I was a 21 year old backpacker and then again some 15 years later. Since then it's been seven days and now this one at 30 days. Even now, we're trying to work out how often we can get back and how long should we stay for each time. Apparently we're moving here but after checking the property prices - and not speaking much Italian - I seriously doubt it! But we dream....

Venice is a tourist mecca regardless of the time of year you travel. We like to come in the "off-season" as I previously mentioned on this blog. The downside is that some restaurants are closed over the colder months and general tourist sites often have shorter hours. But you can get around much easier. Except in St Mark's, you aren't generally bustled about it. You've got room to move. You can soak it up much easier. You can be at one with the place.

Except on the weekends when even more tourists pour into this place!!!  Note to the large French group we passed this morning.  It was obviously day one, first hour, of your trip.  Yes, you are looking forward to all the wonders of this glorious city.  But learn the "road rules".  Keep to the right.  And don't friggin "hog" the bridges, especially the smaller ones used for local routes.  The locals like us get really p***ed off when you don't move across and let us pass.

Yep, when then are dozens and dozens of tourists around and you've been here for a couple of weeks (and it's not the first time visiting the place) THAT's when you call yourself a local! :)

The pink lamps of Venice

The last post on this blog was about the sounds of Venice. Today I thought I'd start tackling the colours of Venice.  But then I realised I didn't want to go through all the wonderful autumn and earthy colours of the palazzos, the glorious ultramarine blue of the gondola covers. I didn't want to think about the local campos and normal residences, bridges, the water reflections, the Murano glass and general art shops, the walkways, the canals... I only wanted to talk about one love, and that is the pink lamps of Venice.

I fell in love with them when I first visited Venice as a 21 year-old backpacker. Each visit since, I still photograph the gorgeous lamps. I try for different lighting behind them. Different colours in the sky. Different buildings...

I think my favourite collection of pink lamps are in St Mark's Square near the Basilica and next to the Doge's Palace. But then there's the walk along the Riva degli Schiavoni or along the Zattere. Over across at Giudecca, single lamps light the walkway. I think I prefer the three lamp configuration. Yes, I do. I love the three.

I don't know about the history of them or why the colour pink was chosen. (If anyone knows, do drop me a line).

It's funny. I don't actually like the colour pink. Shades of pink are okay. But the soft pink lamps of Venice. Now they are gorgeous. And I love them to bits.

The sounds of Venice

After being in this wonderful city for the last fortnight, we're getting to know the sounds of Venice.  Yes, we've been here several times but for this is the first time we've spent a whole 30 days in La Serenissima.

Firstly, the main sound you'll hear is the sound of luggage wheels going across the pavers.  Big bags, small bags, early morning until late at night.  Click Click Click as they go from their landing spot (Piazzale Roma or the Ferrovia vaporetto stop outside of Santa Lucia train station or boat/water taxi) to their accommodation. And back again. Some might be like us - renting an apartment through one of the agents based here.  Others might be enroute to a hotel or a pensione.  Either way, tourists are coming and going. Constantly.

The second sound -- and one of my personal favourites -- is the sound of church bells ringing out across the city. Again, they ring at all times of the day. And with 100+ churches in Venezia, there are bells ringing close to where you are staying. On this trip I've heard church bells ringing so often my partner jokes that I must have tinnitus! But I know I'm hearing them. They are beautiful.

With all the water around us, there's the sloshing noises as we all weave around/ jump across/walk through the puddles. Sometimes there is a little and sometimes there's a lot of sloshing to do! Particularly in St Mark's after high tide.

Speaking of high tide - there's the sirens. We've never noticed them when we've visited the city before, but it's November. That equals Acqua Alte. The siren blares out across the city at various times (early morning, evening, night) and then you listen for the rising tones that indicate the height of the water. We heard one a little while ago - two tones x 5. If we look out our front door in another hour or so, we'll be glad we had the flood barrier left up!

Then you have the noises of the raised walkways that are placed strategically around the city. Around Rialto, St Marks, anywhere that has localised flooding. Tourists and locals go bang bang across them. Lots of feet over raised boards. They aren't usually quiet things to walk across..

Of course in a city dominated by waterways, there's also the waves lapping against the sidewalks. Or against the vaporetto stops. There's the noises of the vaporettos heaving to a stop. And all that accompanies the ferries up and down the major canal routes.

Of course, this is Italy. And Italy = food and wine. So another sound of the city must be associated with the restaurants - whether an Osteria, Pizzeria, Trattoria or Ristorante - there are glasses clinking, cutlery and plates being taken out to diners. The sounds of a kitchen. Of waiters. Of movement.

Speaking of movement, what's Venice without gondoliers?  There's nearly always a gondolier close by asking whether you want a "gondola" trip.  "Gondola?"  they ask.  "Gondola, Gondola?" Sometimes you hear them singing. Sometimes you hear music. Lately we've been hearing accordians more often. In fact there was a group of gondoliers going down our relatively quiet canal the other night making quite the song and dance. It was entertaining. If only I could capture the moment better for you.

Speaking of capturing moments. Cameras clicking. Now THAT's a sound of Venice. Click Click. There's ones that are old fashioned, others that are more electronic. Cameras whirring this way and that. There's the noises as they are turned on and off. And of course the camera shutter opening and closing, opening and closing. That's a noise that is all around you.

And then there's the lovers. Kissing. Afterall this is a city of love. Sometimes they are a little noisy (too noisy!) and sometimes they are sweet. Sweet nothings whispered into ears. A nuzzle here and there. You can hear it. Love is definitely all around here.....!

The magic of St Mark's

We've been in Venice well over a week and managed to resist the pull that is St Mark's. We've been there so many times but until you go there, you're really not in Venice.  It's a sight to behold.  Ignore the tourist traps, it's fabulous up around the square - the Basilica, the Doge's Palace, the Campanile, the shops, the buildings, the institutions like Florians etc etc. Basilica di San Marco is a show-stopper. Whether you are inside or out.

Unfortunately there is restoration work going on and so photographer's from all around the world are sighing they can't capture the full magic. But it depends on what side you take your photo from.

And then there's the Palazzo Ducale and the soft pink light that falls from it onto the square. Look up to the Campanile on a beautiful day and let your mind wander.  If you're game, go up there and marvel at the view.

There's so much happening in the area. There's the moors -- The Torre dell'Orologio -- and all their history. There's the Lion of St Mark perched high and across from him St Theodor the patron saint. In between there used to be public executions, but let's not go there. Today we are marvelling at the magic.


And for me, there's the pink lamps of Venice. I could blog about them alone. I love them so much. In fact I should do that one day.  An ode to the pink lamps of Venice.  Ah, Venice....

Light and reflections

One of the most beautiful things about Venice and the surrounding islands is the way the light works - across the squares, the canals, the buildings.  Different times of day produce amazing results. There's beauty in every corner.

Yesterday we looked at some of the palazzos on the Grand Canal in the afternoon light.  It had been raining all day but glancing down the Canal you could see such beautiful reflections off the buildings as the sun after the rain touched them ever so gently before the light faded and the evening was upon us.

The canals reflect such beautiful light, off the buildings and walls, that when you come across something special, you know it. You can't help but take the camera out and attempt to capture it. I caught many beautiful moments today. Too many to load on Facebook, Flickr and this blog. Here's just one favourite:



And then there are the times you don't have a camera on you or the light is too poor. Last night we went around to Campo San Giacomo dell Orio, very close to where we are staying. Puddles were everywhere but what was magical was the way the lights from the buildings and the lamps reflected on them. Red, orange, yellow. The Campo was pretty much deserted - a handful of people in the local Osteria and Trattoria - and a few people travelling along the walkways at night getting from A to B, but generally it was very quiet.

Even though it was a cool evening, we picked up some gelato after dinner and strolled slowly back to the apartment. I would have given anything to have had the tripod with me. The colours across the square and the church there were beautiful.

We still have three weeks here and rain is forecast for the next week at least. I will have to make sure I stroll around one night to try and capture the magic. So beautiful. And such a delight.

A day trip to Burano

Yesterday was a lovely day in Venice.  We knew rain was forecast for this week but that Sunday should have been fine.  And it was.  So we headed off to Burano.  It was somewhere we had never been to (ok I lie, on our last trip in 2008 we got off at the Burano ferry stop and caught another ferry to Torcello, which was absolutely amazing, so technically we have been there)  Anyway, we made up for it yesterday.

We had a longer than expected ride from Riva de Biasio (our vaporetto stop on the Grand Canal) as the vaporetto we could take to Fondamenta Nuove wasn't in service.  So we hopped on the number 1 vaporetto, packed with tourists, and squeezed in for a few stops, getting off at Ca'D'oro and weaving through the back streets and campos of Cannaregio to FN.  We then got on the LN ferry that stops at Murano first and then heads to Burano.  It's about a 40 minute trip, slow (20kms an hour the maximum speed).  I love going past San Michele - the cemetery island - particularly when it's misty.

We arrived at Burano close to lunch and had already been tipped off to TRATTORIA AL GATTO NERO on one of the canals.

It was a bit cool so we decided to try our luck at a table inside.  Did we have a reservation?  No, but they cleared a table for us and we knew we got lucky!  We decided to splurge.  For antipasti we chose the degustazione option and three plates of seafood came out, some cooked, some not.  There were prawns, mussels, vongole, a scallop (with tomato and olive oil on top -- delicious!), smoked salmon, baby octopus, razor clams and langoustine.  Plenty to share for E26.00.   We then shared the homemade taglioni with spider crab.  Add on wine (the house wine was superb), a bottle of san pellegrino, and an espresso, well let's just say it was a bit of a splurge!  But worth every second of it.

We then strolled around and of course I took dozens and dozens of photos.  Burano is a photographer's heaven.  So much colour and light.  And you look for the light in the water.  You wait for the reflections.  And they are beautiful.  I would love to see it on a really sunny blue sky day.  That must make the place sparkle!

We shopped - and yes I bought a scarf (yes surprise surprise however bit disturbing in that it was my second shiny shiny glitzy one this trip, but it was lovely - and colourful!).  I also bought a print from the local artist.  Just a cheap momento of the place.  A handful of postcards later and another walk around the square and a few of the canals, and we were back on the ferry for the long but relaxing trip back to Venice.

On the way back the sun shone directly on my face - and it was beautiful.