Venice the Jewel of the Adriatic

A meal with a view!

Cips club at the Cipriani Venice.


Cips club is an Al fresco restaurant at the exclusive 5* Cipriani hotel & Palazzo Vendramin on the tiny island of Giudecca, opposite St.Marks Square in Venice.

The Cips club restaurant consists of two eating areas one inside and the other is on the water front on a wooden pontoon that is supposed to resemble the deck of a boat.

To reach the hotel you are picked up from St. Marks square in a small private motor launch and taken across the bay to the hotel and after alighting at the landing stage you have to walk through the beautifully kept gardens of the hotel to the quay side area facing Venice.

The view from here is absolutely fantastic and takes in the whole of St.Marks area plus the adjacent Island of San Giorgio Maggiore. There is plenty going on in the lagoon watching the water buses and various other boats to- ing and fro- ing. The ambiance is very romantic indeed. What was fascinating this evening was an almighty electrical storm which we watched whilst eating dinner. It was a natural spectacular show provided by Mother Nature costing nothing although I dare say that if the Cipriani could have charged for it they would have done!


The menu consists of mainly fish based dishes but there are some meat dishes for carnivores.

To start our meal we had to have the obligatory aperitif which was the Bellini.

The Cipriani serves the famous cocktail drink Bellini which was invented by Giuseppe Cipriani who started up Harry’s Bar in Venice somewhere between 1938 -1948. It consists of a dry sparkling white wine usually Prosecco and a peach puree is added. Sometimes a small amount of raspberry is added to give the drink a pink glow. It is quite a refreshing and a very moreish drink.


Not being a lover of fish unless it’s got a battered overcoat on (Call me a philistine if you wish) I ended up choosing Sole as a starter which I thought would be the lesser evil of the rest of the starters. It was quite nice and was served with raisins, pine nuts, sweet onion in a white wine sauce and grilled croûtons of polenta.
To me it tasted quite bland and there was not too much of a fishy taste to it thankfully. It was also overwhelmed by the onions but I do like onions so I was fairly happy with it. At £28 quid though it was very disappointing

For the main course I chose Veal escalope with lamb tongue salad leaves and baby tomatoes. The portion was absolutely massive and it covered the plate but then having had the life battered out of it, a little meat goes a long way. It was quite tender but again disappointingly bland. Absolutely nothing remarkable about it at all and for nearly £50 quid I would have thought it would have been a bit more exciting.

The dessert I chose was panna cotta which was delicious, so smooth and tasty, light and quite sweet. It finished off the meal quite nicely but at £17 quid a throw that was definitely not value for money.

The service was efficient and unobtrusive but I would not have said it was the best service I have ever experienced in a restaurant especially one that was supposed to have been highly rated and the bees knees.

Now for the outrageous bit!

For this little meal it came to over £300 for two.



Would I recommend it?

Yes if you are looking for somewhere really special to dine for a special occasion in a truly romantic setting with an unsurpassed view of Venice and don’t mind being taken for £300+. However that being said I would have been more than happy to have sat with a nice bag of golden battered fish and chips with lashings of vinegar on the side of the quay watching the comings and going of Venice. Common or what!

Was it value for money?

Well I would have to say absolutely no to that because of the standard of food which I believe was of below average standard, bland and certainly not spectacular or memorable by any means with the exception of the view and whom I was with.

No if you are on a shoe string holiday.

Reportedly the Cipriani is one of the top 20 hotels in the world but I would not rate the restaurant in the top 20.

The web site can be found as follows:-

http://www.hotelcipriani.com/web/ocip/hotel_cipriani.jsp

Palazzo Ducale or the Doges palace.

The Doge’s Palace is one of the most beautiful and famous palaces not only in Venice but in the world and is situated along the water front near St. Marks square next to the ornate Byzantine Basilica of St. Mark.

The palace used to house the Doge of Venice who was a life long elected Duke elected by the aristocracy of Venice to oversee the running of Venice. He was a very powerful figure in the city and also acted as a magistrate. Once the duke was elected he had to live by law in the palace for the rest of his life until he died. The position of Duke goes back to 700 AD and the last Doge of Venice was Ludovico Manin who was forced to abdicate when Venice was conquered by Napoleon in 1797.


The palace is a massive complex of buildings with a very beautiful white façade one looking over the bay of St, Mark and the other onto St. Marks square. The façade looks like it is piped icing sugar as it is very intricate and ornate. It was here that the council of Venice met and ruled the Republic of Venice. The council would oversee laws and regulations and the Doges palace was the seat of power.

Due to the possibility of corruption all the mail for the Doge was opened and read first by someone else then by him to protect against corruption. Interestingly the 55th Doge plotted a coup and declared himself a Prince. He was subsequently beheaded and his body mutilated. All records of him were destroyed as if he never existed and was condemned to damnation. There are paintings on the wall of all the Dukes but there is no such painting of the 55th Duke instead where the painting of him should be is covered by a black veil.

The Doge was a very powerful man and acted as chief magistrate. Criminals convicted of an offence were sent to the dungeon prison next to the palace. They used to have to go to reach the prison was over a small bridge which became known as the bridge of sighs as this would be the last view the prisoner would have of Venice through the tiny windows. Many would stop and sigh hence the name.


The rooms in the palace include massive chambers where the council would meet and where entertainment of visiting dignitaries took place. Not only was it a working palace but also the Doges official residence. The building is very ostentatious and beautifully decorated. There are inner courtyards and covered corridors and balconies overlooking the central courtyard and also out over the Bay and square.

The rooms are magnificently decorated with art not only on the walls but the ceilings too. There was a lot of gilded woodwork throughout the building and there are many ornate antiques which are absolutely stunning. I know in my description I am probably not doing it any favours but you would need to visit and see it for yourself as it is absolutely one of the most beautiful palaces I have ever seen. At times parts of the palace may be closed for restoration work which is a shame but vital to save this beautiful example of mans talents.

There has been a building on the cite from the 9th century and it has also been unfortunate to have been burnt down when the building was mainly constructed of wood. It wasn’t until the 13th Century that the building we know of today took shape in its current form.

You first enter the palace through the doorway facing the bay and you are lead into a large courtyard. Looking around this magnificent courtyard adorned with marble statues and fountains. You can see that the building was not constructed all at one go and there are different styles. Each Doge tried to make the Palace more beautiful by stamping his own ideas on the palace by building and refurbishing it. There are some wonderful views of St, Marks Basilica from here and even better from the higher floors. Just before the ascending staircase there is a small wooden black gondolier used exclusively by the Doge. It had a small covered boxed in seat for him to sit on.


There was some pomp and ceremonial circumstances involving the Doge. Under his hat he wore a smaller cap and a new one would be made every week for him by nuns in the city. A parade would leave the palace and the doge would walk to the convent to pick up his new cap. Another ceremony that still takes place today once a year it involves the throwing of a ring into the lagoon by the Doge.


There is a marvellous staircase that will take you up to the private apartments of the Doge and the impressively decorated chambers and antechambers where the Doge and the council would meet dignitaries. One of the staircases is named the Scala d’Oro which is the Golden staircase ornately adorned in gold leaf. There are displays of precious art works and an armoury of weapons used throughout the centuries.

The largest chamber in the palace is the Sala Maggior Consiglio where the council would meet. It is absolutely huge measuring over 170 feet long adorned all the way round with beautiful frescos both on the walls and ceilings. It takes up the whole of the lagoon side of the building. It is absolutely stunning and it is worth while sitting on the side of the massive chamber taking in the sights of the frescos and the shear vastness of this massive hall. On the back wall there is the world’s largest oil on canvas painting by Tintoretto which replaced works of art by Bellini, Titian and others destroyed in the fire.

There is a small dais on which the Doge would sit and accompanied by senior courtiers in session being the chief magistrate of Venice. From here he would hear criminal cases before going on to council business. Convicted prisoners would be led out across the Bridge of Sighs to their prison cell either in the basement prison or in the rafters.


Sadly over the years the palace has suffered with fires one started deliberately to kill one of the Doges and his sons who were corrupt and made the citizens of Venice extremely angry. Life was not always pleasant for the Doge some had been assassinated and murdered by others who were either jealous or who wanted to become Doge themselves.

The tour of the palace is self led and you exit via a magnificent staircase which leads you out to St. Marks square through the door named the Porta della Carta which literally means paper door. It was called the paper door because normal citizens were not permitted to enter the palace and had to post their petitions to the Doge on the door of the palace or hand them to one of the guards.


I would say that this is a compulsory visit for anyone visiting Venice as it will be the highlight of anyone’s trip to the city. The artwork is breath taking and perhaps on a scale never seen or experience before. I loved it so much and can not wait to go back to Venice to see it again.

The palace is open every day from 09:00 to 19:00 but to 17:00 from November to March. The only two days it is closed is Christmas Day and New Years day.

Prices of admission are 17 Euros but this ticket will allow you multiple entry for up to 9 months and also admission to the Museum Correro.

There are reductions for children and pensioners and children under 6 pay nothing.

The Palace Scala Contarini del Bovolo.

The Scala Contarini del Bovolo is a small Palace in Venice which is hidden away up a small alley known as the Calle della Vida near the Campo Manin. It was the palace of the Contarini family eight of whom became the Doge of Venice. The original palace was designed by Giovanni Candi in 1499.

The main attraction is the exceptionally unique staircase. The story goes that during the building of the palace which was near to completion the Contarini’s decided they wanted an extra staircase put in. This caused quite a headache for Giovanni Candi as it would have involved much work in trying to incorporate it into the palace.

The Contarini’s employed a second architect Giorgio Spavento and left it with him to get on with it as they were travelling abroad. On their return they were struck by the unusual staircase that had been added to the palace. It had been added to the outside of the building and consisted of a spiral staircase with arches spiralling up the outside of the building. The Contarini’s were impressed with it and named it the Scala Bovolo which translated means snail staircase as it looked like the shell of a snail.

The house is quite difficult to find but if you look quite carefully around the plaza Manin there are signs to it. I had read about it before going to Venice and found it eventually. You enter a small alley way which leads down to a very small courtyard. On the right you will see this magnificent building. Apparently the palace h ad been left to get into a state and needed quite a bit of renovation but the staircase remained intact. Unfortunately it was closed for repairs and renovation while we were there but apparently you can mount the stairs to the top of the building which affords magnificent views towards St. Marks Basilica and St. Marks Tower and also the other bell towers reaching up in the Venice sky line. There were apparently lovely frescos in the building but they were badly damaged through neglect. Although it was closed I was still thrilled to see this staircase as it is really beautiful and really pleasing on the eye.

There is a very small garden which contains a couple of wells that are older than the palace itself but there is not much else to see apart from the marvellous architecture of the building which is adorned with beautiful arches up the staircase and along the different floors of the palace.
I would definitely recommend you go and have a look at this place. Normally it is open between March and October between 10AM and 4 PM each day.

The Rialto Bridge.

Venice is a collection of small islands and in order to reach each of the islands small wooded bridges were built to help with crossing from one island to another. Apparently the wooden bridge that was originally built over the Grand Canal collapsed many times so a competition of famous architects was arranged to design a permanent bridge that would look beautiful and long lasting.

The Rialto Bridge known in Italian as the Ponte Di Rialto is in the centre of Venice on the Grand Canal which is the main canal that snakes its way through the heart of Venice. It is one of the largest and busiest canals in the city and runs from near the Piazza San Marco to the lagoon near the station. The Grand Canal is 2.36 miles long and is between 98 feet and 298 feet in width. It connects the Island of San Marco to the island of San Paulo which contained a large market still there today.

It was built in 1588 and took three years to build. The designer of the bridge was aptly named Antonio Da Ponte translated into English as Anthony of the Bridge. He competed against the likes of famous architects such as Michael Di Angelo and Palladio in the design of the bridge and he won. The bridge took three years to build and is supported by 12,000 wooden pilings which are still in place today.

It is only one of four bridges that cross the Grand Canal. The bridge is beautifully designed and straddles the canal. It is built of white stone and has a central arch. It is just over 75 feet wide, 24 feet high and the main span of the bridge measures just over 95 feet in length. There are three sets of steps two on the outer aspects of the bridge and a central set of steps with small shops on either side.

The Bridge looks absolutely majestic in the Venice sunshine and stands out defiant against the sceptics who said that it would never work and would collapse due to its ornate appearance. The bridge is surrounded by canal side restaurants that is ideal to sit beside the canal and have some lunch but the prices of the restaurants are over inflated and you would be much better off just viewing the bridge and eating in one of the many small trattoria’s in one of the nearby streets which would be much cheaper and probably better value for money.

There is a water bus stop at the Rialto Bridge if you are unsure of your map reading skills or wary of finding your way around although it is sign posted very well all over the island of San Marco and it is probably one of the most popular tourist sights in the city. Alternatively just follow the crowds if you are getting near to it as sometimes it is chock a block with people taking photos, crossing it or just standing looking and admiring it.

The volume of traffic that goes under it is nonstop as it is very much a working canal. Boats that traverse the canal include the water buses, working boats such as delivery boats delivering flowers, water, all kinds of food, bread, meats and cheeses, furniture, police, ambulances, fire brigade, tradesmen and water. There are gondoliers standing around the nearby canals that will relieve you of approximately £100 for a half hour gondolier ride which would take you under the bridge.


I think it is well worth a visit to the Rialto Bridge and after St. Marks square and the Doges palace it is probably one of the most popular tourist sites. I would recommend you visit the bridge on your trip to Venice. The shops on either side of the bridge sell the usual tourist tat but some of the shops do sell some nice Venetian masks, world famous Murano glass made on the neighbouring island of Murano and jewellery. Alas Italy is like other countries plagued by yobs and vandals who have desecrated the bridge with graffiti which is such a shame to have scarred one of the most historical bridges in the city. You can appreciate the beauty of the bridge both during the day and at night it is beautiful at any time of the day.

Hotel Al Ponte Altico. Venice.

The hotel Al Ponte Altico is a four star hotel in the centre of Venice. It is situated on the Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge and has spectacular views of the bridge from the balcony.

The hotel is part of a 15th century palace which has been lovingly restored by its current owner to its former glory. Each room is individually decorated in Louis XV period style elegance to a very high standard. There are only 9 rooms in the hotel which means that service is very personal and informal. The rooms contain the usual facilities such as minibar, Wi-Fi access, although we did not use it on this occasion, direct dial telephone, flat screen television and a superb bathroom with bidet and a multipoint shower. The bed was very comfortable.

On arrival at the hotel we were greeted by Oliver who made us most welcome and checked us in with the minimum of fuss. He then showed us around the superb hotel onto the veranda to see the magnificent sight of the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge. We were escorted to our room and shown the facilities and how everything worked. After a short rest and freshening up we went to the veranda for a drink where we were met by the hotels owner Matteo.

This guy is absolutely charming and extremely proud of his hotel. He told us a little of the history of the palace and also about his most unusual possession which was a coffee machine which took 9 months to make. This in itself is a piece of art. The coffee true to Mateo’s word tasted absolutely fantastic from his machine which looks like something out of chitty chitty bang bang, very scientific and definitely unique.

The bar come dining area is beautifully laid out and is tastefully decorated with fine art hanging on the walls and the original painted beamed ceiling is still evident and a pleasure to see. It is very cosy and a haven of peace and tranquillity. During the evening it is lit up with lots of candles.

We breakfasted on the small terrace with fantastic views of the Rialto Bridge and watched the comings and goings of the Grand Canal. Watching the water buses shuttling people around Venice, delivery boats, post deliveries etc and Gondolas being manoeuvred by the gondoliers under the Rialto Bridge.

The breakfast was very extensive and expansive to the waist line I might add. Matteo actually prepared the omelettes or pancakes himself and they were beautifully presented. There was a wide range of cereals, fruits, dry fruits, breads, pastries, cold meats, cheese, and a hot plate plus copious amounts of coffee.

The hotel was extremely comfortable and it was very welcoming to get into the air-conditioned rooms and out of the humidity after walking around Venice all day. All the staff introduced themselves by name and knew our names and greeted us by name too. They were very knowledgeable about Venice and offered all kinds of useful and helpful advice on where to go, what to see and importantly what not to miss.

The hotel is not cheap from 290 Euros per night but is worth every penny for the very pleasant personal service and quality of the hotel and the spectacular view of the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge.


How to get there.

From the airport take the hourly Alilaguna shuttle boat Arancio line to the Rialto Bridge and it is a short five minute walk from the water bus stop.

If arriving in Venice by train or car take the water bus line 2 again alighting at the Rialto Bridge.

If arriving by water taxi the hotel has a private landing stage right on the Grand Canal however at £95 one way from the airport is a bit too expensive.

The hotel is situated at the end of an alley and could easily be missed but opposite the alley there is a fantastic cake and sweet shop which made it so was very easy to find once located.

The address and contact details are as follows.

Al Ponte Antico Hotel.
Calle dell’ Asseo,
Carnnergio 5768
30131 Venice.
Italy.
Tel:- 390412411944
Fax:- 390412411828

Website


http://www.alponteantico.com/en/index.htm


My opinion of the hotel.


The hotel was extremely comfortable and homely. The welcome received from not only Mateo but all the staff was very touching and we were treated like friends and not just guests.

Would I recommend this hotel to others?

ABSOLUTELY.

It is a four star hotel with 6 Star service and has been voted as one of the top ten hotels in Europe for service.

After what was a fantastic flight to Venice with ample supplies of Champagne we arrived at Marco Polo international airport. Following which we had to get ourselves into Venice.

From Venice airport there are a number of options to take you into Venice.

1.The bus.
2.A taxi which will only take you part of the way and drop you off near the station but then it would be quite a walk to the hotel or by connecting to the local water bus service serving the whole of Venice.
3.A water bus known as Alilaguna which leaves directly from the airport into Venice via four different routes depending where you are staying. 13 Euros each way or 25 Euros return. All routes end or pass St. Marks Square.
4.A water taxi at the princely sum of 95 Euros each way is obtainable next to the Alilaguna water bus pick up point and can take you directly to your hotel if it is on one of the canals. This is the fastest option but certainly not the cheapest.


We had opted for number 3 which was fairly reasonable bearing in mind that it took approximately an hour to get from the airport to the Rialto Bridge water bus stop. It was quite a fun ride across the designated bus/taxi route. Taxis speed past the water bus and despite the buses slowing down we were thrown about a bit by the wash they left behind. It was actually good fun. We alighted at the Rialto Bridge and quickly found our hotel which was in view of the bridge.
After a quick shower and a half hour snooze and following a spritzer on the balcony of the hotel we headed off for a little exploring.

We crossed the Rialto bridge which is quite a spectacular sight in itself which would be even more spectacular minus the graffiti, with little souvenir shops over the bridge and then we explored the local area around here. Venice is such a spectacular magical place and exploring the little alleyways and streets with fantastic sights coming into view at every turn. It is absolutely amazing and fascinating and we spent a couple of hours just walking around and finding new vistas to photograph and admire.

Some of the sights are absolutely breath taking and unbelievably personal and sights to behold. I loved the little streets and to see how Venetians normal daily life continues on these tiny little islands surrounded by canals and waterways. The beauty of the buildings and the architecture is absolutely wonderful and leads to all kinds of emotive feelings.

As time was getting on we headed back to the hotel to change for dinner and headed out again for St. Marks Square. Oops did I forget to mention liquid refreshment before we headed off . A review of where we had dinner at Cips club Cipriani hotel will follow.

The sky line is absolutely wonderful both in the day and at night. Church towers and domes rising up into the sky and beautiful buildings such as theatres and opera houses and palaces are absolutely amazing on the eye. St. Marks tower, St. Marks square, the Basilica of St. Mark and the Doges palace not to mention the water front! St. Mark’s area is the hub of Venice and it would be criminal not to visit this wonderful square.

The shops selling locally produced Venetian glass on the island of Murano all in different colours and hues, hand made masks and all kinds of Italian delicacies. The cafes and trattoria’s and most of all the tiny alley ways leading to new vistas and of course the canals are wonderful. There are lots of hotels and palaces and art gallery’s to lose yourself in.

The Grand Canal is wonderful to traverse on one of the vaparetto (public buses) and you can hop on and off at various stops along its route. However be aware that the cafes that line the canal charge extortionate rates whereas by nipping into the next road back your meals and drinks will be much cheaper. The canal is lined by magnificent palaces and the decorative exteriors are well worth seeing.

One of the most impressive places to see was the 'Scala Contarini del Bovolo' which is a small palace building down a little alley way which has a circular staircase built on the outside of the building. This amazing building was built in 1499 can you believe and it is practically unheard of or missed due to its location. It is not too far from St. Marks square but is within the area of the plaza Mannin down a few side streets and at the end of a tiny alley. Sadly the stair case was closed but apparently one can get absolutely fabulous views of Venice from the top. Bovolo by the way means snail.

The story goes that the person who owned the palace asked the builder to build him a staircase after the palace was practically finished. He went away and left the builder to it. Instead of wrecking the place to put in the staircase the builder decided to build the staircase on the outside of the building resulting in this magnificent wonder.

Despite the over priced Gondoliers plying their trade many of them were idle I suspect because of their pricing. They were hanging around the bridges waiting for tourists to take a ride. I tend to think of them as being a bit too touristy and a half hour trip on one can cost approximately 100 Euros. I think it is hardly worth it in my humble opinion, unless of course, you are heavily into tackiness. I think it is essential to haggle and perhaps you will get it a bit cheaper. I never heard one Gondolier sing at all and there were many just standing around on the bridges waiting for customers to be mugged of another 100 Euros. I will never forgive Walls for their interpretation of O Sole Mio it was like a blooming brain worm never far from ones mind when seeing the gondolas on the canals.

Venice is an incredibly expensive place around the touristy areas but wander off down the side streets and alley ways to find wonderful trattoria’s for delightful tasty food for at least half the price. It is such a magical and unique place like nothing else on earth. Nothing compares to Venice. You hear of places such as Bruges and Amsterdam being the Venice of the north…. Nothing could be further from the truth. Venice is a one off. Although we were only there for less than 48 hours it certainly gave me an incentive to go back and explore more.

During the day time thousands of tourists flock to Venice and it does tend to get rather crowded. Although I thought it would be awful with so many tourists’ coming there but it adds to the charm and interest of Venice. After about 5PM when all the tourists desert the tiny Island it is much more pleasurable to wonder around although it is still quite packed. After all Venice is a living and working city although I suspect approximately 85% of people are tourists.


How to get to Venice?

There are many airlines flying direct from the UK from regional airports and main airports. BA with whom we flew fly from Gatwick with approx 3-4 flights a day and also their main hub at Heathrow but only once a day. Other airlines flying direct to Marco polo international airport include Easy jet. I believe Ryan air fly to as they call it Venice but in reality it is not it is at Treviso and is about 19 miles from Venice.

Venice is also a starting point for quite a few Mediterranean cruises and the cruise terminal and the massive cruisers can be seen for quite a distance. If I were ever to go on a cruise that departed from Venice I would definitely opt to stay in Venice for a few days prior to the cruise.


In summary Venice is an absolutely beautiful city and I would highly recommend you visit it at least once to explore all it has to offer. Be prepared for the expense and lots of walking but you will reap your rewards with the delightful sights and delicious foods and the magical feeling of Venice.

Another tick off my bucket list.

I am hooked now and can not wait to go back.

Thanks for your patience in reading this review I hope it has been helpful to you and encourages you to visit.