Archive for the ‘Venice’ Category

What To See In Venic

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Of all the world’s travel destinations, Venice rates among the top three places where people want to go. The reason is simple: it is one of the most beautiful places on earth that fills up all of one’s senses ? the ageless beauty of the churches, palaces and buildings, the old-world ambience. More to the point, Venice is a total feast for the eyes.

Stretched along the Adriatic Sea, Venice is a unique group of 117 small islands joined together by 378 stone bridges over a number of canals. It has the unique mode of transportation, which is mostly on water.

The city is composed of six districts (sestiere), all with their own unique attractions: Cannaregio, San Polo, Santa Croce, San Marco, Dorsoduro and Castello.

Cannaregio

Cannaregio in the north has the Palazzo Labia, the Venetian Ghetto, and the Isola di San Michele. Palazzo Labia is a beautiful 7th century baroque palace. The Venetian Ghetto is the center of Jewish living where Jews go for religious services. The Isola di San Michele is the cemetery island where some famous writers and musicians are buried.

San Polo

San Polo is the smallest and the oldest, housing the famous Rialto Bridge, the San Giacomo di Rialto and the Campo San Polo. The Rialto Bridge is the largest of the four bridges connecting the Grand Canal in places. The San Giacomo di Rialto is the oldest church in Venice, built in 421 A.D. The Campo San Polo is the biggest field in the city and is very popular for the Carnival, concerts and screenings for the Venice Film Festival.

Santa Croce

Santa Croce is in the northwest with the Tronchetto and the main port. The main attractions are the Fondaco dei Turchi (a 13th century Byzantine palazzo) and the Church of San Giacomo dell’Orio.

Sometimes the most important aspects of a subject are not immediately obvious. Keep reading to get the complete picture.

San Marco

San Marco is the center of the sestiere. This is where the well-known sites of Venice are found: Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. St. Mark’s Basilica is a Byzantine cathedral, originally the chapel of the Venetian rulers. The Doge’s Palace is a Gothic structure and home of the Doge of Venice, the formal head of state. It is now a museum housing some priceless paintings of Veronese and Tintoretto.

Dorsoduro

Dorsoduro in the south is the highest sestiere, with attractions that include the Penny Guggenheim collection (a museum containing personal art collections) and San Trovaso, the church built in 1028 which houses the works of Tintoretto.

Carnivals and festivals

Redentore is a festival held every third Saturday of July celebrating the end of the Plague, and is famous for its fireworks.

Every February and March, Venice holds its famous Carnival which dates back to the year 1268. Locals and tourists gather in the streets wearing historical costumes and masks, with music played all day in most places, and some street performances.

Another famous event is the annual Venice International Film Festival founded in 1932 and is the oldest in the world. It is highlighted with international film celebrities who gather in late August or early September in the island of Lido to present their latest films.

Indeed, the whole of Venice is a visual indulgence that one can never tire of. And we have not even mentioned a word yet about the masks, the shops, the food, the gondola, the gondoliers, the impromptu singing and the music.

So now you know a little bit about Venice. Even if you don’t know everything, you’ve done something worthwhile: you’ve expanded your knowledge.

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By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
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Things To Do In Venice

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Have you ever wondered what exactly is up with Venice? This informative report can give you an insight into everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Venice.

In such a place as Venice, the things a tourist must do (seeing places, buying things, watching festivals, etc.) might run into the hundreds. Unless you are staying for week (which could still be a short period for some people), phentermine you risk running out of days to explore most of Venice.

If your stay is limited for, say about three days, prioritize them down in a descending order. This is important because the tourism office might give you a list of ?must-see? places. Do not engage for expensive tour packages just to do all those in your list.

Get lost

If you’re only visiting and you only have a day or hours to spare, walk around the city streets first before going inside any church, building, or museum. This is a guaranteed way of discovering the quaint charms of the squares and city streets not mentioned in any guide.

Getting lost in Canareggio or Dorsoduro districts are perfect balms for your tired eyes. And then you can go and visit your listed churches and destinations. (Scuola di San Rocco church has some wonderful art masterpieces of Titian and Tintorretto.)

If you are lucky and still have a night to spare, then get lost in Piazza San Marco, just beside the basilica. The magic is mostly there in the early mornings and late evenings before the day crowds arrive or after they have left.

St. Mark’s Basilica

The all-time favorite of most people, St. Mark’s has its own distinctive beauty accented by its onion domes, multi-colored marble pillars, and the fascinating floor-to-ceiling mosaics. Although getting inside the basilica is free, the three museums inside have entry fees to get in.

Most of this information comes straight from the Venice pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.

Doge’s Palace

Just beside the basilica is the Doge’s Palace, arguably the second most important attraction in Venice. One probable good reason to pay the hefty fee is the chance to walk across the famous Bridge of Sighs. (You can see the bridge from the outside, though.)

Vaporetto

Taking the Grand Canal tour via the #1 Vaporetto, the water-buses of Venice, is equivalent to a city bus tour. It is slow, and it runs the length of the Grand Canal. Enjoy the sights along the way. (You may bring with you some take-along tour guide and some gelato.) Gondolas may be romantic but they are terribly expensive.

Murano glass

Even if you have not seen actual glass-blowing, you need not go with the demonstrations arranged by some packaged tours. Simply catch a vaporetto (not booked by your hotel) to Murano and walk around the streets until you find some open glass-blowing studio and watch the process without the large crowd.

The streets of Burano / Rialto market

Going for a stroll is great in the streets of Burano with its brightly-colored buildings. It is less crowded, and perfect for taking in the view. Check out, too, the Rialto market and see where the locals get their food. One note: if you like something, point at it and the vendor will pick and bag it for you.

Doing the things you want to do in Venice is not that difficult, if you stay away from the crowd and those tourist-filled destinations. Better still, try to visit during off-season. The prices are a little lower and the crowd is manageable.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
- Do you want to make Your PDF files viral? Use This Secret Viral PDF Rebrander: Viral PDF

Things To Know In Venice

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

In such a beautiful destination as Venice, one tends to be overwhelmed the minute one sets foot on the place. The excitement of seeing the canals, the buildings, the cobbled streets and the people makes one forget how and where to begin anything. It is important, then, to know some essential things about Venice.

The following is a partial list of some practical aspects of your stay.

Things to know

? No cars are allowed in Venice. Leave yours in the mainland and take public transportation going to the Venetian lagoon. Transportation within the city is good enough, though crowded at times. Also, they only stop at certain points along the Grand Canal and two other places. You walk your way around town.

? Get your Venice Card at the Marco Polo airport, Piazzale Roma and the Train Station. (There are now more places where to buy them.) This can help with museum admissions (discounts), vaporetto rides (lower fares), church admissions, and others. They also have a discounted version for young people.

? Public toilets are plentiful around popular tourist areas, charging 1 Euro for each use. If you have a Venice Card, they are free. Cafes and bars also have toilets which you can use, but as common courtesy, buy at least a cup of coffee.

? Original Murano glass is generally very expensive. But there are places where they are discounted (Piazza San Marco) and can sometimes go very much cheaper away from commercial centers (in outlying areas in Burano). Just be careful not to buy fakes imported from Asia.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Venice now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

? Fixed price ?tourist dinner? is cheaper than a plate of spaghetti ? there is no cover charge. Of course, the food quality of ?menu turistico’ can not be guaranteed. Also, restaurants now slap a 10 or 15% surcharge on top of everything.

? The area around San Polo near Rialto and the fish market is typical of ?bacaro? or ?cichetteria?. These are the typical Venetian places to consume small snacks and drinks. ?Cichetti? (similar to Spanish ?tapas’) are popular snacks.

? If you must insist, here’s a lowdown on gondolas. They are expensive tourist attractions or romantic tours, whichever way you look at it. They charge 80 Euros for the first 40 minutes, and 40 Euros for every 20 minutes. After 7pm, the rate becomes 100 Euros for 40 minutes and 50 Euros for every additional 20 minutes. The maximum number of passengers is 6 persons, and you may split the fare with everyone.

? When ordering a fish dish, be aware that they are charged according to weight and not by piece. 7 Euros for every 100 grams would add up to 35 Euros for a medium sized fish that’s around half-a-kilo (500 grams). It pays to ask questions first before ordering.

? Almost everyone sells maps to tourists. These maps are FREE. You must have yours at the airport together with your transport ticket pass. If not, get them at the reception area of your hotel.

As in all other tourist destinations in the world, it really pays to ask around before committing on anything ? transportation, food, shopping, going places, the best times to go, etc.

The above list is just some of the things one has to know about Venice. Be guided accordingly, and enjoy!

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
- Do you want to make Your PDF files viral? Use This Secret Viral PDF Rebrander: Viral PDF

Top Local Wines of Venice

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

You should be able to find several indispensable facts about Venice in the following paragraphs. If there’s at least one fact you didn’t know before, imagine the difference it might make.

1. Prosecco – This faintly grapey, fairly dry, very cold and fizzy Champagne’s more casual, yet quite elegant, Italian cousin gained its popularity being the base for the luscious cocktail Bellini, invented at Harry’s Bar. Prosecco is produced in tanks by a method known as charmat between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in the province of Treviso which is about 32 kilometers north of Venice. It’s a refreshing aperitif or prelude to the meals as suggested by many food writers and gourmand and comes in both the spumante or fully sparkling and frizzante or semi-sparkling styles.

Italy’s largest producer of Prosecco is Mionetto, which specializes in the traditional style and makes frizzante with about half the sparkle of Champagne. Mionetto Prosecco costs $10 ? 12. It has an appley and bubbly archetype that makes a wonderful companion on warm weather. Best served with Mionetto are antipasti, cold soups, or pasta primavera. The traditional base used in making a Bellini cocktail is Nino Franco Prosecco de Valdobbiadene ?Rustico.? It is more-champagne-like and has bit more staying power than most Proseccos. A bottle of this bubbly costs $ 14 ? 21.

2. Soave ? Best served with the city’s scrumptious fresh seafood dishes, soave comes from the verdant hills of charming town of the same name between the Valle d’Illiasi and Val d’Alpone. “At its best soave is intensely but not cloyingly aromatic, abundantly fruity, and subtly complex,” wrote Colman Andrews in his delightful essay on the wine in Saveur magazine (Issue # 38). It complements best with Venetian dishes like fritto misto de mare and sarde in saor.

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about Venice. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

The Coffele, one of Soave town’s premier wineries produces Soave Classico, Ca Visco and Recioto di Soave wines from primarily Garganega grapes. These wines are exported in Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, in the USA, Australia, and Hongkong. The Coffele welcomes wine tastings which costs 6 euros per person for three wines and 12 euros when served with cheese. If you’re lucky, the Coffele family may invite you into their garden that sits below Soave’s castle for wine tastings.

3. Valpolicella – Made from the same grapes as Bardolino, this wine “has a ruby, cherry and banana nose, a fresh and dry, fruit flavour and a bitter finish,” wrote Tony Aspler in his bestselling book from Canada Tony Aspler’s wine lover’s companion.

7. Grappa – This colorless Italian brandy is made from the grape skins and seeds that are left in the wine press after the juice has been removed to produce wine. Grappa is the most famous or in some instances infamous among the wines of Venice, the clear spirit served at the end of the meal, or mixed with coffee as a caffe corretto. Grappa, as told by Robert Joseph in his definitive book The Wine Travel Guide to the World, was revolutionized by Benito Nonino.

Since then a large number of other wine producers followed his lead and grappas are made from almost every local and international grape.

There’s a lot to understand about Venice. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.

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What You Cannot Miss In Venice

Friday, March 19th, 2010

buy masters like Tintoretto, Giorgione, Titian and Bellini. For more works by contemporary artists, visit the “Correr museum,” the “Naval Museum,” “Glass Museum at Murano,” the “Gallerie dell’Accademia,” and the “Museo Civico Correr.”

- Visit nearby districts. Venice is mainly divided into six districts or “sestiere”. The “Grand Canal” is considered the main street since it runs through the heart of the city and connects each district together. Then there’s the “San Marco District” where you can find the St. Mark’s Square; the “Castello District” where you can find the Arsenale, and the Biennale Art Exhibitions; the “Dorsoduro District” that features the Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, and the Campo Santa Margherita; the “Cannaregio District” where the Jewish Ghetto, and the Ca D’oro are located; the “San Polo District” where you can see the Venetian Mercantile Empire, Rialto Fish Market and the Friari Church; and the “Santa Croce District.”

It never hurts to be well-informed with the latest on Venice. Compare what you’ve learned here to future articles so that you can stay alert to changes in the area of Venice.





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