Tag: Food

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Milan, Italy – Da Vinci Revisited

On our return trip from Romania, we took a few days from the 22nd to the 24th of September, to stay in Milan with our sons. The point was to relax a bit, before they took their return flight from Malpensa Airport back to the States, and to see a few of the sights. We were lucky enough this time to have had the luxury of purchasing tickets. That is, within six months of their use, in order to visit Da Vinci’s Last Supper and Crucifixion, two works by him that are the most difficult to see. Luckily, few people for various reasons are able to travel or visit these works now, making access to them more readily available. So we jumped at that chance when we saw tickets were in fact available.

Milan – Museum Cenacolo Vinciano – Tickets For Two

I am not going to comment on Da Vinci’s work, but let his masterpieces speak for themselves.

Hotel Manzoni

Located in Milan’s Quadrilatero Della Moda section, this four star hotel can be found on Via Santo Spirito. Both outside and inside are quite compact and very well kept. There is a bellman to help with luggage and front desk that is occupied around the clock.

Our rooms were suites and rather spacious for being in the historic part of Milan. Most floors are decorated in marble with tastefully chosen chandeliers, some of which are from Murano.

Museum Cenacolo Vinciano

The museum is located in Piazza di Santa Marie della Grazie and contains the works of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper and Crucifixion.

Da Vinci’s Last Supper

Da Vinci’s Crucifixion

Legend:

  1. Christ
  2. Tito
  3. Dimaco
  4. St. Vincent Ferrer
  5. Ludovico il Moro
  6. St. Peter Martyr
  7. Virgin Mary
  8. St. Dominic
  9. Mary Magdalene
  10. St. Thomas Aquinas
  11. St. John
  12. St. Catherin of Siena
  13. Beatrice d’Este
  14. St. Maragaret of Hungary

Restaurants

Near Hotel Manzoni are several very good restaurants, as is per usual in most Quadrilateral sections of Italian cities. Since we did not have a lot of time to spend in Milan, the below two were identified and chosen based on customer reviews and not necessarily the most common ones used on the internet. Anyone visiting should expect the prices to reflect the food and the historic area they are in. Complaining about prices, when you probably should be eating street pizza, is just a waste of your time and money.

Il Salumaio Di Montenapoleone

Though it receives only a mid four star rating on one site in the internet, that should not deter anyone from visiting. Keep in mind, that if you are from a country like the U.S. or one similar to it from Europe, service times are not the same in Italy and may not match your expectations. Service usually takes around two hours, especially if you order wine and any other extras, but it is first rate. Dress is casual and the food and service are excellent.

Ristorante Bice

Also known as Da Gino e Bice (from Gino and Beatrice) or just Bice, this Tuscan inspired restaurant has been a mainstay of Milan cuisine for more than a century. The restaurant’s upscale interior matches its food. It is also situated in Montanapoleone on Via Borgospesso and a short walk from our hotel.

This restaurant has an excellent menu and wine list, though upon further inspection I found the wine list needing a bit of an update in the Barolo section. But we found an acceptable one nonetheless. Again, being in a very trendy area where Fendi, Prada and other stores are located, the prices reflect the location and the menu’s quality.

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BuÅŸteni, Romania – Ericka & Gabi’s Wedding – Castle Cantacuzino

On the 18th of September our daughter Ericka Rose wed Gabriel at the Castle Cantacuzino in BuÅŸteni, Romania. Guests from the United States, Germany and Romania traveled for the occasion. We had a great time, the castle and other contractors did a wonderful job. Here are some slide shows to celebrate their wedding.

The Preparation

The Ceremony

The Cocktail Hour

The Reception

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Buşteni, Romania – Carpathian Fresh Air

BuÅŸteni, a small town nestled in the virtual center of Romania, sits below the Bucegi Range on the edge of the Carpathian Mountains and therefore enjoys the cool fresh air of the north, unlike the towns and cities south of it.

On the day we arrived in preparation for our daughter’s wedding, it was a bit cloudy and sprinkled a bit. We totally ignored this in the hope that the weather would improve and she would have a nice wedding day, a hope that would turn out to be very prescient.

The above photograph was taken on the 17th of September, the day of our arrival to the castle.

BuÅŸteni is located in Prahova county, Romania; named after the local industry in which tree logs are harvested for the timber industry. Until recently, this was the only industry in this particular town, until several ski resorts were built and some of the local castles were restored. It is now a very active tourist destination, having many points of interests to warrant travel all year round.

The mountain range is on the southern most tip of the Carpathian Range and the tallest peak, Mount Caraiman, is in excess of seven thousand feet.

Buşteni – The Town

There is actually not much to the town itself, aside from a strip of N60 which runs north to south directly through it. This is the same road which takes you south to Bucharest and Otopeni Airport.

The Prahova River runs alongside the town as well as a line of the Romanian Railroad. Since any traffic is restricted to the N60 running north to south, traffic can be problematic at times, especially during rush hour. This can be exacerbated by construction and the occasional train coming through town.

Castle Cantacuzino

The castle is a fully renovated and a privately run venue that hosts weddings and other large occasions. It is able to provide these functions with a villa, a small lodge (known as the Hunter’s Lodge) and a very good restaurant and bistro.

The villa is integrated into the castle proper and has immediate access to the grounds, castle and restaurant. Ericka and Gabi chose this as their apartment during the wedding, which made all the arrangements and coordination much easier; more on their wedding in the next edition of this blog.

Restaurants

Casa Magica

A Romanian restaurant hidden on the back streets of Buşteni which has good food is Casa Magica. It is frequented by locals and Romanian tourist who obviously seek it out. Gabi and his brother–in–law were able to pick this establishment out while investigating places to eat in this area. It has a good variety of food at very reasonable prices.

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Dreieichenhain, Germany – Fachwerkhaüser Allesamt

I considered a title in English, however none appeared fitting to me, or at least to my ear. The above essentially translates to Timbered Houses All or all of them. Most, if not all (I didn’t take a census) are built in this style, at least within confines of the ring wall.

Half-Timbered House – Dreieichenhain, Germany

The exemplary example shows all the features of a timbered or half-timbered house in this region of Germany. In fact, Dreieichenhain lays on a three thousand kilometer (appr. 1800 miles) long Deutschen Fachwerkstraße of timbered framed houses in Germany. This virtual road runs through Niedersachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Hessen, Thüringen, Bayern and Baden-Württemburg. This town lays on the portion from the Rhine to the Main and Odenwald.

As you walk along the Fahrgasse, the main street in Dreieichenhain, there are several signs explaining the history and method of this type of construction. In typical German fashion, each timber has its own name and in many cases they may have multiple names, depending on their actual purpose.

These include the Rähm or Rähmbalken for the top beams and Schwelle or Grundschwelle for the beams located on the bottom. Echpfosten, Eckstiel and Eckständer may all be used as names for the column posts used for the corners of the buildings.

Here are some additional examples of this construction practice, which many tourist find to represent the idyllic German town. All of them have very restrictive auto and driving rules, many of which require you to park outside the town and walk in. Though we parked outside the town and walked in, the walk was rather short, even though there were two small traffic circles that we had to walk through. While doing so we discovered the town also has its own parking area a few hundred meters from one of the town gates.

The Untertor Gate – Dreieichenhain

Aside from the interesting houses the town is surrounded by the typical Roman wall. This wall has only three gates, through which anyone approaching or leaving the town must pass. The rest of the wall is sparsely populated by lookout towers. The wall is also supplemented and takes advantages of some the buildings in the town to supply part of its construction. For example the church and several stone buildings that were incorporated and included in the wall in order to remain part of the town proper.

The Ruins

Near the Untertur entrance are the ruins of the Burg, or castle, which was rather small, but probably adequate for a town of this size.

The Castle Ruins – Church In The Background – Dreieichenhain

The castle has had a lot of work on it to stabilize its structure and to make it safe for tourists to enter. There is not much to see, but you can enter the ruins and discover the old main hall chimney and other construction items of interest.

Ericka And Patti – Dreieichenhain Castle – Dreieichenhain, Germany – August 2021

Below is another view from outside the ruins and one of the main hall with chimney.

Restaurants

La Table

Though actually a restaurant, it appears as a rather quaint little boutique coffee shop that sells amazing cakes and desserts. We stopped at La Table for some refreshment, after we had completely discovered what this little town had to offer, and what the local weather kind of forced us into sitting under some kind of cover. Our attempt to sit outside under the coffee shop’s awning was dashed, when what started out as a shower turned into a full blown thunderstorm. We persisted in our belief, along with another cute little old lady from town, that we would be able to sit it out under the awning. But soon enough it rained harder and harder and then the wind picked up and drove us all inside.

Gabi And Ericka – La Table – Dreieichenhain, Germany – August 2021

Luckily, most of the other guest had been driven home by the inclement weather so there was plenty of seating for the rest of us inside, including the little old lady who turned out to be quite the chatterbox. So we ordered up some glasses of Martini Rosso, Prosecco, and hot chocolates along with some cake and had a nice little Kaffeepause out of the rain and eventually hail.

The Burgweiher – Dreieichenhain, Germany

Above a parting shot of the castle’s water source from the nice little town of Dreieichenhain on the Deutschen Fachwerkstraße.

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Annecy, France – The City Of Canals

Annecy – From The Chateau – August 2021

Arrival In The Rain

We started our travels knowing well that we were headed into bad weather. The rain storm that had been predicted for a few days arrived with a wall of thunderstorms and a strong front of rain. No matter, we spent the major portion of our morning traveling from Turin to Chambry and then to Annecy by train.

Train Ride From Turin To Chambry – August 2021

Being delayed a bit in Modane, France by the French authorities, who by the way did a thorough check of everyone’s passports and vaccination status before we were allowed to move on (at least someone is paying attention), we missed our local train in Chambry to Annecy. But that was no big deal and forced us to sit at a cafe there for an hour and have a coffee and a small bite to eat.

We later arrived in Annecy around lunchtime and into our hotel between downpours, so we only experienced a few drops on our stroll across Verdun Square to the Carlton Best Western where we are staying. A newly renovated modern facility which appears adequate for a four star hotel, though it shows some signs of lack of maintenance here and there (just stupid things I would notice.)

Patti On The Quai Madame De Warens – Annecy – August 2021

The city of course was obviously built around the power of the water the pours out of Lake Annecy via the Thiou River. This river is divided by a network of sluices and other diversions for use by the prior residents in numerous ways. There are numerous artifacts along the Quias were used to stop and gather the water for redirection towards mills and perhaps other structures that no longer exist. At least one large canal still exists, the Canal du Vasse, which today is primarily used solely by the park and some boat rental concerns.

Historic Center

The historic center consists of less than a square kilometer of land and buildings, all concentrated around the mouth of the River Thiou and the Canal Le Vassé.

River Thiou – Quai Perriere – Annecy – August 2021

The chaotic nature of the city belies its origins in time, owing to the many narrow side streets and other small venues.

The town has a noteworthy palace and a chateau that has been converted to a museum at the top of the one hill off-center of town. The palace is peculiar, in that it exists on the one small island in the middle of the River Thiou.

Palais de L’Isle – River Thiou – Annecy – August 2021

Les Musées d’Annecy

The museums of Annecy are few and for the most part only in French. We purchased our Tickets for Two for the Chateau Museum, if only to see the views. But also with the hope that there would be something of interest inside that we might learn. There was but unfortunately it was only lightly covered by signs with minimal English. So if you visit one of these museums an Optical Character Recognition application must be used to auto-translate any placards or signs if you hope to learn anything at all, in the case you only know limited French.

Tickets For Two – Annecy – August 2021

We actually visited two museums of this group, the Musée-Chateau and the Musée du Film d’Animation. The first holds most of the original artifacts of the chateau, including old chests and some period paintings (including an amazing portrait of the 1858 Donati’s Comet). The second is a French specific museum of film animation of which I could not think of a single example or contribution to non-European film art, hence most of this art remains unknown to many outside this country.

Restaurants

Le Lilas Rose

Le Lilas Rose – Annecy – August 2021

After a short rest, in order to miss the rain that had been following us and started falling, we went out for dinner. Not far from our hotel we found the cute little restaurant Le Lilas Rose which features simple fare from the region of the Haute-Savoie.

Erick’s Chacutierie Plate – Le Lilas Rose – August 2021

I chose the Chacutierie plate, which included an assortment of Parma ham and other dried meat along with potatoes, pickles, cheeses and salad. Paired with a very good Côtes du Rhone and local bread, it made for a very good dinner.

Les Caves Du Chateau

A small and indistinct destination on your culinary adventure here, may take you to The Caves, or Les Caves De Chateau. Though we had actually known about it and marked it down as one possible place to visit, we happened upon by pure accident. It is situated in such a way coming down the Rpe Du Chateau, that it can be easily missed. We decided to stop initially to try the wine, since their list of local and French wine is impressive, and ended up staying for lunch, or déjeuner as they refer to it here.

Les Caves Du Chateau – Annecy – August 2021

Patti tried a local Rosé and I sampled a Paulliac – Les Fleurs des Haute-Bages and a St. Estephe – Cos de Labory, all very excellent choices.

For our meal we had the Charcuterie Board with a large selection of local cheeses, dried meat, pickles and other delights. A small but filling start to our afternoon walk.

Ô Savoyard

On our second evening we made reservations at the Ô Savoyard, a mix of local tradition and tourist hot spot. We arrived early and were able to acquire an excellent table outside away from most people, a necessary precaution when eating out during these times of Covid.

Ô Savoyard – Traditional Savoie Cuisine – August 2021

For my main dish I ordered the traditional Tartiflette special of the restaurant. This is a skillet dish with potatoes, diced bacon or pancetta, with melted wedges of local cheese covering it in a special sauce. For any potato lover it should be the go-to dish in Savoie.

I ordered a nice red wine from the Savoie region made from the Mondeuse Noire grape. A dry, fruity and well rounded wine reminiscent of a young and immature Pinot Noir, I found it a real surprise and very enjoyable.  The Chartreuse Verte was surprisingly very herbal and more a digestive than the typical liquer that one might expect.  There is also a common local variety called Génépi, which the locals make from herbs and plants that they know, some of which is sold and can be sampled at restaurants.

Auberge du Lyonnais

The hotel on the banks of the River Thiou also sports an exceptional restaurant, at least for lunch. They have a limited menu which for some can be a very negative proposition, especially those with children or older adults. However, the daily specials are first rate and the cover the minimal range of something vegetable, something with meat and at least two selection of fish, both from the local streams, lake and the ocean.

Patti and I found the restaurant a highlight of the day and if time permitted would visit it again.

Tomorrow it’s on to Lyon and the continuation of our vacation and trip winding through France on our way to Germany.  Our trip to Annecy was great and we enjoyed what we saw and did, and we would recommend it as a two or three day stop for the adventurous.  For those who are less adventurous, especially with their language skills and temperament, it’s probably a place to be avoided.  There are few if any English speakers here and you have to remain flexible.  If you know any French at all, it will come in very handy.  If not, you will be using your phone to translate menus and perhaps requests you make of people.  Above all else, be patient,  the  French here are very amenable and want to please you, once you get over any communication barrier.  Enjoy!

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Back in Turin

Making Our Way Back

Not to make light of the pandemic, but we have shaken off the disease for now and are finally back in Turin after nine long months of rest and relaxation in North Carolina.  Having gotten vaccinated some time ago, we booked a non-Covid flight and hoped for the best.

Leaving the States

Our flight was full and everyone thankfully wore masks.  It did however leave an hour late, because there are just some people in this world who either cannot read directions, or just live in the own alternative reality.  So, it took an hour out our lives so that the crew could find their bags and leave them behind.

So, some advice:  If you cannot, or simple do not want to follow directions, please DON’T TRAVEL!

The train from the airport to Milan was about half full and it appeared that things in Italy were getting back to normal.

Standing on the platform at the airport

However, when we reached Milano Centrale, we discovered that this big city still suffers from post-pandemic stress.  Just the shear lack of passengers and movement within the train station, was a bit disconcerting.

Where are all the trains and passengers?

But we finally made it back to Turin and found our apartment essentially how we left it.  With a little cleaning and adjustments here and there, if anything just to knock out the dust (caused by lack of use), everything was back in good working order.

A beautiful day from our kitchen

Turin Restaurants Are Alive And Well

Luckily we found the restaurants, Osterias, Piolas and bars in Turin all open and waiting for business.  We wasted no time in sampling what we had missed for the past nine months, finding the food just as appetizing and delicious as when we left.

Ristoranta Sciamadda

A restaurant on our list of places to visit, the Ristorante Sciamadda is a very busy place during lunchtime in Turin.

This restaurant specializes in typical Ligurian Seafood fare and at very reasonable prices.  They have a good wine list and sell wines by the glass or bottle that will match nicely with anything you pick from the menu.  Appertifs are something different though.  If you ask for a Sambuca, you will most likely be politely rebuffed and suggested to try one of the Ligurian Appertifs.  I chose the Pernambucco which was chilled and very refreshing.  Infused, I can only say that it tastes like a mixture of oranges and lemons and is quite refreshing.  So do not be dismayed, though I would not put it in my caffé!

Piola Sabauda Osteria

Kind of a play on words, since Osteria and Piola actually mean the same thing.  Piola derived from the local Piedmonte dialect and Osteria a general term used in Italy to define an establishment that has homestyle cooking.  This term apparently tacked onto the end of some restaurants to attract non-native Italians and tourists familiar with that term only.

Agnolotti Al Ragu Bianco with Parmesan Cheese
Plin al Sugo D’Arrosto – Another Agnolotti
Piola Sabauda

For lunch, Patti had the Plin al Sugo D’Arosto and I had the Agnolotti al Ragu Bianco.  Both were very good, well seasoned and served with a mixed salad provide a sufficient lunch for anyone.  We are going to have to stop this, or we are going to put on too much weight..!

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Grindelwald – Kleine Scheidegg

At two thousand or so meters above sea level and little Grindelwald, is the small train interchange of the mountain pass at Kleine Scheidegg. Three separate lines run from here and it becomes a busy little beehive in the morning hours, less so in the afternoon, at least during summer.

KleineScheidegg_42
Kleine Scheidegg Train Station

We purchased our tickets in Grindelwald station not thinking much about passes, which is actually a mistake, but live and learn. In any case, to get there you take the rack train, or cog train, from Grindelwald.

The way up takes about thirty minutes and there are about three stops along the way, including Grindelwald Grund, to pick up passengers who drive to take the train on a day trip. Since I forgot to take a video going up, here is a short one on the way down.

Note: Investigate getting a multi-day pass that includes the Jungfraujoch and traveling in the area. Especially if you are traveling with family or a group, this may save you serious money. The Jungfraujoch is an inclusive train/experience, so it will be a bit pricey, so any discount you can get may relieve the sticker shock.

 

Kleine Scheidegg

With the Hotel Bellevue, where Clint Eastwood stayed during the shooting of The Eiger Sanction, a movie based on the novel with the same name; Kleine Scheidegg is a collection of hotels, cafes and train lines to other parts, including Jungfraujoch and Lauterbrunnen.

The Eiger Glacier

Next to the imposing Eiger, the Eiger glacier drains its icy contents between itself and the Mönch, while Jungfrau sits idly by, to the right of both.

KleineScheidegg_30
The Eiger Glacier РEiger Is To The Left, M̦nch Is Directly Behind It

The hike from the train station up to the glacier is about an hour and can be quite demanding at time. There is loose gravel and some tricky places where you ascend. But it’s all worth it in the end, the views are amazing. Here is a slideshow of the sights that we saw on our trek up.

Restaurants

I hope you enjoyed our trip to the glacier and the area around it. We actually did eat at a small place here, it’s not much to look at, and at the time they only had window service because they are still in reduced operations.

Restaurant Eigernordwand

This little restaurant has very limited room inside and outside, so first come, first served, as they say. The menu is rather simple, but the food is very good. Like other places around and due to its location, the prices are on the high side, especially for window-only service.

KleineScheidegg_43_RestaurantEigerNordwand
Restaurant Eigernordwand

If you are traveling during virus restrictions, keep in mind that you have to remain flexible. So prices notwithstanding, we still enjoyed it and felt that we had a decent lunch when we left.

Our day trip ends with a short video of  us pulling out of the Kleine Scheidegg station. Patti and I both agreed we have to visit during winter, to get the full feeling for this beautiful place.

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Obertraun, Sankt Gilgen – The Better Alternatives

Having stayed in Salzburg for about three days, we were eager to explore other areas within the beautiful Austrian countryside. After discussing our options with our daughter Ericka and her boyfriend Gabi, and having heard so much about the little town of Hallstatt, we decided it might be a good idea to try and pay it a visit.

StGilgen_2
The beautiful Austrian Countryside between Wolfgangsee and Hallstattersee

Hallstatt

From Salzburg, about a hour’s drive away or so, is the tiny town of Hallstatt. Billed by Rick Steves, and many others, as the place to see in Austria, the so called quintessential Austrian town –  hemmed in by mountains on one side, the Hallstattersee on the other and a stream dividing it – it must have been, back in the day. I stress, must have been, because it is no longer, thanks to over-tourism.

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Hallstattersee and Hallstatt from Afar

It is much like Venice now, spoiled by the hords of people that descend upon it daily and ruin its quaint charm, it is nothing but a hollowed-out tourist trap. Do not bother going, unless of course you are willing to do the Covid-elbow-rub with thousands of others. It is so overrun, even in times like these, that they have parking attendants, much like they have in the US at a state fair! It is so bad, people park along the sides of the roads for kilometers and walk in, perhaps for up to an hour. Therefore, after several U-turns and mulling it over for ten minutes or so, we didn’t think it worth the risk, nor the increased burden on the town. We gladly passed it by…

Suggestion: With the exception of major cities, here is something you may want to try. If you have paid for a travel book, circle everything in it on a map, and just don’t go there. Part of traveling should be discovery, not necessarily traveling on someone else’s footsteps. Unless it’s large city, like Rome or Paris, I am sure the people in these tiny little towns – who have been targeted by the tourism industry – will thank you, if anyone still lives there.

In our travels, we have been in some seriously one horse towns, and though some may be considered down right boring, we have never regretted visiting any of them.

Obertraun

This tiny little place is not in anyone’s book and consequently, is nothing to look at, but it has fantastic views. It has a beautiful park where you can walk and enjoy the day, you can even make arrangements to go swimming, boating or paddle-boarding.

Additionally, there are ferry rides that can take you to other places along the lake. At the time we were here, they were running a reduced scheduled, so you may want to have alternate plans, if planning a visit soon.

Sankt Gilgen

Another quiet little gem is the small town of St. Gilgen, or Sankt Gilgen. It is on the road to Salzburg along the Wolfgangsee. We spent a quiet afternoon here, eating lunch, walking and talking and enjoying the town, almost tourist-free.

This little town seems to enjoy mostly local tourists, probably from the surrounding countryside, eager to get out and relax in the beautiful waters of the Wolfgangsee. There appears to be a host of things you can do on the water, as well as cycling, camping and just sunbathing.

After our initial disappointment with Hallstatt, we were glad we made the day-trip to see these two unexpected surprises in the Austrian countryside.

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Venice – Without Tourists – Part Three

This last part, includes some of the additional things we were able to enjoy while in Venice, especially good places to dine. We found it takes about a week to get a really good feel for Venice. We also think it’s especially true that you have not really seen Venice until you have visited the other islands, as well as other out-of-the-way places around Venice proper.

Other Interesting Sights

For those that love architecture you will want to see the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, Corte Contarina in San Marco. A bit of a challeng to find, but when you get close enough, there are signs pointing the way. They of course use Scala not Palazzo, for stairs, so do not let that confuse you!

Another great sight is the tiniest alleyway in Venice. Called Calle Varisco, or sometimes Calletta Varisco (incorrectly mind you). It is a fairly narrow passage that goes nowhere, or more precisely, a canal of all things. But there are others in and around Venice, that are likewise very narrow, for example the Calle de la Raffineria.

There are also several impressive 24-hour clocks that are in and around Venice. Though not terribly easy to find, with some research and a flexible itinerary, they make wonderful sights to see.

Restaurants

We ate at many good and one fine restaurants while in Venice, here is our take on each.

Bistrot de Venise

Probably some of the finest dining in Venice, the Bistrot de Venise has a menu and winelist that rate high on our list. A bit pricey, but if you can afford it and go with the flow, that is, let them do their job, you will not be disappointed.

Ristorante Antica Sacrestia

Another jewel in the crown of Venice is the Ristorante Antica Sacrestia. Rather humble from the outside, the inside is a nice little courtyard with stone, well shaded from the midday sun. Perfect for the lunchtime replenishment.

Osteria la Zucca

Osteria la Zucca con Cucina is a very nice place for true Venetian cuisine. If you are looking for some home-cooked Italian food, this is you place. I can speak from experience, the Mousakka is great, as is the house wine.

Ristorante Rosa Rossa

Ristorante Rosa Rossa on Calle de la Mandola, is a restaurant and pizzeria and is great for families, small gatherings and couples, with plenty of outside seating. Their pizza is delicious and large enough for two to share, when accompanied with salad and drinks.

Cicchetti Arciccchetti Bakaro

Last but not least, if you are in Venice, you have to visit a cicchetti. While walking around, you might see signs about cicchetti this and cicchetti that, but it’s usually simple street food served at a bar. Normally, there is a selection which you may pick and choose from, along with assorted drinks that can be ordered at the same. We stopped here while just out for a long walk. The Deli bites were one for a Euro and drinks were as usual, pretty inexpensive.

Conclusion

As opposed to our last whirlwind tour of Venice, this trip was a totally different and a more enjoyable experience. Not only the lack of tourists has helped my own opinion of Venice, but also the Summer heat has cooperated and our length of stay was what we would call minimal (one week). There is plenty to see for sure. If the factors are conducive and you are able to spend more than a week, I would, just to get a better overall feel for Venice. However, the amount of tourism they let come back, will dictate whether or not Venice will feel like a place you would want to stay longer than a week. That remains to be seen.

Our next stop takes us to Austria, so stay tuned for our adventures and insights there; until then, Ciao!