Venice First Time Weekend Blueprint (08)

Transcription

Weekend Blueprint
Venice
First Time
Contents
Mistress of Memories
04
A personal view of Venice, from Andrew B. Flint
Highlights & Weekend Blueprint
08
A perfectly-planned weekend exploring the most beautiful city in the world...
Hotels
12
Take your break in style, tranquillity and comfort
Eat & Drink
16
Authentic atmosphere, local flavours, outright excellence
Travel Planning
19
Everything you need to organise your break..
Location
Italy
Style
Discovery
Setting
Urban
When to go
December—May
Venice
Rome
Front cover: Gondola in front of Santa Maria Salute.
Top: Canale di Cannaregio; Rear cover: Carnival masquerader with San Giorgio Maggiore.
VENICE FIRST TIME W/E BLUEPRINT
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WWW.WEEKENDBLUEPRINT.COM
Clockwise from top: Accademia Madonna, Basilico San
Marco, Piazza San Marco, Carnival, street near Rialto market.
JULY 08 EDITION
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Mistress of Memories
San Marco Basin
A.B. Flint sets out to explore Venice in a short break, following the Weekend Blueprint itinerary...
T
he boat’s prow noses warily through the slack water
as tall wooden poles materialise one at a time out of
the murk. Behind us, each
channel-marker is swallowed again softly by fogs playing Grandmother’s Footsteps with our stern. We
progress in a bubble through the gloom.
A cold sweat condenses onto every surface and sound is deadened; my fellow
passengers withdraw into themselves and
conversation stops. An hour ago I was
soaring over the crystal icecaps of the
Alps, radiant in brilliant sunshine. Now
I’m fumbling blindly through the chill,
totally reliant on the boatman’s skill.
Somewhere out there, the most beautiful
city on Earth clings to a slimy mud bank
in the fastness of its lagoon. But all I can
see is pewter water circumscribed by
blank walls of vapour.
Dark Age beginnings
Venice’s unique location suddenly makes
perfect sense. As barbarian hordes –
Vandals, Goths, Huns, your worst nightmares – ripped apart the carcass of the
old Roman Empire, life became very
cheap and commerce all but impossible.
Driven from their homes, the citizens of
“the former swamprats would extend
their rule across the
eastern Mediterranean and found a republic to last a thousand years”
one town (Aquileia) were forced to
scratch a marginal existence amongst the
hidden reed beds and shifting quagmires
of the lagoon. Gradually, however, they
turned the tables on their tormentors.
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Without intimate knowledge, the lagoon’s
channels were a deadly labyrinth. Intruding vessels sooner or later find themselves grounded. Stuck fast and isolated,
the hulks could be picked off at leisure,
their crews dead men walking. A brutal
birth, but one that served fledgling Venice well: over the coming centuries, the
former swamp-rats would extend their
rule across the eastern Mediterranean,
found a republic to last a thousand years
and build themselves a city without equal
for opulence and refinement.
Grand Canal
It’s hours later and I’m on another waterbus, but my surroundings couldn’t be
more different. My ferry from the airport
eventually found its target and strengthening sunshine long since burnt the mists
off. Sitting in a plum seat in front of the
wheelhouse, I’m overwhelmed by the
pomp and circumstance of the Grand
Canal. From the gloom and squalor of
the Dark Ages I’ve fast-forwarded eight
hundred years to the high living of the
Clockwise from top: Quadriga looted from Byzantium (Basilica San Marco), creature from Venice
Lagoon (Rialto Market), Grand Canal at dusk.
late medieval era; to a time when, to the
wonder of contemporary chroniclers, the
city’s shipyards could build a fullyequipped war galley in a day and Venetian merchants lived more grandly than
Europe’s kings. Puttering along the canal’s winding course, I gaze at graceful
palazzi in a profusion of architectural
styles. Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance
and the later Baroque exist happily side
by side in arcaded and ornamented testimony to the craft of Venice’s masons.
On the water, vessels of all sizes - from
lumbering public vaporetti through sleek
motoscafi to precariously low-sided tourist
gondolas - jostle to make headway. From a
boat-borne perspective the canal’s sinuous curves only reveal its secrets slowly one treasure at a time, measuring out a
rhythm of keen anticipation followed by
unfailing delight.
Midway down the channel, my boat
passes beneath the shadow of the Rialto
Bridge, the link between Venice’s marketplace and her seat of power around St.
Mark’s Square, Marching across the span,
stone-built market stalls remind me that
trade was the engine of Venice’s fabulous
success – once her arch-rival, Byzantium,
had been cut down. For her first five
hundred years, Venice had been forced to
play vassal to the declining but immensely wealthy imperial power. However, in a masterstroke of ruthless statecraft, Venice struck a deal with Crusaders
in 1204. She provided them with sea
transport to the Holy Land in return for
their sacking her commercial competitor
and - in theory at least - sovereign overlord.
Byzantium disposed of, Venice’s financial sophistication and mercantile
daring - backed by the iron fist of her
navy - secured virtual hegemony over the
Eastern Mediterranean. With it came
exclusive access to the Orient and the
spices of the East. In the years that followed Venetian merchants such as Marco
Polo established direct links with China
(and, in passing, brought home spaghetti), reinforcing a pre-eminence in
European wealth that was to last until the
16th century. This was a period when the
palazzi lining the Grand Canal stored a
king’s ransom in spices, silks and other
luxury items, while there was little that
couldn’t be bought in the crowded confines of Rialto market.
Rialto
Next morning I find myself wandering
the self-same stone-flagged space, surrounded by a hubbub of shoppers and
market traders. The artfully arranged
displays and melodic sing-song cries of
the stallholders prove that the city’s instinct for commerce is still in rude health.
But in place of sandalwood from Arabia
Felix and nutmeg from the Moluccas, the
objects being traded are delicious purple
artichokes from Venice’s market garden
island of Sant’Erasmo and writhing eels
fresh from the mudbanks of the lagoon.
Parochial these may be compared to
wonders past, but the quality and variety
leaves my local farmers’ market far behind. It’s a real pleasure to be transported
- temporarily at the least - to the everyday preoccupations of a small Italian
town, which, strip away the monuments,
island Venice truly remains.
With such raw materials to work from,
Venetian cuisine is one of the city’s undervalued pleasures (once away from the
plastic picture menus of the main thoroughfares). Geography dictates plentiful
seafood, while 19th century Austrian rule
has left a Central Europe dedication to
tummy-lining carbs – step forward risotto
and polenta. But what makes Venice’s
cooking so distinct is the number of
dishes incorporating sweet flavours from
the Levant, a further legacy of the millennium of commercial contact. Sarde in saor
is one classic – sardines in a sweet-sour
marinade of vinegar, onion, pine nuts and
raisins, perhaps with a pinch of cumin or
saffron.
Enoteca al Volto
With rumbling stomach I hop across the
canal on a handy traghetto and burrow
through side alleys to emerge at the
Enoteca al Volto, a classic backstreet
bacaro in business since 1936. It’s a per-
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fect riposte, if one is needed, to the misfounded claim that Venice has been lost
to the tourists. Eschewing trays of weird
and wonderful chicheti arrayed along the
bar, I edge past a scrum of leather jacketed locals and sit down for a more substantial lunch. The small dining room
resembles a sleepy country station buffet
circa 1950 - rickety wooden furniture and
a fading map of Italy in basic halftone
colour. A barman recites in quickfire
Italian from a scrap of paper. It’s not a
menu, but a list of what the cook bought
at the Rialto earlier this morning. No
squid, but the octopus is apparently especially tender. Fine, I go with that, and am
well-rewarded by trenette with succulent
pulpo.
avenues, there’s little or no boat traffic
and an aura of somnolent calm. Nevertheless the fabric is just as historic and
I’m brought up short by a weathered basrelief of a laden camel on a venerable wall
(that of the Palazzo Mastelli) followed
shortly by three turbaned Moors set in
time-worn stone into the side of a house.
Quiet Cannaregio
Fortified, I set forth to explore Cannaregio sestier (quarter) on foot. Before reaching the serious boondocks I stop by the
jewel-like Santa Maria dei Miracoli. A
renaissance triumph of harmony and
proportion in pastel marble, it’s hands
down my favourite Venetian church.
Visitors are already here a desultory
trickle. After twenty minutes of further
meandering I have only old men and
stray cats for company.
Cannaregio’s outer limits are marked
by a series of quiet canals lined by crumbling old villas and even the odd walled
garden. Quite unlike the corkscrew waterways that permeate central San Marco,
canyoned into gloom by tall townhouses
rising straight from the water, the canals
here are broad and light-filled, with room
for wide paved walkways running alongside. The watery equivalent of suburban
Into the Ghetto
A melancholic atmosphere pervades the
nearby Ghetto (the original after which
all others have been named). Hugely important as financiers for Venice’s trade,
Jews were nonetheless barely tolerated.
For 400 years they were only allowed to
live in Cannaregio, on one small island
that was subject to a night-time curfew.
Over the years, population growth naturally led to intense overcrowding, and to
ease the problem, the Ghetto’s inhabitants constructed Europe’s first highrises. These now stare blankly down on
me as I walk across the paved expanse of
the central campo.
The Nazis cleared the Ghetto, dispatching its inhabitants to the death
camps. Since the war it has been resettled
by a handful of Orthodox families - men
and boys prominent in their ringlets and
black felt hats – and is once again gently
“I am not alone in my
gentle reverie; I have a
whole city for company”
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resurgent. Nevertheless, it feels no place
to linger – too full of ghosts. I move on
quickly.
Despite immersing myself in the
crowds along the Strada Nuova I’m unable to shake off a certain wistful sadness, which lingers for the rest of the day.
Late evening sees me in the plasterencrusted confection that’s the Caffé
Florian on Piazza San Marco. At this
time it’s near-deserted and I have a whole
gilded compartment to myself and my
multiple mirrored reflections. I muse on
the nature of things lost and the irretrievable glories of the past. And then it
dawns on me that I am not alone in my
gentle reverie; I have a whole city for
company.
The long goodbye
It’s the fussy period surroundings that
give the game away. For Venice, the rococo marks the time when the clocks
began to run down. Throughout the 18th
century the republic’s coffers emptied as
Mediterranean trade routes diverted and
the Great Powers reshaped Europe to
their liking. Knowing there was no tomorrow, Venice chose to party in a bacchanalian swansong of defiance – and
found she was rather good at it. So good
in fact that nobles and wannabes from
across Europe (but England especially)
poured in to fill her brothels, casinos and
opera houses, to misbehave themselves at
her masked Carnevale, to tour her grand
sights, and to buy up paintings by Canaletto to ship to family seats back home
(soon to be rebuilt in the Neoclassical
Left: Venice Ghetto.
Right: Santa Maria dei Miracoli.
“a provincial outpost
of the AustroHungarian Empire,
the city ossified,
shrunken, and fell back
on what she knew best:
reviving the tourist
trade”
Venetian style of Andrea Palladio).
Only at the very end of the century
did final disaster fall, when Napoleon
snuffed out Venice’s millennium of civic
independence almost as an afterthought.
(When the time came, Venice surrendered ignominiously without a fight, the
last doge exiting with the words “I don’t
think I’ll be needing this anymore” as he
handed over his cap.) Of course, not all
of Napoleon’s enemies were so supine,
and following his eventual defeat, Venice
found herself parcelled out to Austria
without any consultation or choice.
Today the Canalettos may be valued in
the millions, but those 18th century dukes
and earls and (towards the end) self-made
men had still at root been paying tourists
like you and me. Reduced to a provincial
outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the city ossified, shrunken, and fell
back on what she knew best: reviving the
tourist trade and seeing to its needs.
Glamorous it wasn’t and, after the glory
days, more than a little demeaning; but at
least it paid the bills. Hotels, theatres and
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restaurants were carefully maintained often refurbished in the swaggering Biedermeier style of the victor’s Mitteleuropa.
The rest was left to sink back into the
swamp. Then, as the years became decades, the clocks stopped ticking at all.
Sipping a caffè corretto fortified against
the damp with a shot of grappa, I smile
slyly now, realising I’ve got her well and
truly fingered. Much as modern Greece
plays homage to Classical Athens but
lives from day to day as Levantine Byzantium, Venice has for the past two centuries led a double-life. By day, under the
piercing brightness of the Mediterranean
sun, she grandstands before the crowds
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still the Gothic glory of her youth: “La
Serenissima”, “Mistress of a Quarter and
Half a Quarter of the Roman Empire”.
But by night, or in midwinter, or when
the damp fog creeps across from the
Adriatic (as it had done again today at
dusk) comfort is more important than
pretence. Pulling her cape close to and
retreating indoors, she turns in on herself
- an aging Central European dowager
snug in her velvet, cosy besides her stove.
© A.B. Flint.
Top: Tourism has supported Venice for 200 years.
Bottom Come bad weather, Venice hunkers down.
Highlights
Venice skyline
& Suggested Itinerary
Cherry-pick the very cream of Venice’s cultural treasures, while leaving time to sample her secretive
quieter corners. Celebrate also the city’s reputation for romance, beguilingly accessible through her
most atmospheric bars, hotels and restaurants.
Suggested Itinerary
Thursday
Morning flight to Venice and scenic transfer across the lagoon by waterbus (or watertaxi) to
hotel . Lunch. In the afternoon take a waterborne city tour by public vaporetto, including a cruise
down Grand Canal. (To create your own tour: combine vaporetti routes 1 to P. Roma, 42 to S.
Zaccaria, and 1 back to Accademia for a complete clockwise circuit of the city. Start from the
Accademia boat dock.) Enjoy romantic early evening drinks at the Danieli’s Dandolo Bar or
Gritti Palace’s Bar Longhi, then follow up with dinner at one of the new wave of bacari showcasing modern Venetian cooking—such as Alle Testiere or Anice Stellato. (Al Covo or Corte
Sconta both make good alternatives if you can’t get in.)
Friday
Start early for St. Mark’s Basilica and Square ahead of the day-tripper throngs. Move on to
the Rialto Markets, then lunch at one of the simple eateries nearby (perhaps Bancogiro or
Enoteca al Volto). From the Rialto Bridge, leave the crowds behind with an afternoon stroll
through the peaceful Cannaregio quarter, taking in Sta. Maria dei Miracoli, I Gesuiti and
Madonna dell’ Orto churches, the poignant Ghetto, and the length of the Canale Cannaregio on
foot. Return down the Grand Canal by vaporetto 1. Splash out for a celebratory dinner at the Met
restaurant (or the old school classic Da Fiore) and finish up in St. Mark’s Square once more for
a late night nightcap at Caffé Florian or Gran Caffé Quadri.
Saturday
Spend the morning visiting the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s palace) - try to arrive at opening time
to avoid the crowds. Break off for a long lunch, then hop on a vaporetto (route 2 from S. Zaccaria) to cross to S. Giorgio Maggiore island and its outstanding Palladian church. Take the
lift to the top of the campanile for the most fabulous panorama over the city and lagoon. Continue with a cruise along the broad Canale della Giudecca and then contrasting return down the
Grand Canal—travelling in the opposite to Thursday. (Combine vaporetti routes 2 and 1 for a
clockwise circuit of Dorsoduro and SS Croce & Polo.) En route, stop off on Dorsoduro’s Zattere waterfront for an ice cream at Gelateria Nico. In summer finish the day with alfresco dinner
at Harry’s Dolci or Cip’s Club. (The Danieli’s rooftop restaurant, La Terrazza Danieli, is a further good alternative.)
Sunday
Check-out after breakfast and stash your bags, then head to the Accademia Gallery for the
best of Venice’s art treasures. (This is yet another venue where it pays to arrive as early as possible.) When you’ve had your fill, fortify yourself with a prosecco and a lunch of chicheti bar snacks
just round the corner at Al Bottegon. Spend the afternoon exploring the quieter, non-touristy
backwaters of western Dorsoduro and Santa Croce—campos Santa Margherita and S. Giacomo
Dell’Orio are two atmospheric squares to make for. As you go, include a visit to the Scuola
San Rocco for its Tintorettos. When finished, grab a bite to eat, collect your bags, and transfer
by waterbus (or water taxi) to the airport for your evening flight home.
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Highlights
THURSDAY
Plaza Catedral
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1
Grand Canal
Cruising the Grand Canal by boat is
one of those select travel experiences
that’s the stuff of fantasy. With the
sun behind you and a breeze in your
hair, it really is as breath-taking as
you’ve imagined—probably better:
every metre of travel unfolds views of
fresh majesty, in a seamless bubble of
historical perfection.
A Grand Canal address has always
been Venice’s most prestigious, and
the finest façades of the grandest palazzi all dip their toes in its waters,
with the Baroque magnificence of
Santa Maria della Salute as finale.
FRIDAY AM
St. Mark’s Square
Despite the crowds, no first-time
visit to Venice can be complete without seeing Piazza San Marco, her
main square—although that’s too
prosaic a word for a piece of architectural magic: that’s almost overwhelming given solitude and sympathetic light, and never entirely lost
whatever the hustle.
Trapezoid in outline, on the eastern side rises the façade of the Basilica San Marco, while the arcaded
Procuratie Vecchie and Procuratie
Nuove line the north and south sides
respectively. A large secondary space,
the Piazzetta San Marco, stretches
south from the Basilica to the Molo
waterfront and lagoon.
FRIDAY AM
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Basilica San Marco
More Istanbul than Italy, St. Mark’s is rightly one of Christendom’s most celebrated churches. A summation in stone of
1,000 years of Venetian history, the wild ornamentation, rotundas and pinnacles stand testament to the city’s intimate
links with the Levant (and mercantile wealth). With gilt by the
acre, Byzantine decoration, and a profusion of copulas, the
Basilica’s exterior overwhelms through its exoticism. Inside,
the power of the cave-like interior is astounding. Don’t miss
the Pala d’Oro and the quadriga (in the Museo Marciano).
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Highlights
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FRIDAY AM
Rialto Markets
Not to be confused with the mayhem
of gewgaw-sellers around Rialto
Bridge, Rialto is an authentic and very
good traditional Italian food market,
one of the very best in fact—and a
slice of real Italy unmatched elsewhere
in the city. The market operates in two
main adjoining areas. Seafood enjoys
pride of place under an arcaded building on Campo della Pescaria. Spilling
back away from the canal, along Calle
Beccarie, the trading becomes more
of a mixed bag. Local specialities include tender little Sant’Erasmo aubergines and writhing laguna morta eels.
FRIDAY PM
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Centro side street
Cannaregio on foot
Filling all of Venice north of the
Grand Canal and west of the Rialto
Bridge, the sprawling sestier (quarter)
of Cannaregio takes on a variety of
moods. Skirted by the city’s worst
tourist rat-run (Strada Nuova), elsewhere, it’s serene and gracious, a place
of quiet pleasures and self-possessed
community—typified most strongly
by the original Jewish Ghetto.
Mainly residential, Cannaregio is
little visited, but amongst broad pathlined canals it offers jewels of the
calibre of Santa Maria dei Miracoli
and Madonna dell’ Orto churches
(and in contrast I Gesuiti—Baroque
standard-setter for bad church design
in lurid green on white marble).
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SATURDAY AM
Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace)
Widely regarded as the finest secular medieval building in
Europe, the Doge’s Palace impresses both inside and out. In
soft, dusky pink, the lacy exterior projects a serene Gothic
harmony that’s as unlikely as it’s inspired. Inside, huge sums
were lavished on art and decoration specifically to daunt and
awe the likes of the King of France. Suffice to say, compared
to him, the modern visitor is the easiest of meat. Of the many
highpoints, don’t miss the Sala dello Scudo, Scala d’Oro,
Sala del Maggior Consiglio and crossing over the Ponte
dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs). Nb: Beat the queues by buying (timed) tickets online before leaving the UK.
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Highlights
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San Giorgio Maggiore
Standing on its own island, the bright
white classicist façade of San Giorgio
Maggiore—Palladio’s magnificent Renaissance masterpiece—catches the eye from
across St. Mark’s Basin and draws the gaze
instinctively to the tip of the pencilslender brick campanile. The return view
from just beneath the bells more than
repays the favour, with a God-like panorama over the whole watery city, out
across the lagoon, and—if the weather’s
kind—as far as the glittering snow of the
Dolomites.
SUNDAY AM
SATURDAY PM
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Accademia Gallery
Amongst the elite of Europe’s art galleries, the Accademia offers a dizzying
panorama of Venice’s bravura aesthetic
accomplishment, providing a benchmark
from which to judge the rest by (or simply a single-stop overview), with top-ofform examples of the work of all the
masters from the early middle ages to the
fall of the Republic. Key rooms include 4
& 5 (Renaissance treasures by
Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini and Giorgione), 10 (titanic works by Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese), and 20 & 21
(Gentile Bellini and Carpaccio—
especially the ‘St. Ursula’ cycle). Nb: Beat
the queues by buying (timed) tickets
online before leaving the UK.
SUNDAY PM
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Scuola San Rocco
San Rocco is the Big Daddy of Venice’s scuole
(secular chapter houses), the city’s most characteristic institutions. Dedicated to the patron saint of
plague protection, the foundation was unsurprisingly never short of a bob or two—and it shows.
From the street the ostentatious marble façade
screams wealth. Inside, the decoration reaches an
acme of extravagance even the Palazzo Ducale can’t
match. Up a fabulous barrel-vaulted staircase, the
wrap-around work by Tintoretto is set off by
panelwork and florid ceiling. In its own room is
Tintoretto’s most powerful canvas, ‘The Crucifixion’, which reduced Ruskin to memorable hysteria.
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Hotels
...where to stay in style and comfort
Ca’ Pisani Bedroom
and entrance (above)
Need to know
• Always book your chosen hotel as
far in advance as possible. This is
particularly important at weekends
(when minimum night booking restrictions often apply.)
• Almost infinite demand coupled
with strictly limited supply mean a
hefty premium in Venetian room pricing; less excusably it also provides an
enormous temptation towards sagging
standards and indifferent service—the
best hotels in all categories stand out in
large part by rising above this.
A.B. Flint Choice
Hotel Ca’Pisani (Premium). A fresh take
on the Venice luxury hotel experience
that deploys a contemporary homage to
the Jazz Age behind 13th century palazzo
walls. Conveniently located in arty Dorsoduro, with lots of comforts and an
unusual sense of space, Ca’Pisani makes a
highly enjoyable base.
Highly designed, the interior isn’t remotely related to the period piece of historical retrospection that might be expected. Instead, the decor heroically
adopts the manifesto of the early 20th
century Italian Futurist movement—as
reinterpreted from the century’s very end.
The result hovers somewhere in 1930s or
’40s, with a powerful, muscular Art Deco
presence that explodes with angular energy. On each floor, the main space—of
impressive proportions—serves as a
lounge, pepped with pieces of contemporary art. Grandest is the piano nobile which
opens to the balcony at front. On the top
floor, there’s a steam bath and solarium
terrace with wide city views.
By Venetian standards most guestVENICE FIRST TIME W/E BLUEPRINT
rooms are generously-sized. Interiors are
a palette of browns, creams and tans
highlighted with black, silver-chrome and
shots of fire-glow orange. Jacuzzi baths
come standard, whilst superior rooms
have walk-in showers as well.
The hotel’s restaurant, La Rivista—a
witty bar-bistro in lucite and zinc—serves
classy and inventive light north Italian
food.
Too clever (or poor) for the Cipriani
or Gritti Palace, Ca’ Pisani’s sharply stylish guests are an eclectic, international
group more in step with the Guggenheim
than the Accademia—but fully au fait
with both.
As often in Venice, service is a relative
weakness: polite and efficient, but sadly
not very Italian. In such a well-designed
hotel, it’s disappointing to find the character ironed out of front-of-house; such
cool correctness wouldn’t be out of place
in London or Frankfurt.
Facilities: Lounges, bar-bistro, steam
bath, solarium. No vehicle access.
Room recommendation: Corner rooms
for double aspect, first floor for high
ceilings.
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• The city’s historic building stock
adds its own legacy of cramped bedrooms and idiosyncratic plumbing.
• Unless prominently advertised, your
room almost certainly won’t have any
view to speak of—even for canal- or
lagoon-facing hotels. If a view is important, check very carefully exactly
how full, close and unobstructed it will
be, and be prepared to pay.
• Outrageously expensive breakfasts
are another quasi-scam, particularly at
some of the elite hotels. Either get a
breakfast-inclusive rate or head round
the corner for breakfast in a local bar at
a tenth the price.
• Despite all this, it’s emphatically
worthwhile being based in Venice
proper rather than commuting from
the mainland or Lido. Choose wisely
and you’ll have a memorable stay.
Hotel Ca’Pisani, Rio Terà Foscarini, Dursoduro 979, 30123 -Venezia, Italy.
Booking—see www.weekendblueprint.com
Hotels
Value Choice
Locanda Orseolo (Expensive). Hidden
away in a private courtyard off an unobtrusive side alley, the Orseolo takes a bit
of finding. Once tracked down, however,
the location’s extremely central, just two
minutes walk from St. Mark’s Square—
although you’d never guess from the
quiet.
But what really sets this unpretentious
family-run establishment apart is, well,
the family. If being clutched to the
bosom of
a larger-than-life Italian
household fills you with terror, fear not:
the welcome, although breathtakingly
warm, falls safely short of smothering,
while the extraordinarily helpful attitude
of the staff—from manager to night porter—remains just the right the side of
obsequious.
Once adapted to the friendliness,
you’ll find a small, traditional hotel one
step up from a pension. The modestlysized guestrooms are dressed with oldfashioned theatricality—Murano light
fittings and lots of rich red drapes and
gold swag, but plasma TVs also; and
mine even managed a canal view (not to
be sniffed at in Venice). Bathrooms
could be bigger, however, and the showers could do with modernising.
On the ground floor, a plush pockethandkerchief lounge squeezes an internet
terminal beside a small library and cosy
fireplace. Beyond is a simple breakfast
room where in the morning a fairly utilitarian cold buffet is served, improved by
tasty eggs cooked to order.
Facilities: Lounge, breakfast room,
internet, minibar, no vehicle acccess.
Ca Maria Adele
contemporary in styling, but decoration
and furnishing nonetheless take their cue
from traditional Venetian aesthetics
(some rooms are small). ‘Themed’ rooms
are more fantastical, culminating in the
scarlet and white damasked drama of the
Doge’s Suite. Public spaces are beautifully presented in understated modern
style.
Facilities: Lounge, canal-facing terrace,
breakfast room (no restaurant). No vehicle access (but water taxi dock).
Ca Maria Adele, Rio Terrà dei Catecumeni,
Dorsoduro 111, 30123 - Venezia, Italy.
Gritti Palace Hotel (Premium). The
grande dame of San Marco hotels, with a
privileged position on the Grand Canal
inside a 16th century palazzo so exquisite
that it’s a clear stand-out even in such
extraordinary surroundings.
Often compared with the Danieli,
both hotels set out to offer expansive
historical opulence in a heavily traditional
and specifically Venetian style. Unfortunately, the comparison extends to the
variable staff attitude, out-of-touch management, unpredictable failings in upkeep
and brazen price-gouging often experienced in both. The Gritti Palace nonetheless comfortably outpoints its rival for
Locanda Orseolo, Corte Zorzi, San Marco 1083,
Venezia, Italy.
Further hotels of interest
Ca Maria Adele (Premium). This contemporary boutique within a Renaissance
palazzo pulls off the difficult trick of serious style and superb personal service at
the same time. Occupying a quiet canalfacing position in arty eastern Dorsoduro, just round the corner from Salute church, Ca Maria Adele is only one
stop by vaporetto from the sights of Piazza
San Marco.
The simpler ‘deluxe’ guestrooms are
JULY 08 EDITION
Orseolo
13
Gritti Palace
Hotels
its cosier intimacy, quieter setting, and a
certain lingering panache. If it’s got to be
one of the two, make it the Gritti Palace;
but accept in advance that it won’t in any
normal sense of the word represent value
for money.
Facilities: Restaurant, canal-side bar with
terrace, lounges. No vehicle access (but
water taxi dock).
Hotel Gritti Palace, Campo Santa Maria del
Giglio, San Marco 2467, 30124 - Venezia, Italy.
this is a truly excellent hotel (very much
of the white-gloved old school), you’re
still a boat ride from anywhere—popping
round the corner to a little trattoria is
hardly an option. If you’ve come to experience Venice, experience her properly
and stay in the heart of the city. If you’re
looking for Big Romance, well then that’s
a different matter—but in that case dig
deep for a suite, ideally in the adjoining
Palazzo Vendramin or Palazetto Nani
Barbaro; many of the mere rooms don’t
live up to the public areas. Romancing or
not, a visit for lunch or dinner is definitely worthwhile. Nb. the Cipriani is
closed during winter and early spring.
Facilities: Restaurants (3), bars, lounges,
gardens, gym, pool, tennis courts, sauna,
solarium, complimentary launch service
to San Marco. No vehicle access (but
water taxi dock and marina).
Hotel Cipriani, Giudecca 10, 30133 - Venezia,
Italy.
The Cipriani occupies the tip of Giudecca island, seen here from San Giorgio Maggiore.
Hotel Cipriani (Premium). One of the
iconic hotels of the world, never mind
Italy. Essentially what you’re paying
for—apart from a hefty premium for the
prestige—is fabulous service and the
sybaritic pleasure of chilling out on the
garden terrace beside Venice’s largest
pool (wickedly decadent over a sumptuous breakfast with St. Mark’s across the
lagoon as a backdrop).
And yet; while there’s no disputing
Hotel Londra Palace (Premium). This
top-notch conventionally-styled hotel,
with superbly convenient location and
plentiful lagoon views, offers better value
for money than most of its comparables,
and a better experience to boot.
Without the weight of expectations of
more famous rivals, the comfortablysized Londra Palace delivers a consistently classy stay under enthusiastic management overseeing personable and efficient staff. Occupying a 19th century
waterfront palazzo (in which Tchaikovsky
wrote one of his symphonies), the public
rooms are modern and light; attractive if
not adventurous. Guestrooms are fairly
traditional with comfort colours, good
bathrooms and (for Venice) aboveaverage dimensions. The lagoon-facing
breakfast terrace is a further plus.
Facilities: Restaurant, bar, terrace,
lounges. No vehicle access (but water taxi
dock).
Hotel Londra Palace, Riva degli Schiavoni,
Castello 4171, 30122 - Venezia, Italy.
Locanda Novecento (Expensive). Mixing
dreamy art nouveau mannerisms, exotic
Levantine furnishings and indulgent Fortuny fabrics, this immensely stylish intimate boutique comes with wonderful
service and a refreshing lack of attitude.
Most importantly, the opulent character
creates an atmosphere that’s as warmly
inviting as it is evocative—more than a
hint of steamer trunks and adventure just
round the corner.
In the heart of San Marco sestier, it’s
only 10 mins walk to Piazza San Marco
and 5 mins to the Accademia. Yet set on
a quiet side-street leading down to the
Grand Canal, Novecento enjoys a peaceful setting with hardly any passing pedestrians.
As befits a family-run locanda (inn)—
albeit a hugely stylish contemporary reinterpretation of the concept, the Novecento offers all the simple necessities to a
high level of comfort (and bravissimo
Novecento
14
Hotels
taste), but makes no attempt to match the
facilities of a grand hotel—thus no restaurant, gym, spa etc. Service standards,
however, are exemplary, guest care is
delivered with friendliness, thoughtfulness and not a trace of attitude—even
from the pony-tailed male receptionist
with the looks of a Milan model.
The ground floor is occupied by an
immediately welcoming lounge softly lit
through art nouveau stained glass—a
smiling gilt Khmer dancer sets the tone.
To the rear, a small walled courtyard is
set out with tables and chairs surrounded
by plants.
Bedrooms are individual; but in keeping with the overall character have a period aura. They are finished to a very high
standard of design—first opening of the
door is likely to yield a coup de theatre. The
most significant criticism is in the size of
some of them (the bathrooms especially).
Although without a restaurant, there’s
an honesty bar, and breakfast is served in
the lounge or courtyard garden.
Facilities: Lounges, honesty bar, garden
courtyard. No vehicle access, water taxi
dock a short walk.
Locanda Novecento, Calle del Dose, Campo
San Maurizio, San Marco 2683/84, 30124 Venezia, Italy.
Locanda La Corte (Mid Price). A competently-run, straightforward pension in a
La Corte
venerable palazzo on an agreeably off-thebeaten-track side canal running through
western Castello (but still a handy enough
location for the main sights).
By Venetian standards relatively economical, there are few frills, and rooms
are traditional and rather small, but none-
JULY 08 EDITION
Pensione Accademia
theless clean and presentable. The charming palazzo courtyard is an enjoyable
bonus for breakfasts and drinks in fine
weather.
Facilities: Lounge, breakfast room (no
restaurant), courtyard. No vehicle access
(but water taxi dock).
Locanda La Corte, Calle Bressana, Castello
6317, 30122 - Venezia, Italy.
of repeat guests, the Accademia books up
a long way forward.
Facilities: Breakfast room (no restaurant), bar, lounge, garden. No vehicle
access (but water taxi dock).
Pensione Accademia—Villa Maravege, Fondamente Bollani, Dorsoduro 1058, 30123-Venezia,
Italy.
Pensione Accademia (Mid Price). A
longstanding and smoothly-run favourite,
particularly popular with Brits of a certain
age and scholarly bent—often on their
fourth or fifth visit.
Housed in a pretty 17th century villa
in Dorsoduro, the Accademia boasts
leafy gardens front and back and its own
water taxi dock just off the Grand Canal.
Defiantly old-school, it’s all well-kept and
in good taste, with vases of fresh-cut
flowers in the reception hall and neatly
clipped shrubs outside. Public rooms,
including traditionally elegant if slightly
dated lounges and a bar, are spacious.
Guestrooms are smaller and fairly bland
(with noisy plumbing in some cases);
some boast Grand Canal views of variable directness. One slight oddity is the
lack of power points in the rooms, a nuisance in an age of mobiles and laptops.
(A fiddlesome—and in my room nonfunctioning—charger contraption is provided instead.)
Careful service is big on ceremony,
less strong on smiles. With large numbers
15
N.B.
There are over 600 hotels in Venice and
its mainland suburbs. Amongst the better-known hotels I considered but decided not to feature are Hotel Danieli,
Westin Europa & Regina, Bauer Il
Palazzo, Bauer Hotel, Hotel Monaco
& Grand Canal, San Clemente Palace,
the Charming House hotels (DD724,
694 and IQs), Locanda Sturion and
Pension Bucintoro.
This is not necessarily an adverse reflection on standards as choices are based
on many factors including location, ambience, quality within class, service, facilities and my personal taste.
Hotel prices: Budget: below £60, Modest: £60£100, Mid Price: £100-£140, Expensive: £140-200,
Premium: £200+; prices are per double room at the
time of year and type of room (standard unless
specified otherwise) recommended. Prices are for
guidance only, please check with hotel for further
details.
Eat & drink
...authentic atmosphere, local flavours, outright excellence
Treviso radicchio a local speciality
Cipriani Hotel restaurants (Premium).
Enjoy the lazy luxury ambience of the
Cipriani Hotel over an indulgent meal.
The hotel’s flagship dining is the very
formal jacket-and-tie Cipriani Restaurant, with summer-only terrace. However
the less stuffy (but still smart) Cip’s
Club, with idyllic over-the-water terrace
looking across the channel to St. Mark’s
Square, might make a more memorable
option—especially if the weather’s fair
and you can secure a terrace table. The
modern Italian menu features a selection
of pasta, meat and seafood dishes. Closed
winter. Reservations required.
Hotel Cipriani, Fondamente San Giovanni 10,
Venice (vap.: Zitalle, or free boat shuttle from
Piazza San Marco for restaurant guests).
t. +39 041 520 7744.
Met (Premium). Currently Venice’s Michelin-starred standard-bearer, under chef
Corrado Fasolato the Met cooks sumptuous modern interpretations of Venetian
classics, making full use of both local
ingredients and the more exotic flavours
that used to pass through the city in its
trading heyday. Thus, traditional local
sardines in saor re-emerge as anchovies
with a red onion confit in cream and balsamic vinegar, while the time-honoured
staples bacalao (salt cod) and polenta are
combined with a topping a fresh cod and
dusting of cacao.
Part of the Metropole Hotel, the opulent and mildly retro dining room is cocooned in rich fabrics and splashes of
deep colour, while a pianist accompanies
dinner. Service is prompt, but perhaps a
little officious and—unexpectedly for
such an elevated establishment—slightly
awkward.
Before the Met’s arrival, Venice’s undisputed culinary crown rested with Da
Fiore, squirreled away amongst the back
alleys of San Polo. Serious and formal,
Da Fiore remains a good choice for top
quality traditional Venetian dishes.
Met Restaurant, Riva degli Schiavoni, 4149
Venice (vap.: S. Zaccaria).
t. +39 041 520 5044.
Alla Testiere (Expensive). Full of atmosphere, this is one of the liveliest of a
modern generation of Venetian bacari that
really cares about its cooking. Diners
crowd into the small shopfront dining
room to enjoy a seafood-based menu that
changes according to the day’s catch.
While the simple grilled fish is excellent,
dishes get considerably more creative,
with hints of the Levant enlivening the
spicing. High-ish prices reflect the accomplished cooking and choice ingredients (but remain good value compared to
competitors).
Alla Testiere is by now well-known
amongst food-loving visitors, which
makes getting a reservation sometimes
difficult—despite two evening sittings
(the second is more relaxed). If you’re
out of luck, try Corte Sconta or Al
Covo, both worthwhile alternatives. Reservations required.
Alla Testiere, Calle del Mondo Novo 5801,
Venice (vap.: S. Zaccaria).
t. +39 041 522 7220.
Anice Stellata (Expensive). Despite its out
of the way location and simple exterior,
this new wave bacaro is an excellent place
to sample skilled modern Venetian cooking that for inspiration draws consciously
on the traditional canon of the city’s past.
Naturally, emphasis is on using prime
local ingredients: frutti di mare from the
lagoon and locally caught Adriatic fish
feature prominently, but even the freshly-
Met
16
Eat & drink
Need to know
• Venice has too many visitors and too
few residents to be one of Italy’s top
gastronomic centres. Just a few years
ago, eating out was largely an exercise
in damage limitation to both gullet
and wallet—often at the same sitting.
Thankfully, things have radically improved since then, with the arrival of
a new wave of enthusiastic young
artisan chefs keen to shine on an
increasingly competitive stage.
Whilst Venice may not yet be a gourmet destination, it’s certainly now
possible to dine well and even interestingly.
• Most of Venice’s most rewarding
choices are bacari. In their original
form (and there are still some good
ones around), these were spit-andsawdust bars serving local wine and
tapas-style cicheti at the bar. But like
gastro-pubs in Britain, the new-wave
of bacari offer sit-down meals and the
most celebrated are teetering on the
brink of full-blown restauranthood.
In contrast, hotel dining is usually
poor. With a handful of honourable
exceptions (notably the Met), the
experience varies from safely dull to
dire.
• The best bacari and restaurants are
hidden away in the backstreets or lie
towards the residential edges of Venbaked bread tastes outstanding.
Echoing the approach to cooking, the
dining area is plainly equipped with simple wooden furniture in partitioned backrooms beyond a simple bar. Both bar and
restaurant draw large crowds of smart
young professionals, as well as a trickle of
well-informed visitors. If you’re not up
for a full meal, the bar’s decked with exquisite cicheti. Reservations recommended.
Anice Stellato, Fondamenta della Sensa 3272,
Venice (vap.: Mad. dell’Orto / S. Marcuola).
t. +39 041 720 744.
Bancogiro (Expensive). A popular new
wave bacaro with a great Rialto location.
The colonnaded front faces into bustling
Campo San Giacometto di Railto, whilst
tables outside at the rear look out onto
the Grand Canal. At ground level there’s
an enthusiastically-run wine (and cheese)
JULY 08 EDITION
ice. The tourist thoroughfares of the
centre are without redemption—
given over to lowest common denominator pizza and pasta joints
fronted by predatory waiters.
• Given a good chef, Venice has all the
natural ingredients for a great cuisine
and, in the Rialto, one of Italy’s finest
markets. The lagoon provides both
the trademark seafood and the preferred carb—top quality risotto rice,
whilst super-fresh Mediterranean
vegetables grow abundantly on the
market-gardening island of St.
Erasmo. Within sight on a clear day,
the foothills of the Dolomites supplement these staples with rich lamb
and beef, cheeses and other dairy
produce.
• When it comes to drinking, Venice’s
hinterland, the Veneto, is one of Italy’s leading wine regions. Apart from
still wine, Venetians consume the
local sparkling prosecco in quantity, as
well as indulging in a spritz—wine,
vermouth and soda water—at any
time of day.
• Nb: Venice’s better restaurants are
heavily oversubscribed, particularly at
weekends. It is almost essential to
book as far in advance as possible—
up to a week or two for the very best
or to get terrace tables.
bar, that also does a good selection of
chicheti. Upstairs a small restaurant
squeezes in a handful of tables (views
from some). Food is a daily-changing and
creative modern Italian menu, with particular emphasis on market-fresh fish and
seasonal vegetables. Reservations strongly
recommended if dining.
If you’re looking for something a little
gutsier in this area, seek out the stand-up
All’ Arco for offal chicheti, or for the less
hard-core, the snug and cosy Cantina do
Mori round the corner.
Either eat inside the formal, civilized
dining room, or, much better, outside on
a broad waterfront terrace that faces
Venice across the water. The alfresco experience is best at dinner, when the soft
light of the setting sun is joined by a tracery of fairy lights. (There’s an awning if it
showers, but bring wraps against the evening chill and, in summer, protection
against mosquitoes if no breeze.)
Although the quiet waterside location
is the main draw, the food is enjoyable
too. Good without scaling any great
heights, Harry’s menu delivers carefully
prepared, grown-up Italian comfort
food—melting risottos, baccalà mantecato
(creamed salt cod) and rich zabaglione all
feature. Service is well-bred, courteous
and dependable. Outside mealtimes, it’s
possible to use Harry’s Dolci as an upmarket pasticceria and stop by simply for
coffee and cake. Closed winter. (A more
central—and expensive—alfresco fine dining alternative is the Danieli Hotel’s rooftop La Terrazzo Danieli.) Reservations
strongly recommended.
Harry’s Dolci, Fondamente San Biagio 773,
Venice (vap.: Palanca).
t. +39 041 522 4844 / 520 8337
Enoteca al Volto (Mid Price). Perhaps
because it counts Sir Elton John as one
of its regulars, this backstreet hole-in-thewall feels no need to put a sign above the
door. Whatever the reason, the wooden,
cave-like interior hides a very superior
selection of cicheti drawing in the cognoscenti as much as the recherché collection of wines.
Morsels such as anchovies, olives and
Bancogiro, Campo San Giacometto di Rialto
122, Venice (vap.: Rialto.)
t. +39 041 523 2061.
Harry’s Dolci (Expensive). A scion of
Harry’s Bar (not recommended), this
smart restaurant is in an isolated position
at the western end of Giudecca island.
17
Eat & drink
Caffé Florian
Al Bottegon
boiled eggs start out familiar enough, but
soon the offerings stray on to exotica
such as slivers of spleen and strange little
meaty chews that remain unidentified.
More substantial meals are served in
the plain little black room, cooked in
traditional style from whatever looked
freshest at the Rialto Market that morning.
Although unvarnished, al Volto’s not
undiscovered, giving it an odd sort of
beach-shack-comes-to-the-city chic.
Enoteca al Volto, Calle Cavalli, 4081, Venice
(vap.: Rialto.)
t. +39 041 522 8945.
Al Bottegon (Modest). An old-fashioned
wine-bar bursting to the wooden rafters
with the character of workaday Venice.
Local workers and students congregate inside the stand-up only bar area,
spilling outside in decent weather. Although mainly a place to drink, there are
tasty panini and chicheti lined up on the
bar and a wide selection of wine to buy
by the bottle. Also known (officially) as
the Cantina del Vino gia Schiavi.
Cantina del Vino gia Schiavi, Fondamente
Nani 992, Venice (vap.: Zattere).
t. +39 041 523 0034.
Caffé Florian. The most famous café on
Europe’s most famous square. It ought
to be terrible, but it isn’t. (Although, admittedly, it is terribly expensive.)
Like a Fabergé egg, the gilded, carved
and marbled interior is a wonder of intriVENICE FIRST TIME W/E BLUEPRINT
cacy, all parcelled up into a honeycomb
of bijou compartments. Pick one and sip
on a cappuccino or nibble English-style
afternoon tea in cosseted intimacy. Outside, the chairs are drawn up for that
near-perfect view.
Best times are early in the morning
(from 10:00 am) before the crowds build
up, and again late in the evening, when
the square is magical (and the interior
warmly welcoming if it’s cold outside).
Avoid sitting out whilst the orchestra’s
playing or you’ll be heftily surcharged for
the recital of Lloyd Webber easy-listening
favourites.
Around the square, the Gran Caffé
Quadri and Caffé Lavena are further
famous old cafés, the last being a little
cheaper.
An impressive alternative is the Gritti
Palace Hotel’s Bar Longhi. Snug inside
with rich reds and period furniture, the
bar boasts its own fabulous private terrace jutting out into the Grand Canal.
Hotel Danieli, Riva degli Schiavoni 4196, Venice (vap.: S. Zaccaria).
t. +39 041 522 6480.
Restaurant prices: Budget: below £5, Modest: £5£10, Mid Price: £10-£15, Expensive: £15-25,
Premium: £25+; prices are for typical main course
at dinner. Prices are for guidance only, please check
locally for further details.
Caffé Florian, Piazza San Marco 56, Venice
(vap.: Vallaresso).
t. +39 041 520 5641
Dandolo Piano Bar (Danieli Hotel)
It’s worth the high prices to ogle your
amazing surroundings at the Danieli Hotel’s hyper-plush lobby piano bar. Seated
comfortably in a well-padded club-chair,
take in original Murano chandeliers high
overhead and walls adorned with Fortuny
silks. The space, originally a courtyard, is
a merchant prince’s dream with a fabulous balustraded 14th century staircase,
and gilded 18th century furnishings wherever you look. For what it’s worth, the
Dandolo claims to have concocted its
first Bellini whilst Harry was still in short
trousers.
18
Dandolo Piano Bar (Danieli Hotel).
St. Mark’s Square
and Doge’s Palace
Weekend planning
Weekend basics
Planning checklist
Break length
Off work
Flight (London)
Transfer
3 nights
2 days
2 hrs 10 mins
from 30 mins (watertaxi / waterbus)
Before departure you will need to arrange...
Time zone
Currency
Paperwork
UK+1
Euro (£1 = €1.27 approx.)
Passport (UK & Irish citizens)
To check prices and build your own weekend:
see www.weekendblueprint.com
Sample prices
Low: £278 per person (easyJet/
Pensione Accademia (Sept)).
• Flights (Thurs out, Sun back)
• Hotel (3 nights)
• Advance Purchase museum tickets
When to
High: £572 per person (BA/Hotel
Ca’ Pisani (July)).
go
5
0
30
Departures
Max/Min 20
Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Belfast,
Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester,
Nottingham EM, Dublin, Shannon
Temp. °C 10
0
6
Rain
(Inches)
0
Books & maps
Sunshine
Recd. Guide
R
Venice (Time Out Guide)
JULY 08 EDITION
Hours/day
12
6
0
Venice (Michelin Green Guide)
Recd. Guide
(Cultural Sights)
Recd. Map
3
J F M A M J
J A S O N D
Guidebook maps sufficient
19
Travel choices
For current best prices and to book, see www.weekendblueprint.com
Vaporetto
London departures
On arrival
EasyJet flies twice daily from Gatwick.
Alternatively, British Airways flies Gatwick to Venice
twice daily (up to 4 x daily summer), while bmi flies daily from
Heathrow. All of these airlines use the modern Venice Marco
Polo Airport on the edge of Venice lagoon (12 km from the
historic island city centre by road, 10 km across the water).
Ryanair flies 3 x daily from Stansted to Treviso airport (32
km inland from Venice, bus connecting with all flights takes
approx. 1 hr. to Venice’s Piazzale Roma).
Airport Transfer. Waterborne transfers from Marco Polo
airport are by public waterbus or (very expensive) water-taxi.
By land, there are express and local buses, as well as conventional taxis; but note that all forms of road-based transport
will only get you as far as the Piazzale Roma car parks on the
edge of the historic city—itself a waterbus or water-taxi ride
from your hotel (or long, difficult walk with luggage).
• Waterbus. Services are run every 30 mins by Alilaguna,
which operates two (blue and red) routes to various parts
of Venice via Murano and Venice Lido. Journey times
vary from 40 to 80 mins depending on the destination.
Tickets are sold in the arrivals hall. A courtesy bus shuttles
from the terminal to the landing stage every 5-10 mins.
London flight recommendations
LGW = Gatwick, LHR = Heathrow
From
EZY5263 LGW (S)
BA2582 LGW (N)
BD467
LHR (1)
Dept
08:00
07:30
11:05
Arr.
11:10
10:40
14:20
To
EZY5268 LGW (S)
BA2589 LGW (N)
BD468
LHR (1)
Dept
21:40
20:35
15:00
Arr.
22:45
21:50
16:20
Outbound to Venice (Thurs)
easyJet
BA
bmi
Return from Venice (Sun)
easyJet
BA
bmi
• Water-taxis. Available for hire within Venice and for
transport to and from Marco Polo airport. Services are
organised centrally by the Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia (t.
+39 041 5222303 and desk in airport arrivals hall). Except
from the airport, water-taxis must be booked in advance.
Journey times from the airport are from around 30 mins,
and have the advantage of, in many cases, being able to
take you directly to your hotel. Operators have a fairly
sharkish reputation, so be very clear on charges and extras
before setting off.
City Transport. Waterbuses (known variously as accelerati,
vaporetti or motoscafi) run regular services around the city’s rim,
up and down the Grand Canal and Canale di Cannaregio,
and to and from Giudecca, as well as to other islands in the
lagoon. Services are generally frequent (every 5-20 mins), but
you can still end up with a significant walk if your destination
is buried deep in the heart of the city. Pay-as-you go fares are
complex. The simplest solution is to buy 24 hour passes
(‘biglietti 24 ore’) as required—valid for almost all routes (not
airport), available from most boat docks and tabacconists.
Stamp to validate on first use.
Regional & Irish options
Belfast, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham EM, Dublin, and Shannon all have direct flights to
Venice—either Marco Polo or, in the case of Ryanair flights,
Treviso airport. Services are operated by easyJet, Jet2, Aer
Lingus and Ryanair. In addition, bmi offer through-ticketed
services (via Heathrow) from a wide range of regional airports
including Durham Tees, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Gondolas. Useless for getting around, inordinately expensive
(always negotiate in advance) and production-line tourism at
its most cynical. If you still want to set foot in a gondola, try
one of the short traghetti crossings across the Grand Canal
Carbon Offset
Round-trip CO2 emissions typically 200 kg pp. Offset cost
from £1.42 through the CarbonNeutral Company
(www.carbonneutral.com).
20
Miscellanea
Weekend Blueprint?
Who is A.B. Flint?
Weekend Blueprint is a small and enthusiastic business designing boutique, ready-planned weekends for travellers to book
for themselves using leading online travel agencies and other
best-value suppliers. The service saves time and money, and
offers a growing range of extraordinary short break experiences.
Some people love cars, others horses, a few even grow marrows. For me, it’s travel – always has been, always will be. But
it’s not enough to go and come back. I need to tell the world
what’s out there: the smells, the sounds, the adventure. I also
want, in some small way, to help people understand other
cultures and, in doing so, perhaps to look again at their own.
(Go on a long enough journey and the strangest sight you’ll
see is your own homecoming front door: familiar but strange,
you’ll notice the number is crooked, but also see anew the
prettiness of the fanlight stained glass.)
In 25 years and more of travel I've been lucky enough to
savour some of the most intense experiences this planet has
to offer - whether searching out the Ark of the Covenant on
the dusty plains of Ethiopia, watching a jungle sun-rise over
Bohol’s Chocolate Hills or simply camping on the sands of
Britain’s remotest beach, I've loved it all. Along the way I've
explored around 90 countries on six continents and clocked
up over half a million miles on the road. The environment is
important, but so is travel's interchange of cultures, peoples
and ideas. Since 2006 I've carbon-offset all my flights, but I
will continue to set out.
I am a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and speak
French, Spanish, German and Russian. Home is a converted
village pub an hour from both Heathrow and Gatwick shared
with my wife and two young sons.
Hotel prices
Indicative prices per double room. (Based on standard room
unless our recommendation is for a specific alternative.)
Budget Below £60
Modest £60—£100
Mid Price £100—£140
Expensive £140—£200
Premium £200 +
Weekend Styles
Activity. Get out there and get involved. No prior experience required.
Discovery. Rekindle the explorer in you - culture, history,
natural wonders and pure travel.
Getaway. Leave the washing-up behind and grab an easygoing change of scenery away from home.
Hideaway. Magical places to stay. Shut out the world and
recharge mind, body and soul.
Alexander Flint
Liked this, why not try...
JULY 08 EDITION
21
A.B. FLINT
TRAVEL
DESIGN
SHORT BREAKS FOR INDEPENDENT TRAVELLERS

Venice First Time Weekend Blueprint (08)

Transcription

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