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.  

Packing lists: The do's and don'ts

I am one of those people who functions well with a list.  Though my friends laugh at my weekly schedules, (I type them up and do an hourly list when I am insanely busy) they truly help me get everything done.  The same is true of packing.  It helps you remember things you otherwise would have forgotten as well as leave behind the things you don’t need.  If I had made, and paid attention to this list while packing for Italy, I might have avoided over-packing.  Alas, that was not the case.


Don't Forget Your........

1. Undies (of course) 
2. Socks – if it is summer and you wear sandals a lot, then bring one or two pair
3. Skirts or pants (bring three, four if you must – then mix and match with tops)
4. Tops (bring four or five – mix and match)
5. Dress Clothes – bring one outfit only if you really think you might need it
6. Bathing Suit (for Summer)
7. Hat & Gloves (for winter)
8. Shoes:  Bring no more than 4 pair (and that is alot).  That includes sneakers for hikes or working out and flip-flops in the summer.
9. Travel Alarm clock – if you don’t have a cell phone and you are not staying in a hotel, they come in handy
10. Toiletries – try to get travel sizes or buy travel containers.  It takes up far less room.
11. Travel book – don’t pack more than 1 for each city/area.  Remember they are really heavy when you carry multiples!  Cross reference at home and write excess down in a small notebook.  Moleskine has a couple of great thin books that fit easily in your purse or pocket.  Moleskine City Books (include street and subway maps), or just a plain pocket notebook
12. A good book for the plane.  I never read as much on vacation as I do at home.  I always think I will and in the end I don’t.  1 book is sufficient for the plane and trip.  Or if you really are an avid reader, buy the Kindle or Ipad.  
13. Camera & accessories (battery charger, extra memory cards, lenses, & film if you are old fashioned)  If traveling abroad make sure you have you adapters for your chargers.
14. Prescriptions
15. Credit Cards
16. Xerox copy of your passport.  (if you lose it, it is easier to replace if you  have a copy)

What not to pack:

1. If you have used the words, “Just in Case”, “I might need this”, “What if?” then you ABSOLUTELY should not pack it.  Put it back!!  I can almost guarantee you will not wear/use it.  If you have forgotten something important, there will be a store where you can buy it.   What better reason to go shopping!
2. Remember Less is more!!!!  Leave room to buy stuff.  You will be happier in the end and you will not run the risk of getting charged for a heavy bag.  I just had to unpack my suitcase in Italy because they wanted to charge me the flat rate of 150 Euros for a bag that was 4lbs over weight.  In Europe they are really sticking it to you.

Pompeii and Ercolano

My first experience with Pompeii was in 1978 when The MFA Boston put on an exhibit of the main pieces of Art discovered in the dig.  (Most of those pieces are now on display at the National Archeological Museum of Naples)  At the time, because my mother was an art teacher for the High School Scholarship art classes given by the Museum, we had a special employee viewing.  It was amazing.  I was young but I still remember it vividly.  So actually standing in Pompeii last year was an extraordinary thing for me.  I have to say, it's pretty impressive and much bigger than I expected it to be.  It's a whole town.  Be sure to get the map at the entrance when you buy your ticket. It helps you know exactly what you are looking at. Unlike the one I described for the Roman Forum,  these maps are actually useful!  

It struck me while I was there that the Pompeians were far ahead of their time in many ways.  They had tracks in the roads for carriages, and huge aqueducts that brought water to the town that are still usable.  I am a big history buff, so this part was awesome for me.  Of course the brothel with the menu of sexual acts painted on the walls to choose from is really fun (and um, informative?) as well. If you are with friends, you are sure to have at least one "Wait, how would you even do that?" or "No, seriously, what IS that?" moment.

The frescoes and the marble floors are in great condition.  I know there has been extensive restoration work, but still, it is remarkable that many of these paintings could have survived a volcanic eruption.

Even some of the graffiti on the walls is still there.  The fossilized bodies that were caught in the lava are pretty remarkable, as is the Colosseum.  Pompeii is a great day trip.

Although smaller than Pompeii (and with less to see), Ercolano is pretty cool as well. If you have the day set aside, you should take the opportunity to see both.  Combination tickets are available for 20 Euros.  Ercolano is where the wealthier people lived and so it is a little bit different than Pompeii.  Head to Ercolano first and then take the train to Pompeii.  It is easy and quick.  If you are coming from the Amalfi Coast for the day you can get a boat from Sorrento to Amalfi.  No need to rent a car.

Ravello

In my opinion, Ravello is one of the most beautiful towns of the Amalfi Coast.  Gore Vidal used to have a home near the town center and claimed it was the most beautiful place in the world.  Overall, Ravello is less touristy than the very popular Positano, and therefore, more tranquil.  We stayed in Ravello, but we stayed in lower Ravello, at a villa that is on the ocean and not up in the mountains, which means we had the benefit of the ocean to swim in as well as the view.  And it's a short but steep bus ride up the hill to center Ravello, which has many great things to explore.

First off there is the Ravello Music Festival.

Concerts take place at Villa Ruffalo (the villa is open to the public daily) where you will sit and watch the sunset over what is possibly the most extraordinary view available and listen to classical music.   I can’t imagine a more lovely evening.

Villa Cimbrone, a historic building with gardens and a hotel is worth the short but steep walk. Even as you approach, you feel as if you are entering some sort of magical secret garden.

Gore Vidal famously wrote that in all of his travels he had not seen a place that surpassed the view from Villa Cimbrone.  He's right: it has some of the most breathtaking views available on the Amalfi coast.  The “Terrace of Infinity” is truly spectacular.

The gardens are beautiful. I can't imagine how gorgeous it must be in the spring and summer when all of the flowers (including a full english-style rose garden) is in full bloom. We were there in September and most flowers had gone by.  If you only want to see one of the two villas (either this or Villa Ruffalo), definitely choose Villa Cimbrone.  The views are unbelievable and there's more to see.

There are also some great little stores to check out in Ravello as well as the church in the town square.  There was a wedding going on when we were there, but the inside is supposed to be beautiful.  All in all, if you want to feel as if you are viewing the Amalfi coast from a cloud, visit Ravello.  It is worth the trip.  It's also very pretty at night, we walked around the square after dinner and met some locals who invited us to a BBQ later that week (stay tuned for that story!)

Vietri sul Mare: The Ceramic Capital

Los Ceramica
Vietri is the ceramic capital of the Amalfi Coast.  The streets are lined with shops most of which are carrying similar designs.  Each store will have their own specialty item, but on the whole, you will see a lot of the same exact plates and bowls.  There are several stores that produce real works of art that will cost you a pretty penny if you are willing to spend the money.  I did however, find a store that had truly unique pieces and were very moderately priced.  Los Ceramica.  

I bought a beautiful pitcher there.  It was across the street from the restaurant we ate lunch at, Voce del Mare.  Oddly there wasn’t anyone there watching the store.  It seemed as though I wasn't going to be able to buy the pitcher.  Just then, the parking lot attendant from the restaurant came over and asked me which piece I wanted to buy.  He called the artists to find out the price, took my money and wrapped up my pitcher.  Now that is making good use of your workday.  Two jobs at once!  It was really funny.