A Month In Venice

Venice’s history is centered on maritime activities. The cities very survival depended upon having a well trained group of maritime sailors who could outwit and outrun all around them.  Such history spawned Venice’s Historical Regatta which is meant to showcase the mastery of the sea and the ships that ride upon her.

The first Sunday of September is when this event takes place. There are many other Regatta’s from the various islands in the Venetian lagoon that are held all throughout the year but the true Regata storica takes place at this time.

This race is very similar in tone and shape to the Palio of Sienna. You see in this race like the Palio the boats are from their respective neighborhoods and each neighborhood turns out to root on their team of rowers who are competing for the honor of winning the race.

What is probably of interest of the tourists that visit at this time is the various processions of boats that proceed down the Grand Canal. First you have the bisonni or the 8 oared gondolas then the balotine which are 6 oared gondolas then following this is the decorative boats from the various rowing clubs. Following this procession of boats is a regatta for the children which is then followed by a race just for the women then a race of two oared gondolas which represent each neighborhood. At the regattas conclusion the whole of Venice comes alive with a city wide celebration that fills each canal and street with merchants and street entertainers.

If you are fortunate to be in Venice during this time I am sure you will not be bored with what is going on at this time. I would say that this festival would even rival the Carnival of Venice, although I may get some heat for saying this but I am willing to take it.

Staying in Venice is an expensive venture. However I hope my recent series on budget hotels in Venice have helped some of my readers. Alas this is really only helpful if you wish to stay for a couple of days or perhaps a week. What are you going to do if you wish to stay in Venice for an extended period of time? I have many friends who are artists and would love to stay in this city just to absorb the atmosphere and to hone their craft. What options do they have as students to stay in Venice? Well fortunately there are many good search engines and directories you can use to find ideal locations to stay and that will hopefully fit into a tight budget as well.

The very first place I would look is Venice Apartments.org as they seem to have the most comprehensive listing of available flats to rent. Not only will this site help you find a great apartment but they also have some “inside” information on how not to get cheated in this wonderful city. What I found to be particularly good is the tips and tricks section of the website as the information contained leads me to some new places to eat and see. That alone was worth the visit in my opinion.

The second place to look would be the great site of Venice By.com which is another hotel search engine. However they have a great listing of apartments that may overlap with the Venice Apartments.org. This site is different in its comprehensives listing of restaurants and local attractions that is sure to keep any person busy while staying in the area.

Lastly I would check out wenicevenice.it as a place to look for an apartment. This is not a comprehensive listing of apartments and the focus seems to be apartments in the Dorsoduro district. This district seems to be particularly popular with the student crowd so I would check it out if that is what you are looking for.

Hopefully this advice will help any student looking for an flat in Venice. Budget accommodations are not really easy to find in this city as there is a scarcity and a high demand from visitors. However do not give up there are many hidden gems out there if you are willing to search for them. Just keep looking.

When visiting any foreign country it is always advisable to at least understand the lay of the land before you visit. This is especially true in Venice. There are many wandering streets that you can become easily lost. Now for those who like to explore this way I say more power to you!

However there are others, like myself, that would like to know a city beforehand in order not to get lost on my first trip out.In the case of Venice finding high quality street maps can be a bit of a challenge. The maps handed out at the tourist office or those you may receive as part of a tour package are not necessarily the best. It may help you in navigating around the major tourist areas of the city but should you want to venture out and see Venice as the natives do these can be a bit of a disaster.

The most highly detailed and recommended maps are those from the Touring Club Italiano map. These maps come in a variety of formats and scales however they also tend to be the most expensive.

Now a trip to Venice should always incorporate a trip down the Grand Canal on a Gondola. Many claim that this is just too touristy or too expensive however in order to get the feel of the city this is a must! Not only is this the most romantic way to see the city it is also the least stressful, just not on your wallet though. Just make sure that you have negoatied a price beforehand and check each others watches to make sure you are not being cheated. If however you feel like you have been cheated or have a complaint then please call the Ente Gondola office that regulates this service at 041-528-5075 or through their website at www.gondolavenezia.it you would not want to have this ruined by some unsavory gondolier.

There is also another way of getting around Venice other than Gondola and that is through the Vaporetto system. This is the system that connects all the sestieri together and these lines are all operated by Azienda del Consorzio Trasporti Veneziano (ACTV) and this system can be reached on the web at www.actv.it or through telephone at 041-528-7886. The cost of a ticket can be a bit pricey as they start out at 3.50€ for a one way ticket and 6€ for a round trip ticket. However for the best deal if you plan on making multiple trips would be to purchase the 24 hour ticket at 11€ but this is only if your visit is very short. Longer tickets that are 72 hours and 7 days in length are also available for those that plan on staying and savoring the city.

Water taxis are available but these are just too over priced in my opinion and you can find more information about them through your hotel or other websites. My experience with water taxis was generally pleasant as they were not too rude and generally pleasant.

After I spend a month in this city I might have some better insights on how to really get around. I would love to know how the locals do it but since I do not know anyone from there I cannot give you any further insight.

I am sure many of my readers are well aware of the escapades of Jason Bourne either in the book form or through the ever popular movies. One thing in the first movie that caught my attention was the many passports that this super spy had in is Swiss safety deposit box. While illegal to hold many aliases and use them to cross international borders it is possible to have multiple passports through more than one country. How can this be possible? It is called dual citizenship and it is perfectly legal. In fact many millions of Americans are dual citizens.

What qualifications qualify you to become a dual citizen?

• Formal naturalization
• Being born within the borders of the country (United States mostly)
• Being a descendant of a foreign born parent or grandparent
• Marrying a citizen of a foreign country

The benefits of dual nationality are faster visa procedures, having the right to work in the country and faster customs inspections when going through the airport among many others and really depend on the country.

As a side note if you can become a citizen of one of the countries of the European Union you can then have the right to work in any EU nation. Needless to say this can open the door to many possibilities and expand your horizons immensely.

 In order to apply for dual nationality I would contact the embassy or consulate of  the country that either your relatives or mate descended from in order to gain the most insight. Each country will obviously have their own limits and rules in order to qualify.

The first rule of thumb before making a move overseas is the old adage of buyer beware. Since many countries are not nearly as regulated as the United States it is always good to get a reference from someone you know and trust to help you find your home overseas.

The second item you must understand when you move overseas is that most banks are not easy to open accounts to foreigners. In many countries you may need to have a reference from someone actually doing business with the bank at the time. In some countries you simply cannot open an account in their country as this is not allowed by law.

The third item would be to get to know intimately the tax system of the country you have your heart set on. This will allow you to deal with your finances accordingly.

Fourth I would keep your expectations low. Many real estate agents will attempt to sell you on a property based on what is proposed to come later. Rather instead focus on what is around the property at that time.

Fifth I would keep a electricity or phone bill handy when applying for anything. Keep it in your pocket, backpack or purse. You will need to prove residency at practically every turn and having this slip at the ready will save you some time and frustration.

The sixth tip and perhaps the most important one is to try out a country for at least four to six months before moving. This is really important as the rose colored glasses become more clear as you begin to see the place you will be living as it truly is.

Seventh would be to buy what you need when you arrive. I would not recommend shipping furniture to any country as this is really not worth it. The shipping costs alone will eat you alive and then you have the possibility of your stuff coming damaged to boot. Do you really want to pay someone to break your things? I did not think so.

The eighth tip would be to relax about the same conveniences you have here in the United States. Let’s face it, we have it great here in the United States. You may not experience the same thing when you move overseas. So relax and become more like the locals and do what they do. Oh and by the way the locals do not want to hear how great the United States is when it comes to this and that. Not the best way to endear yourself to the locals.

The ninth tip would be to understand and get to know the health care system of your desired country. Is there a private health care system available? Is it actually better? What are the pros and cons of each? What do you need to know before you move?

Finally the last tip would be to understand and speak the language fairly well before you move. This can be done by finding a language buddy that you can converse with on skype or some other cheap communications channel. However the immersion method is by far the fastest method of learning any language.