Useful tidbits about Venice....

Everything in Venice is magical. Whether you visit the daily morning fruit and vegetable markets, seafood markets, pasta shops, meat shops, or grab a ride on a famous Ventian gondola.

Quick Tips:

Venice is a lovely city. Enjoy your stay there, but don't get too caught up in the tourist attractions and tourist traps. Every second store sells Venetian glass, which is most likely going to break, unless you hold it on your lap during the plane ride home! Every store, beside the glass stores, are Venetian mask stores! Shopping is good in Venice, but it is repetitive, and you may have to search around for some unique tourist shops.

Personally, I would recommend searching around for a local charcoal artist, who can whip up a lovely picture of the Rialto Bridge, and gondolas, for about USD( CAN) This is definitely a good, vivid memory of Venice. I bought one myself, and I'm very, very glad I did.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walk. Walk. Well, that's about all you can do in Venice. Try taking the bus over to Mestre, across the ocean, and see where the real Venetians live, in the urban city. When in Mestre, take a stroll around the city. You'll run into many Venetians, sitting in the park, or hanging around the gelataria's. One of the most memoriable moments for me, was walking along the streets with my brother. It was nice and hot, so we grabbed a gelato in a little store, and savoured the delicious treat. We walked for a while, and we were never bored. Little lizards hopped in front of us a few times, it was almost like a desert! And we were very fortunate to stay so close to the native Italians, who weren't trying to sell us anything! I loved it.

Even though this is a 5 star hotel, and quite expensive...it is definitely worth it. The rooms are very beautiful. Decorated in beautiful, textured wall paper, and classy Italian art. The pillows are topped with sweet chocolates, and there are complimentary items in the room, that are unsual to most Italian hotels such as bath salts, bars of soap, sewing sets, pens, postcards, bubble bath, and shampoo.

It's a nice, comfortable hotel, and is a fairly priced, especially compared to the other hotels nearby, which are just about the same price, but not nearly as nice. Don't be shocked by the price...Venice and cities nearby are pricey!

Right behind the hotel is a bus stop, ask the hotel staff, what bus number to take to Venice, and your off on a clean city bus, in the midst of lively Italians and urban landscapes. Venice is about 8 km away from Mestre. A continental breakfast is included (though bigger dishes, such as eggs, meats, are extra. Europeans have lighter breakfasts, and even though it may be smaller than normal, it is filling!).

For breakfast, there is fresh squeezed orange juice, which they make right in front of you! Traditional Italian cappicinos, strong, yet rich, and gentley marked with foam. Very good, and very Italian. There is really good cereal as well, with creamy milk, and fresh strawberries, it's a great start to any day. Breakfast was the best part of our stay. We were truly blown away by the large, rich breakfast layed out in the morning!

The market is open from Monday to Saturday 8:00am-12:00pm (Fish on Tuesday-Saturday)
I was told to go to the market by a lovely Italian lady at our hotel. You'll find this market full of Venetians, bustling with the days groceries. If you want delicious and vividly colored fruits and veggies that won't cost you an arm and a leg, arrive early.

Their seafood is fresh, often fished out of the Adriatic sea only hours ago. There is squid, fish, fresh anchovies, and things you wouldn't normally find in the seafood aisle of your local grocery store.

Grab an avacodo, and sit by the sea. They are nice and nutty, very creamy, and bright green - delicious! Or just walk around and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the Rialto Market.

Gondolas are definitley an essential experience to any Venetian holiday. Unless you get personal about being ripped off, you will get ripped off. But it is worth it.

They glide so gracefully, and float like a leaf along the top of the sea, tipping gently by any movement. You'll get used to the soft sound of the lapping waves against the sleek black wood, and the quiet tap of the drivers "steering stick" every so often.

A typical ride during the day, can cost about $62 USD, or $97 Canadian dollars. (Gasp, would you look at that horrible rate...) For that price, it's a 50 minute ride. Closer to the evening, it's more like $76-101 USD, or $120-161 CAN Dollars. For "musica" (singer and accordionist), it's an additional $87 USD($138 CAN ) in the day, and $96 USD( $153 CAN )in the evening. "Musica" is not necessary!!

We were surprised by the pizza in Venice. It may have been the wrong night, but I don't think so.

Pizza there is not like the western world. The crust is not fluffy, and quite boring. Of course, this is not typical for all Italian pizza. It was just flat, like a pita, except the bottom of it was slightly burnt. I just had a plain cheese pizza, with five different cheeses. It was quite an experience. There was blue cheese on the top, and even though I don't mind the taste, the burnt crust, and mold flavored cheese, did not mix well!

Just ask for a description about their pizza...and then see for yourself! Also, if you want a nice glass of coke with your pizza, check the price. I payed $4 USD ($6 CAN) for a glass of coke!!