A great restaurant and wine bar in Milano

Skye and I met a nice man on the train from Venice to Milan.  As it turned out he was also heading to Lake Como, but not as far up as we were going.  Not only did he help us out with the trains but he also gave us a restaurant suggestion that was fantastic!  It was definitely a little out of the center (we will call it the “Brooklyn” of Milan) but well worth the trek.  We got to the neighborhood before the restaurant opened at 7:30, and we found a great wine diagonally across the street called Ross and Bianch (Via Pasquale Sottocorno, 11).  

It was a local wine bar that felt a little reminscent of "Cheers" where everyone seemed to know each other.  It was definitely a neighborhood hangout.   The bartender was extremely knowledgeable and recommended a great glass of wine for us.  We saw several people eating meat & cheese plates that looked scrumptious.  We had a drink and moved on to dinner.  In the future I would definitely stay for a small plate before heading over to Il Nodo.

Il Nodo was the place that our friend from the train recommended.  Il Nodo is all seafood, so if you like seafood you will be in for a treat.   Apparently all seafood that isn’t going directly from the boat to the store (as we saw so much of on the Amalfi Coast) goes through Milan the day it is caught before it goes to any other destination in Italy (this is what our friend from the train told us), so what you get in Milan is the freshest available.   The decor was quaint and charming and the service was impecable.  All in all, a great find.  This was a case of the off the beaten track being well worth the trip!

Il Nodo – Via P. Calvi, 5   Tel:  02 738 4589

Oh the Duomo!.....and La Scala

The Duomo in Milano is the 4th largest church in the world and took over 430 years to build.  When you see the gothic spires and the detail work on the façade you can see why. 

It was one of the most beautiful things we saw in Milan.  Inside the church is pretty amazing.  The marble floors and the stained glass windows are beautiful beyond compare.   However the trip to the roof where you can walk around the building and be eye to eye with all the craftsmanship is spectacular.  

I really recommend going to the top.  The view of Milan is not so bad either.  We opted for the 8 Euro elevator ride to the top instead of the 5 Euro walk to the top.  I don’t imagine the walk is all that strenuous, (or at least not as long as the trip to the top of the Basilica in Rome) but it seemed like a nice little treat since we were going to have to pay anyway.  Unlike many of the other churches we visited in Italy there was no real wait to get inside or onto the roof.  You cannot enter with bare shoulders or short skirts so make sure you bring a shawl or sweater and gents, don’t wear shorts or tank tops.

La Scala


We were only in Milan for a day so we decided not to see an opera, but I imagine it to be quite spectacular.  We had just missed the costume exhibit, which was very disappointing, but the theatre itself is really something special.  From the ornate gold work on the walls and ceilings to the actual stage itself it whisks you back to a time where only the rich went to the opera and everything about it was opulent.   It is worth the trip even if you are not going to see an opera.  The upstairs museum has many incredible musical instruments of every kind, as well as oil paintings of some of the great opera singers of all time.  I do wish they had some costumes on display though.  I think those must be a sight to see!

Tales from The Last Supper

While Milan will not go down as one of my favorite cities in Italy, there are some very noteworthy things to do and see there.  For the rest of the week I will be sharing my tips for Milan with you.


When you think of Milan, one of the things that probably pops into your head is Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.  

If you are like me you were probably thinking, we will see the last supper, maybe have to wait in line and then we will hop over to La Scala.  Sadly, if you were like me, you were wrong!  Apparently you need to make reservations 3 to 4 months in advance.  I know that some of you are skeptically reading this thinking:  “that is crazy!  No way!”  Let’s put it this way:  we walked in and there was a young man in a wheel chair trying to explain that this may be the last time he would ever be in Italy, could they please make an exception, it took him a lot to be able to get here in the wheel chair and have someone with him.  They were having none of it.  No budging, no sympathy.  Not a chance of him getting in.  They told him that reservations were required 3 to 4 months in advance and that was the only way that he could gain entrance.  So the moral of this story is:  if you are going to be in Milan and you wish to see The Last Supper, make sure that the first thing you do is make a reservation because not even the handicapped get in without one.

When to buy your airline ticket

In this economy we are all looking to get the best price on our travel tickets.  But most of us are at a loss as to exactly how to do that.  I am not going to say that I have always gotten the best price, but I have found some great guidelines.

Rick Seaney has a great site all about airline tickets called Fare Compare. FareCompare.com is an airline ticket comparison shopping website.  Rick is an air-travel expert and has been on CNN, ABC (with his own weekly news column) & more.  His information is updated continuously and is a great place to start.  It is not a good place for multi-destination trips though.  They don’t currently have that search option.

Some tips:

Don’t buy your ticket on the weekend.  Actually after 3pm (EST) on Tuesday is the cheapest day.   The reason being is that Monday is the day that sales typically get launched and Tuesday all the other airlines try to follow suit.  I have even found them to be cheaper on Wednesday.  But make sure you start looking on Tuesday after 3pm.

If you have any flexibility in you travel schedule, Rick suggests not flying on Friday and Sunday.  Those are the days everyone wants to fly and since the airlines know that, your trip will be more expensive.  The cheapest day to fly is Wednesday followed by Tuesday and Saturday.   I will sometimes change my dates to see how much cheaper it actually is.

Start looking at prices 3-4 months before you want to go.  Watch what your tickets are doing.  A local travel agent here in Manhattan said to me:  If you notice that one airline has gone up or down, the others will start to follow suit.  They will try to match each other.  If you see something has stayed the same for a couple weeks, the tendency will be for it to go down.  She said in her experience when prices remain the same for an extended period it means that they are not selling at that price so the airlines will try to lower prices for more sales.  So watching things for a few weeks can really pay off!

I also have had really good luck with Orbitz.  They usually offer me the cheapest tickets for the shortest distance.  They also have their price guarantee if you buy your ticket at one price and someone else purchases the same ticket for a lower price, they will refund you the difference up to $250.  

Getting around Lake Como

If you were thinking about renting a car to get around in Lake Como, think again.  You definitely don’t need one.   Getting there from Milan is easily accessible by train and the boat service to and from the various towns is very reliable.  The only drawback is if you want to dine in a town other than the one you are staying in, you will need to eat on the early side as the last boat leaves most ports at 9pm.  That said, many of the towns are not easily accessible to each other by car, so you are actually better off with the boats.  Aside from that, I didn’t see a need for a car, as walking is the best way of getting around.

When coming in from Milan, the trains run frequently and take about ½ hour to an hour depending on where you are staying on the lake.  Part of why we chose Varenna was that it was a direct ride from Milan on the train.  We didn’t need to transfer to a boat.  That was particularly important as we arrived in the evening from Venice and we would have been hard pressed to get there in time for check in if we had had to get a boat as well.  We would have had to leave at least an hour to two hours early if we were staying in a town that required us to transfer to a boat.  Plus Varenna is a spectacular town to stay in!  

Being a Follower

It has been brought to my attention that people have been having difficulting becoming a follower.  If you have had problems becoming a follower for this blog, try again.  The follow button should be working again.  Blogger is working on the problem.

Thanks,

Susan and Skye

Two Restaurants with Spectacular Views and Amazing Food!

Two sunsets to die for and two fantastic meals don’t come easily, however in Varenna we were blessed with both.  We were lucky that we chose well for our two nights in Lake Como and we want to make sure that you don’t miss out.  We arrived from Venice late on the first night and grabbed a quick bite close to where we were staying. It was fine, nothing special.  Average meals do exist in Italy.  The next two nights blew us away.

Vecchia Varenna was the place we chose on our first night in Varenna.  The restaurant is situated right on the lake and the meal was fabulous.  The night we ate there, the sky was the brightest pink I have ever seen.  

It was only while taking pictures did I realize that the color only lasts for about 10 minutes or so before it just gets dark.  We sat there watching with a great bottle of wine and then ordered our food.  We decided to share several dishes so that we could taste a little bit of everything.  We had home made pasta dishes, 

fish that was caught that day from the lake and desserts that were to die for.  

The staff and service were excellent.  Don’t miss out on Vecchia Varenna!

La Vista is the restaurant that I mention in my blog about Lake Como hotels.  Is is connected to the Hotel Albergo Milano and is run by the husband and wife team, Edigio & Bettina Mallone.  The restaurant is up on the hill in Varenna, so when you sit on the deck you have a birds-eye view of the lake and mountains.  It is truly incredible!  

Reservations are recommended, especially if you are there in the nicer weather.  They will not over book so that in the event of rain, they can sit everyone inside.  Every day Edigio creates a different 3 course meal for 35 Euros, which we got.  Edigio was also our sommelier, and ran downstairs to get us the  ‘07 Aglianico that we wanted because the one he had upstairs was too warm for his liking.  It was an amazing bottle all for 21Euros!  We started with a tuna carpaccio and beef carpaccios, 

we then moved on the a filet with a Gorgonzola sauce and a Lake Como bass with a chardonnay sauce

and finished our meal with a cappuccino mouse in a dark cup that was ridiculous 

and a pear stuffed with goat cheese.  It was outstanding! 

These are 2 great restaurants that I would whole-heartedly endorse.  Both nights we had great service, amazing food and wine and views that are unlike any other.  If you find yourself in Varenna, put these restaurants on the top of your list.  You won’t be sorry!

Lake Como Vacation Rentals

Renting a villa or apartment instead of staying in a hotel is quite fantastic.  How often do you think to yourself, I just want to hang out in the hotel tonight?   These days I want several things out of a vacation.  Seeing the sights is certainly part of it, but having down time to just relax is essential.  Having a villa or apartment can afford you so many options of how you want to spend your time.  Whether you want to have a relaxing afternoon on the balcony reading your book, or cooking up some of great finds from the local markets with some friends or just the luxury of making a cup of tea without having to call room service or go out somewhere, you can’t beat the freedom of a villa.   But where do you start looking?   Below is list of villa and apartment rental sites that I would recommend for Lake Como.   Of course there are many more, but this will give you a good place to start.  Be sure to look at my page of “tips for renting villas and apartments” if you are feeling a little unsure about what to look for.

www.varenna.net - This is the site for the Hotel Albergo Milano, but they have 2 apartments that they rent out that are listed on this site.

www.rentvillas.com - they are great for many areas all over Europe.  They have listings at all budgets. 

www.vrbo.com  - This is a great site. Many times I will see listings from this site on other sites but because it is directly through the owner, it can be a little cheaper.  They also have a rental guarantee.

Gabriella Nanni Jewelry

When I was in Barcelona I found Joid’art Jewelry.   In Lake Como I found Gabrella Nanni.  

I found one store on this trip in Venice that I loved that had really unique Murano glass jewelry and I bought several pieces.  However, I was not expecting to find this spectacular designer in a little store in Varenna.  Il Pozzo was located right on the main strip of the waterfront.  Skye was taking a nap and I ventured out, found the store and fell in love with this magnificent designer, who is based out of Florence.  All of her pieces are made on the island of Murano, from Murano glass.  I bought a pair of her earrings.  They are delicate and bold at the same time.  

They will stand out in a crowd and people will stare until they finally ask you where you got them.  She has her own store in Florence, so you can visit her there as well.  The earrings were definitely an “I deserve this” kind of purchase, but I have no regrets!  Do you it.  You deserve it!

Il Pozzo:  Riva Grande 23829 Varenna - 39 0341 814-010

Gabriella Nanni:  50122 Firenze - Florence   info@gabriellananni.it

“A Room with A View”

I hemmed and hawed about which hotel to choose.  I was deciding between two.  Little did I know I chose the hotel with the larger room (I was hoping I did and it was a duplex!) 

and also the one that had a spectacular garden area so that I could sit and read and write by the lake with a nice glass of wine or a cup of tea.  Hotel Villa Cipressi was a fantastic place to spend a couple of days in Lake Como.  The views are spectular, the grounds are stunning, staff is friendly and helpful and the price is definitely right.  

We had so much space we were delighted!  When we opened our shutters in the morning to the spectacular view of the lake and mountains, I felt like I was in a Noel Coward play.  You got transported to another time, like the 1920's,  when people of privilege lounged in leisure at these amazing Villas. Villa Cipressi was built mainly from 1400 to 1800.  It is now owned by public corporations and managed as a hotel.  If you are looking for old style elegance with lots of room, this is the place to stay. 

Having said that, the other hotel that we looked at was Albergo Milano.  We had a spectacular dinner in their restaurant which I will tell you about later this week.  The views are amazing.  It is a small boutique hotel run by a husband and wife team.  They also run the restaurant.  We sat next to a couple at dinner that was staying at the hotel, who said that the rooms were beautiful but a little small.  Everything else about their experience was fantastic.   They said they would definitely stay there again.  Hotel Albergo Milano has recently added two apartments to their list of places they rent out.  They were not available for this last trip,  but they looked really nice.  I would be into renting one the next time I am there.  Based on my experience in the restaurant, all the reviews I have read and people that we spoke to who were staying there, the apartments would be a great alternative to a hotel. 

Varenna was talked about in all the research I did to be a spectacular place to stay and a very central place to see the rest of the lake from.  I would agree.  

It was everything I wanted:  not too over-populated with tourists, yet had enough to do.  The boats run frequently from there to the other towns and the trains run direct from Milano without having to connect to a boat.  Staying in Varenna was a real treat.  I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.  No matter which hotel you choose, if you choose to stay in Varenna, you will most certainly have a quaint and beautiful room with a view. 

Lake Como. Wow!!

Imagine waking up and looking out your window with a picture postcard view of a beautiful lake surround by the equally stunning Alps.   Welcome to Lake Como!  If you are like everyone I know the first question that you will ask me about Lake Como is, “Did you see George?”  Sadly, I didn’t see George but now I understand why he has a house there.  It is unbelievably beautiful and tranquil, a place where you can truly relax and unwind.  The great thing about going there is there is just enough to do where you will not get bored, but also not so much to see that you forget to sit back and enjoy the view.  You can go hiking, swimming in the lake, boating or just go to the local wine store and do a wine tasting. The food is spectacular and no matter where you go to have lunch or dinner it seems that there is a view that you will never tire of looking at.   This week I will tell you all about my favorite spots and tips on things to do.  Even if you don’t actually see George you will feel like you are sharing a little piece of his pie.

Maps and Gondolas

Maps.  Oh how great you are when one is in possesion of a good one. When, however, one is in possesion of a bad map, maps are very frustrating.  I had a couple actually,  and they were both terrible.  Streetwise Venice might have been good had I thought to buy one before I left, but alas, that was not the case.  Now having a bad map of Venice may not be an issue if you are there for a week. Strolling along and getting lost here and there might actually lead you to some great and unexpected places.   But, when you only have 3 days and you want to see a lot, a great map is essential.  We ended up using google maps so often it was crazy.  Thank god Skye has a iphone!!  We would be standing looking at a map, (or both maps) trying to find the street we were on.  Either the street didn't exist or where it should have been on the map, was instead, an entirely different street.

Google maps can be costly on your phone in an international location.  I guess this is another good reason to get an international phone before you go on your trip.  Having that GPS for walking is almost essential for the short stay in Venice.  If you don't have one, prepared to get a little lost even with your map in hand.

Gondolas.  Oh how exciting it is to think about going on a gondola.  You think about being sung to, you think about having a romantic ride down the canals, relaxing while someone rows you past all the beautiful views of Venice, but you don't actually think that it will cost you 100 Euros for 40 minutes.  That kind of put a damper on that.  100 Euro for 40 minutes just seemed a bit much.  I probably would have broken down had I been there longer and done 20 minutes for 40 Euro, but then why not just do the 40 minutes and get the whole experience.  So here is the skinny:  they are super expensive.  There is no way around it.  They get you because they know you want to do it, and most people probably do break down.  Venice's main source of income is tourism and let's face it, tourists are easy targets for that stuff.  My advice: if you do go on one, try to do it at sunset because sunset is a great time for amazing photo opportunities.  Try to get a gondola from an area where the skyline is packed with great sights.  Like Piazza San Marco.  If you are going to have 40 minutes you may as well have the chance to take pictures of some of the most beautiful sights in Venice.

Gondolas are available all along the canal.  Many of them are located close to the water taxi stops.  They will even stop you in the street to see if you would like to take a trip.  The opportunity to get on one will be there whenever you want it, so be choosy.  So, all this said, if you are willing to pay the price, make sure that you know what you would like to see on your ride and when.  It will make the price a slightly less bitter pill to swallow.

More great sights in Venice!

Ca' d'Oro.  Among the things on the top of your list to see in Venice is the Ca’ d’Oro (literally translated: "golden house").  It is an old merchant’s house, named for the gold facade that it used to have (before it was eroded by wind and rain).  

The inside has two floors containing many works of art, as well as frescoes in various stages of disrepair.  The views of the canal are spectacular and well worth the trip.  

Gallerie dell’Accademia.   The Gallerie is filled with art from the Byzantine era, during the height of Venetian painting.  It is an amazing gallery.  A couple of tips:  arrive at least two hours before the “last ticket sold” time is.  You will want a couple of hours to absorb everything.  We arrived about 45 minutes before the last ticket was supposed to be sold and were told that they were closed.  Um, what?  Also, the numbering of the paintings in the galleries is a little eschewed.  Don’t be alarmed if #1 is on one end of the room and #2 is down the hall and oh yeah,  #3 doesn't exist.  It might be gone for restoration and it may–or may not–be replaced with something else. Oh, and if that something else is there they won’t tell you what that painting is. Enjoy!  There is an audio guide... which only works for some things.  (Again if the painting is replaced you may find yourself staring at one thing while the audio describes something completely different.  The first time it happened, I thought I was crazy.  We were like, "I don't see any horses in this picture... unless.. wait, is that supposed to be a horse?  It looks to me like an old woman in a hat." etc etc)  There is a laminated guide for other things, but it is not necessarily accurate.  All this said, it is beautiful, but not particularly organized.  If you can get past that and just go with the flow, you will have a great time and enjoy some fantastic art.


The Rialto Markets are worth a walk around.  However it is very crowded and it is hard to take in your surroundings when you are fighting to get through the crowds.  I recommend stopping at one of the cafés on the canal and having a bite to eat and a glass of wine.  

It will allow you to relax and enjoy the surroundings without getting bumped and pushed.  The shops have a lot of touristy stuff (there are a few mixed in that are a little more original) but on the whole, your shopping will probably get done in other areas of town.  While you are in the area, you should take a walk down to the fresh food stalls and see all they have to offer.  It is really colorful and fun.

Basilica di San Marco and The Palazzo Ducale

We were only in Venice for two days and we covered a lot.  Of course you will go to the Basilica di San Marco and the Piazza San Marco.  (The Piazza San Marco is very beautiful at night and you should take a second trip there after sunset to soak up the atmosphere).  

While at the Basilica,  climbing to the top is a must.  There are some exquisite views of the Piazza as well as the magnificent detail on the top of the building that are too good to be missed.  If you like taking photographs and have a good zoom lens you will also be able to take some great pictures of the surrounding buildings. 

From there you will want to make your way over to the Campanile.  You can take an elevator to the top for the views it offers of the whole city. 

If you are pressed on time, don’t dawdle too much because you will want to make your way over the incredibly impressive Palazzo Ducale. 

The Palazzo Ducale was once a political hub and home to the doge, it still remains the grandest of all the Venetian palazzi.  Arrive at least two hours before it closes.  Some of the rooms close early and if you arrive too late you will not be admitted to see them.  Although the entire building is more magnificent than you could imagine, nothing will prepare you for the beauty of the sala del maggior consiglio.  It is the largest room in the palazzo (as well as the city) and was the meeting place for the Great Council.  It also houses the largest oil painting of the world, which depicts Dante’s Paradiso.  It is a sight you don’t want to miss.

Fantastic Food Guide to Venice, and an iphone app

Venice Osterie - Apparently, as we discovered on this trip, the place to get a great local dining guide is in a museum.  (The first great restaurant guide I found was at the Villa Borghese in Rome).  We went to the Palazzo Ducale, and found this guide in the gift shop.  It looked good and so Skye and I both bought one.  As it turns out it is the best guide out there for Venice.  Our waiter at Osteria L’Orto dei Mori actually saw me looking at the book and said, “that is a great guidebook”.  Not only does Michela Scibilia (the author) give you the best tips on bars and restaurants, but she also provides a food dictionary in the back to help you figure out what everything on the menu is.    This book is also available as an iphone application called “Tap Venice”.  She also has a book on Murano (we didn’t get there in our two days) as well as a shopping guide to Venice.  If you are going to Venice, BUY HER BOOKS (or her iphone application).  I wish she wrote for every city in the world.  


 “TapVenice is the iphone edition of Venice Osterie by Michela Scibilia. For the past 15 years, Michela’s handbook, now in its fifth edition, has been Venetians’ favourite guide to eating out in their own city”.   
The guide contains only restaurants personally selected by Michela, who has lived in Venice for more than 20 years. What you won’t find in TapVenice is paid advertisements or sponsored recommendations. TapVenice does not require an internet connection. Maps can be consulted offline.”  

Great Restaurants in Venice

Skye had two recommendations for restaurants in Venice, and boy were they amazing!  Two very different food experiences, and both were fantastic.

Tratorria Da’a Marisa - At Dalla Marisa you let the chef (Marisa) control your experience.  There are no menus, so sit back and enjoy the ride. 

We tried to call to make a reservation but the person who answered the phone did not speak English, so we decided to chance it and just walk over.  It's a real family affair- Marisa cooks up a storm while you are waited on by one of her attractive children, either her daughter Vanda or son Stefano Bianchi. We were there on a fish night and it was scrumptious!  We started with stuffed mussels, a white fish salad, a fish tartare, a grilled octopus dish and polenta.  

This was followed by seafood lasagna with an Alfredo sauce, a fritto misto course and a mascarpone cream dessert served in a small bowl with biscuits.  The meal is several courses and by the last two, Vanda asked if we would like to share one portion instead of having our own.  That might have been the way to go for the entire meal.   A few days later, we picked up a fantastic local restaurant guidebook  (I will tell you about that tomorrow) that describes Marisa as “the most Venetian eatery in the city.”  It seats less than two dozen, most of which is outside along the canal. The food was traditional and delicious, the view was gorgeous and the atmosphere sublime.  You are missing a real find if you don’t eat here. 

652b, Fondamenta San Giobbe, Cannaregio 41-720211.  Closed Sunday, Monday and Wednesday evenings

Osteria L’Orto dei Mori – I think this might have been one of the best meals we had in Italy (and we had some amazing meals).  If the weather is nice you will definitely need a reservation to sit outside.  We didn’t have a reservation but arrived just as they opened and we were able to get a table inside.

Inside the décor is playful yet elegant.  Very cozy. It must be a fantastic room in chilly weather.  It was very cool!  

The food is a twist on traditional Italian dishes, and the presentation is like a work of art.  (The pictures of the food we will show don’t do the dishes justice, as the lighting was really dim).  Every course we had was phenomenal.  We started with tuna carpaccio, followed by spinach tagliatelle with cuttlefish & cuttlefish ink sauce (apparently a traditional dish of the region).  

All of the pastas are made fresh in-house.   Our last course was a beef filet with Bleu Cheese and polenta.  We had chocolate mousse with Kent cherries and rum sauce for dessert.  

The wine was superb  (a 2008 Planeta, one of our favorite Sicilian producers) and the service was outstanding.  The only words I can say to you are GO! GO! GO!!!!  This gets an A++ in my book.

(It is a little confusing on the maps, so you might be better off taking the water taxi to the closest stop if you don’t have google maps on your phone.)

Great Murano glass jewelry and other shopping tips

If you go to Venice, you are probably going to want to buy some murano glass of some sort and maybe even some of the paper they are famous for.  Whether it is a vase or a ring or a necklace, I like to have something that is different.   Most of the stores and stalls in the Rialto Market have very touristy looking stuff, but we found several shops once we left the Rialto that had some beautiful stuff.

La Nuova Cortesia –  Skye and I both bought several pieces of really unique jewelry here.  The ring she bought is stunning and I have a necklace and a ring that have earned me several great comments.  They are not particularly expensive but if you like the look of murano glass jewelry, you will get something that will really stand out in a crowd.

San Marco 3721.  41-2410915

La Ricerca.  Venice is known for making paper, in particular, marbleized paper.  I settled on some nice notepaper from La Ricerca.  They had a great selection of beautiful paper, not over priced and had friendly, helpful employees.  They even wrapped it in a lovely marbleized wrapping paper.   What more could you ask for? 

Ponte delle Ostreghe 2431.  Tel:  041-5212606

Viziovirtu:  A fantastic chocolate boutique.   I fully admit having an incredible weakness for chocolate, especially good chocolate.  This place took a little bit to find, but it was absolutely worth it.  Viziovirtu has eclectic and exotic flavors, as well as some really good traditional chocolate.   They even have gelato that is heavenly.  (Of course I got the dark chocolate gelato.  Is there another option when you are at a chocolate store?) 

I picked up several individual pieces and creams and a couple of bars (some were gifts) and let me tell you, it was amazing!  The violet with dark chocolate and the coconut cream were my favorite.  If you like chocolate at all, you should go and sample a few.  Besides, chocolate is good for you.  You might just end up thanking me for it!

Hotels and Apartments in Venice

Skye and I did stay at hotels for the rest of the trip because of the 3-night minimum that most villas or apartments have.  However we stayed at some great places.  In Venice we stayed at the Pensione Accademia in Dorsoduro.  

We were just a short walking distance from everything but the area itself was not too touristy and right on the canal.  It was beautiful, quiet and really centrally located for getting around.  There was a water taxi stand very close by.  They served a nice breakfast and there were lovely gardens in the front and back where you could eat.  The front had canal views so we had breakfast there.  The room was fairly spacious and modern and pretty reasonable as far as hotels in Venice go. 

If you are renting an Apartment, the areas I would recommend are  Dorsoduro, San Polo and Santa Croce and Cannaregio and Castello.  They are all out of the super tourist areas of the city and, having done a little research, is probably where you will get the most bang for your buck.  Keep in mind that Venice is not cheap, so you will probably pay more for a week rental in Venice than in a lot of other European cities.  We had dinner both nights we were in Venice in the Cannaregio and Castello district.  The area filled with interesting restaurant and shops, and it seemed from our dining experience, that it was filled predominately with locals.  Dorsoduro also has a ton of great shops and little restaurants and is very centrally located, so for a short visit that might be a better choice as it is very close to most of the big tourist attactions.  However any of these 3 districts are far enough out of the largest tourist area so that you can enjoy some of the quiet ambiance the city has to offer.

Good sites for apartment rentals include:

veniceapartment.com

housesinvenice.com

casadeipittori.com

rentvillas.com does have a few apartments in Venice City, but they seem a little more expensive than the ones listed on the sites above.  

Tips from the Venice Aiport...and an anecdote

After our week on the Amalfi coast, our next stop was Venice. We decided to fly, to save several hours otherwise wasted on the train.  Apparently we made the right choice.  Italians love everything about flying.  They cheer when the plane takes off, they cheer when it lands and they cheer when announcements are made.  They are generally happy people, not like us grumpy Americans.  And when the plane got delayed an hour they were only mildly annoyed, until the captain said they could unfasten their seat belts and feel free to roam about.  (Apparently they do not like to sit down.)  Instantly the plane was buzzing with activity.  No one wanted to sit still for a minute longer than they had to, especially if they could be up talking to their friends or other people.  I guess we should take a page out of that book when our plane gets delayed in the states.  Not only is it a great way to connect with your fellow fliers, it really makes traveling delays more agreeable.


Okay, back to the tips. 


Arriving in Venice:

When you get to Marco Polo airport there are a few transportation options to get to Venice. If you want to hire a private taxi it will cost you around 100 Euros.  (Believe me, there are plenty of other things to spend your money on in Venice.)  So you will probably want to take public transportation, i.e., the Alilaguna water shuttle.

The trip is approximately 45 minutes to get to Dorsoduro, which is where our hotel was located.  Get your ticket to the water shuttle at the big ticket counter before you leave the airport, or at the smaller booth out by the boats .  The water shuttle is a 7 minute walk from the airport (they actually have signs that count down the minutes as you go).  I found the path to be extremely well-marked and easy to follow, but if for some reason you have chronic directional issues or get freaked out by this stuff, this person has provided kindergarten-level step by step directions with pictures. If you don’t have a water shuttle map yet and are not sure which line to take, the people at the ticket window are very helpful.  Note: the water shuttle lines going to/from the airport (Alilaguna) are not the same as the public water buses (vaporetti) which run all along the grand canal.  

The streets in Venice are filled with cobblestones and bridges, so again I was reminded I should have looked at my own packing list and packed lighter.   I also should have gotten  a new, smaller, light-weight suitcase.  My motto is now:  PUT.   IT.   BACK!  Once again Skye was whizzing through the streets while I looked like someone who had just run away from home with ALL their belongings. 

 I was envious.  I am getting myself new suitcase for Christmas.  Won’t have any large trips before then.  I am turning over a new leaf.  If Skye can pack light, so can I.

Cooking Class on the Amalfi

When I am traveling, I'm often surprised by how open I am to talking to strangers.  Does this happen to you too?  Maybe it's because I'm on vacation, maybe it's because the people are different but I definitely let my New York guard down.   Which is how cool things like this happen: on our first day on the Amalfi Coast, Skye and I went down to our favorite village market while our friends were napping.   We were getting supplies for dinner, contemplating the basil (for the bufala mozzarella and tomato salad we were planning, duh) and this nice American man overheard us, reached into his bag, pulled out a huge bunch of basil and offered us some.  He explained that he had to buy the whole bunch but that he didn’t need it all (it was his last night on the Amalfi) and as he didn’t want to waste it, would we like to have some?  Now, whereas in New York I would have been somewhat wary, without hesitation we took it enthusiastically (and thanked him, of course).

As we continued talking, we discovered that his name is Maurizio Malfeo, the chef and mastermind behind Carpe Diem, a Chicago-based catering company.  He comes from an Italian family and still has a lot of relatives on the Amalfi Coast, where he brings people every summer for Italian cooking classes.  He arranges renting the villa where everyone stays, and then they spend a week or two cooking and eating.  Fun, right?  Skye did something similar in Tuscany in 2008 and had an absolute blast.

Skye at cooking school in Tuscany in 2008

Normally, we wouldn't write a post about something we haven't actually done, even if it did give us the opportunity to relay a basil-gifting anecdote (something you would not find on any other blog, right?)   But Chef Malfeo seemed knowledgeable and nice, and from our brief interaction, someone we would like to take a cooking class from.  So if learning to cook in a villa on the Amalfi Coast is up your alley, you should contact him.  Ph/fax:  312-786-9013 or email.  Tell him you got his information from the travel blog girls he gifted with basil in the Amalfi market.