December 2000

Since Air France was experiencing a pilot's strike, our flight from Paris to Venice was canceled. We were forced to wait several hours for a flight to Bologna and after arriving in Bologna we were transferred via bus to the Venice airport. After we picked up our luggage, we took a water taxi from the airport to the city center. Initially we were supposed to arrive in the afternoon, but by this time it was much later.

Venice is eerie at night - damp fog, dark and narrow streets, echoing noises - and we were disoriented to boot. But we disembarked and found our way to the Hotel Lisbona (Calle San Moise), a quaint place around the corner from famous, but over-hyped, Harry's Bar (Calle Vallaresso), and only several minutes from St. Mark's Cathedral and square.

Our room was teeny and narrow with expansive ceilings. The windows were longer than the bed. But it was indicative of Venice and we thought it was great. Plus, the bathroom hanging rods were heated and warm towels are blissful in Venice in the wintertime.

We ventured out to Le Bistro de Venise (Calle de Fabbri) and gobbled up traditional Venetian cuisine and washed it down with a local wine made with grasses. The food was enjoyable, the ambiance was low-key tourist-y and the staff friendly.

The next morning we were up early to catch the flooded St. Mark's Square and to check out the area surrounding the cathedral, including Doges Palace (be sure to take the tour and check out the prisons) and the opera house, La Fenice. While in the neighborhood, we had lunch at the modern and gaily-colored AcquaPazza in Campo San Angelo. The service is slightly aloof, but it's worth enduring to enjoy the best classic bruschetta I can ever remember devouring.

While meandering through San Polo, we inevitably stumbled upon the Rialto Bridge, with its impressive interior and exterior walkways. Across the bridge in Santa Croce is the Pescheria, the palatial Ca' d'Oro along the Grand Canal and the modest Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari church.

The neighborhood of Cannaregio boasts the Jewish Ghetto, the overwhelming Madonna dell' Orto church and some crazy statuary. This neighborhood is the Wild West of Venice; it is incredibly under-explored by visitors and it seems to embrace the old-world mystery that Venice is famous for. And although it is elusive, it is also bustling with real folks carrying on their quotidian activities. It encompasses Venice's classic dilemma: how to juggle modernity and urbanity with history and tourism.

Looping back toward St. Mark's is the neighborhood of Castello. Castello is more relaxed than San Marco and offers charming restaurants and hotels that are slightly off the beaten path. When you are ready to saw some logs, Casa Querini is a wise choice. The hotel is in the quaintly tiny, dead-end Campo San Giovanni Novo (think quiet, peaceful sleep) and the rooms facing the square are superb - spacious and bright, clean, pleasant views, accommodating bathrooms. And, the proprietor is happy to recommend local favorites for food and drink.

Matt and Kim stayed in the Locanda la Corte hotel in a more remote part of Castello. The hotel rests on a small canal via a narrow alley from the vast Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo. It's difficult to find, but the rooms enjoy privileged views of the canal and are considerably large with exposed beams. (Albeit, somewhat odd due to the low ceilings.)

We missed the Dorsoduro neighborhood and the outlying islands. Maybe next time.