Venice, Italy

I did a 2 week trip to Venice, Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast in 2006 and went back again in 2009.  This place is magical.  I would only spend a couple days here. But go before global warming pushes this underwater. The city is alive - Venice is a living, breathing, singular city that seems almost too exquisite to be genuine.  Truly art.

Top 5 Days

1. Go for a run through the canals.  This reminds me of putting on U2's Beautiful Day and being so alive with the spirit here.

2. Peggy Guggenheim Collection – Some of the best modern art in the world is housed in this delightful palazzo right on the Grand Canal.  Her collection includes works from Rothko, Klee, Mondrian and Picasso.

3. Explore St. Marks Square

4. Go art shopping - This is one of the few places in the world I likes to shop.  Beautiful galleries with paintings and blown glass.
5. Sit in outdoor cafes - Gelato, pasta, buffalo mozzarella, sweets, cafe, red wine.  Never too much in Italy.  Oh, then go for another run.

Top 5 High Style, Low Maintenance Hotels

1. Hotel Danieli - Stayed here on my Starwood points.  It was fancier than I usually opt for, but felt right here.  It is ornate, yet not ostentatious, with carved wood, painted ceilings and Murano glass chandeliers but still has a great bar to kick it in.  In the heart of it all.  If you are going anywhere not within walking distance, just have the gondola pick you up.

2. Charming House DD724 – This tiny, mod hotel is the artsy neighborhood of Dorsoduro is my favorite in town.  The rooms and space are tiny, but you feel like you are staying in a friend’s neighborhood apartment.  We stayed in an apartment a couple blocks from the main hotel.

3. Apartments – This is a great way to save money and really experience the culture here.

4. The Bauer - There are 2 separate hotels, and both are beautiful.

5. Ladrona Palace Hotel - a beautiful boutique hotel with only 53 rooms.

 

Top 5 Foodie Finds

1. Lineadombra – The seafood is suburb at this place on the water in Dorsoduro.  This is away from all the overpriced touristy spots but is a modern, simple fusion meal. 
2. Trattoria Taverna Capitan Unico – A local recommended this for the best clam linguine in the city.  This is a cute local spot on a quiet square.   An excellent place for traditional Italian cuisine away from the chaos.
3. Cantina do Mori - Cute spot in San Polo.
4. Seafood Pasta - I think I had this every day.
5. Gelato - Again, every day.

Top 5 Misses

1. Peddlers - They are everywhere and so annoying.
2. Expenses - This is all tourists and you pay like one.  But there is a reason people have been making a pilgrimage to this magical city for 1,500 years.
3. People -  I love the Italians, but you don't see the same zest for life here as in the other Italian towns.
4. The Rialto Markets – I was expecting some cool fish markets, but this was filled with shopping kiosks filled with lace, beads and cheap ties.

5. Harry’s Bar – Yes, this is on every list of things to do since the Bellini was invented here and Hemingway hung out with friends but it isn’t special and they pillage the tourists with a $17 price tag on the Bellini.

Top 5 Tips

1. Go Now - This really is supposed to be under water soon.
2. Read The City of Fallen Angels - By John Berendt, who wrote Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil. This is a historical account of the eccentric art world behind the famous 1997 fire of the Venice Opera house.
3. Have a drink on Campo San Margherita – This is a vibrant, happening spot with all the college kids that will take you back to your backpacking  days.  Hit an outside table at Orange or Bar Salus.
4. No cars - It is wonderful to get around anywhere in water taxis and gondolas.
5. Take a Water Taxi from the Airport – This is at least double the cost of the ferry, but well worth every penny to ride into the Grand Canal in style.  Then you can skip the Gondola ride.