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Italy : Venice - November 2008 Country Code: Dial ++39 for Italy
By November the tide of tourists
fl ocking to Venice has receded
and the city takes on a delightful
misty air of unreality. It still
enjoys many sunny days, though,
when a pearly light suffuses the
lagoon. Roderick Conway Morris
savours the spectacle
Getting around
Marco Polo International Airport.
Taxi: A road taxi from the airport to Piazzale Roma costs about €30. A water taxi will cost approximately €90. Tourist information: The most helpful tourist office is the Venice Pavilion on the St Mark’s waterfront (tel. 041 529 8711, www.turismovenezia.it). Ferry: Alilaguna ferries go from the airport to Piazza San Marco for €12 (or €25 for the fast, direct service on the Alilaguna Oro). Alternatively, buses cost €3 and stop at Piazzale Roma, opposite the train station. From here, hop on a vaporetto (water bus) to your hotel. One ticket costs €6. The 24-hour pass costs €15.
SAN MARCO
Saint Mark’s Square is the epicentre
of Venice and sometimes intolerably
crowded in high season. But at this
time of year, an evening stroll through
the piazza and a visit to Florian’s, its
most ancient café, can transport you
back to the way it once was.
Sleep soundly – Hotel Monaco &
Grand Canal has an impressive,
spacious interior and a restaurant with
fantastic views over the Grand Canal.
Culture vultures – The special autumn
exhibition at the Correr Civic Museum
(Piazza San Marco) features
wonderfully atmospheric canvases of
Venice by day and by night from the
Austrian artist Eduard Angeli.
Shop til you drop – Michel Paciello
travels the world in search of the
marvellous beads and jewellery that fill
his shop Parapamiso (1701 Frezzeria,
San Marco), alongside examples of
Venice’s own bead-making tradition.
CANNAREGIO
The long Misericordia canal that runs
through here is lined with trattorias
and late-night bars. It also passes by
the edge of the old Jewish Ghetto
Must eat – Picturesque family trattoria
Vini da Gigio (3628/A Fondamenta
San Felice, Cannaregio. tel. 041 528
5140) is a favourite with discriminating
locals and visitors alike, and has a great
selection of wines.
DORSODURO
Built on an unusually (for Venice) solid
spit of land running westwards from
the Old Customs House point at the
mouth of the Grand Canal, the name
of this district literally means ‘hard
back’. The scene varies from the
hushed streets around the Salute
church – which are temporarily filled
with Venetians on and around 21
November for the annual thanksgiving
festival – to the lively late-night bars
and cafés of Campo Santa Margherita.
Culture vultures – This is a good time
of year to visit the Accademia Gallery
(1050 Campo de la Carità). Stuffed with
masterpieces by the Bellinis, Giorgione,
Titian, Tintoretto and others, it’s not
overwhelming large, but the ratio of
quality to quantity is exceptional.
Shop til you drop – Norelene (727
Calle de la Chiesa), Helene
Kuhn Ferruzzi’s little
shop, near the
Peggy Guggenheim
Collection of
modern art (Palazzo
Venier dei Leoni), has become a mecca for those in search of
vibrant hand-painted scarves, wallhangings
and fabrics.
CASTELLO
Venice’s ‘East End’, Castello has a
walkable/joggable waterfront that
stretches from near Saint Mark’s
Square, passing the Arsenale, all the
way to the island of Sant’Elena with
its wooded park of umbrella pines.
Sleep soundly – A welcoming haven
near Saint Mark’s Square, Hotel
Metropole (4149 Riva degli Schiavoni,
Castello, tel. 041 520 5044,
hotelmetropole.com, rooms from €200)
is one of the last family-run grand
hotels, with cosy spaces to relax in and
a Michelin-starred restaurant with an
adventurous chef and reasonable prices.
Must eat – An intimate local with
friendly service, Testiere (5801 Calle del
Mondo Novo, Castello, tel. 041 522
7220) is tiny, so you should book to
secure a table. It specialises in fish
dishes made from only the freshest
products and given imaginative twists
Compiled by Roderick Conway Morris
Previous issues for Venice
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