A Month In Venice

Jack from Eyeflare.com did a great post on resources to plan a Venice trip and I want to continue on what he has done with a post of my own. There are thousands upon thousands of webpages dedicated to the city of venice so how does one decide which one is better then the next? Well that is more up to personal opinion then anything else but there are some factors to consider such as how often a website is updated and how accurate it is.

For instance I have found that the Venice City Guide from Time Out Travel to be one of the best resources online that you can find. Not only is the site comprehensive but it is also accurate and timely to boot.

The website of world 66 is also a great site if you plan on visiting Venice or any other city they may cover. The information covers all the bases to eating out to the history to day trips to and from Venice. Definitely worth a look.

Lastly I would recommend a website i recently just came across called Living Venice where it is from two people who actually live in Venice right now. You will not find a more up to date blog then this one. Well perhaps mine can come in a close second place.

The island of Burano is not really in Venice but it is in the Venetian lagoon. Like Murano this island has its specialty craft, in this case hand made lace. Burano is not just a single island but a network of islands or an archipelago. Many have equated Burano to be the Lego land version of Venice. This is mostly because all of the buildings are much smaller and the place is much more brightly painted then the main city of Venice giving it a almost toy like feel to the place.

The origins of this island are still in doubt and the name of the city has two very distinct stories as well. Some believe the island of Burano came from people who settled from an other island called Buranello which is five miles south of the city. Others however believe that this island was settled by members of the Buriana family. The island did not gain any prominence until the 16th century when the craft of lace making was refined here. A school was later built to teach the craft and much of the work of the island was exported to all parts of Europe who were eager to buy the lace.

So what is there to do on the island of Burano? Well unlike Venice this island is not swamped with as many tourists and hence it is much easier to get around. If you wanted to know what Venice felt like earlier this century then visit this island as it is like stepping back in time. The island is very popular with artists who prefer the brightly colored homes over the contrasted stark nature of the buildings in the city of Venice. There are a few attractions to see on this island such as the Church of San Martino and the Museum and School of Lacemaking.

I certainly would not consider this island to be hub of a bustling young nightlife as it is truly an Italian city which is pretty laid back as most people just enjoy a night out with friends and family. However if you should get the time to see this island I am sure that most will enjoy it.

If you know anything about the country of Italy you should know that things do not remain constant for long. This is definitely the case for the public transit system in Venice called the Vaporetto that runs all throughout the canals and is the best system of navigating the city of Venice.

The ACTV has just posted up an update to their fares on their website. The details are just too numerous to go over and you should really think ahead or consult a local as to what is the best option for you to choose when purchasing a ticket.

Each ticket can be purchased in 12 hour blocks that are activated after the first swiping of the card. Of course the currency that is in use is in Euros as the Italian Lira as been completely phased out by now.

Here is the fare schedule:

12 hours – 14 Euros
24 hours – 16 Euros
36 hours – 21 Euros
48 hours – 26 Euros
72 hours – 31 Euros

Of course pick the card that is the most cost efficient for you to use based on how long you stay. Also keep in mind that you can purchase a month long card that gives discounted rates. If you are a senior citizen or a student there are also some other considerations as well. This I guess is a bit of housekeeping in order to keep this blog as up to date as possible.

If you have ever visited Venice then you are surely aware that the area around the Rialto Bridge is the shopping hub for tourists. However have you ever wondered about where the locals go to shop? I know I have and fortunately I have discovered a few places where you can pick up the necessities of life while you are staying in this city.

For instance if you want to get robbed by buying your bags from the various street vendors feel free. However most Venetians buy their clothes from the COIN department store where the prices are three times cheaper. If you do not know how to find this store simply ask one of the hotel workers or a local where to find it I am sure they are willing to help you out.

If you are into looking for leather goods such as jackets, hand bags and the like the best place to go is called Kalimala which is in the Castello sesteri. And if you shoe should happen to break and want to have it repaired then the best place for that would be Risuola Tutto di Giovanni Dittura which is in the Dorsoduro district. Either store will be surely cheaper then if you bought near the Rialto or St. Mark’s Square.

If you are looking for a place to buy your coffee the most recommend store would be Caffee Costarica which is in the Cannaregio sesteri. For the wine lovers I would recommend the store Cantinone gia Schiavi which is one of the oldest wine shops in the Dorsoduro neighborhood.

Perhaps you are more in the mood for some kitchenware. For that particular need I would recommend L’Arca which is on the island of Santa Croce. Of course most of the other shops that offer glassware are on the island of Murano as that is to be expected. However if you do choose to go to the island I would recommend only shopping at CAM and Carlo Moretti because both have a great reputation for quality and service.

What if you are looking for the genuine Carnavale masks? There is really one or two places that make traditional Venetian masks. One store that still makes the masks the old way is Giorgio Clanetti which is in the Castello sesteri. Since these masks are so rare it is best if you call ahead at the following phone number 041-522-3110. For costumes during Carnvale the only place that I know of is Tragicomica which is in the San Polo neighborhood.

I hope that if you do go to Venice that you check these stores out. They are surely worth a visit as I am sure they will help your wallet out by not catering exclusively to tourists. Since the locals use these stores this is yet another way to soak up the culture of Venice and perhaps even get yourself a good deal as well.

As most of you are aware that the purpose of this blog is to pay for a trip for me to immerse myself into the Italian culture and language by spending a month in Venice Italy. While language immersion is by far the best way to learn a language there are many resources that are free and online to help you along the way.

The first great resource to check out is brought to us by the BBC. It is called BBC languages and I have really learned quite a bit of Italian by using this website. I can attest that the information is accurate and very helpful for those desperately trying to get their head around this language.

Secondly if you are planning on learning Italian be sure to check out the Internet polyglot which is a great resource for many languages and not just Italian. With the Internet polyglot you can learn French, Spanish, Greek and of course Italian just to name a few of the many languages that this website covers.

Lastly the next place I would recommend would be to check out would be Live Mocha. While this place does not offer Italian at the moment it is a growing community with some Italian speakers who I am sure would be willing to help out those in need. It is a cool resource since it is a social networking site that aims to help people learn another foreign language.

Learning Italian does not have to be an daunting task if you have the time and paitence for it. These resources however should help the cash strapped travelers out there pick up another language along the way.