jane gifford's italian gourmet travel - veneto

a photographic travel guide to Italy

Italian Yellow Pages -  for  telephone numbers and maps to everything In the Veneto

Italian State Tourist Board - for all information

venice : venezia

I went to Venice the first time by accident ... it was mid summer and I had arrived a day early at Venice airport after working in Malcesine..... so I slipped in to Venice and was horrified. No wonder there is a mass exodus of Venetians at this time of year. Wall to wall tourists and hardly a word of Italian to be heard. Not for me I decided ...... I was wrong.

For me Venice is at its best from November to March. The weather is very often superb - clear blue skies dawn to dusk and no heat haze to block out the view of the snow-capped Dolomites on the horizon. I have only rarely seen the famed thick fogs so they have retained their romance for me. There will always be tourists in Venice - it is far too remarkable a place to ever be without them and the revenue is essential to Venice's upkeep. But in winter local residents do get a chance to feel at home in their beautiful city.

christmas in venice

Venice is a wonderful place to escape the relentless commercialism of a Christmas spent in the UK. It is also a time when Venetians get to reclaim their city and lagoon from mass tourism. You can easily distinguish the Venetians from the tourists - most wear as much fur as possible (I have even seen joggers with fur sweat bands round their head and wrists). A dog is a vital accessory and if you want to blend in with locals, always use a shoping trolley, never carrier bags! Christmas Eve is the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Everyone is off early to the Rialto Market or Chioggia for the best and freshest of fish and the town fills with the aroma of the seven fish dishes which are traditionally served today. After this it's Midnight Mass at Saint Mark's. Boxing Day, or more properly - Saint Stephen's Day - is the traditonal start of Carneval. Avoid the tacky carneval masks sold everywhere in town and head for Ca' del Sol on Fondamenta Osmarin (near the fabulous church of San Zaccaria) to see the true art of mask-making. The Doge traditionally held mass on Saint Stephen's Day in the Palladian Church on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore.

Ca' del Sol - masks and costumes for film, theatre and carneval

Castello, 4964, Fond. Osmarin tel: (+39) 041 528 5549

For exclusive four star accomodation hidden away in Castello  

The Liassidi Palace Hotel - Ponte dei Greci 3405  tel: (+39) 041 520 5658

On the canal close to the exquiste Greek Orthodox Church San Giorgio dei Greci  

To prepare typical Venetian food I recommend Tessa Kiros'  wonderful Venetian cookery book 'Venezia - food and dreams'  published by Murdoch Books

off the tourist trail  - cannaregio

Cannaregio is on the far western edge of Castello and my favorite part of the city of Venice. It's slightly off the tourist trail and easily possible to get lost trying to find it but this is part of the charm of Venice - you might be able to see where you want to head, but unless there is a bridge to lead you there you can end up walking a long way in the wrong direction and discovering many unplanned delights along the way. Cannaregio is home to the fabulously ornate public hospital - the Ospedale, the huge and awe-inspiring church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo - Zanipolo to the locals, loaded with precious works of art, and, my favourite, the tiny jewel box of a church - Santa Maria dei Miracoli. Closeby, the art bookshop on peaceful Campo S.Maria Nova is always worth a visit. 

Eating out in Venice in the tourist hotspots can be scandalously expensive. For a wide range of  excellent less extortionate typical Venetian cuisine in Cannaregio try:

Enoteca Boldrin di Loredano Sambo - typical Venetian cooking and large bar. 'Fast food'  with friendly , informal atmosphere tel: 041 52 37 859

Ostaria al Ponte  - on the bridge opposite Zanipolo.  Venetian cuisine. Tiny. Usually packed. Hugely popular with locals  - tel: 041 52 86 157

Ristorante al Paradiso Perduto - Fondamenta della Misericordia, 2540.  Warm atmosphere. Live Music. Open til late -  tel: 041 72 05 81

Hosteria al Vecio Bragosso -  traditional and delicious food on the main shopping street , Strada Nuova. Closed Monday  - tel: 041 52 37 277

Dogado Lounge - Strada Nuova.  - trendy bar-restaurant with DJ's and jazz concerts. Near Ca' D'Oro waterbus stop  Open til 4am   - tel: 041 520 8544

good accommodation in venice

is famously very expensive - especially with a water-front view. An excellent introduction to the city is from the water itself on board the M.S. Michelangelo with Voyages Jules Verne. There are trips all year round. It is full-board but you are only there or a few days, so I advise you to skip some meals. The crew are happy with this as long as you let them know. This gives you time to properly explore the backstreets of Venice and sample some of the excellent bars and eateries off the beaten track. They are packed with atmosphere and far less expensive than those on the usual tourist trail.

Voyages Jules Verne 'Venice from the Water'     tel: (0044) 020 7616 1000

 padua : padova

euganean hills : colli euganei 

much more to the veneto than venice

Throughout November 2009 the Italian Tourist Board (whose new slogan is Much More) in conjunction with the Veneto Tourist Board, Harrod's of Knightsbridge and the Italian Cultural Institute staged a major promotion to advertise the fact that there is much more to the Veneto Region than just Venice.  Fabio Capello championed the cause at Harrod's Veneto Event  coming himself from Vicenza and Chefs Marcantonio Sagramoso, Fabio Groppi and Duccio Orlandini prepared typical regional delicacies to accompany the continuous flow of prosecco

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 © Jane Gifford 2014