“When you look at a piece
of delicately spun glass you think of two things: how beautiful it is and how
easily it can be broken.”
Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon. It lies about 1.5km north of Venice and measures about 1.5km across and has a population of just over 5000 people.
Before visiting Venice I read a few travel blogs recommending a visit to Murano. It wasn’t until I visited this island myself that I understood why it was so important to add to my travel itinerary in Venice.
If glass is your thing then Murano is a must do on your trip to Venice. It is on this island where you will find the world-famous Murano glass and exquisite glass art pieces.
The island has no other attractions besides the many glass blowing factories and rows upon rows of shops selling of the most interesting and attractive pieces of glass. When we arrived on the island we made our way to the nearest factory where we paid 4 Euros for entry to a 20min demonstration.
I was blown away by the technique of the glass maker and the skill with which he handled the long iron stick while blowing and twisting and turning the glass into the desired shape.
It’s only after the demonstration when you are taken to the display room where all the magnificent and exquisite designs are housed.
Besides the glass vases, chandeliers, bowls, tumblers etc glass
makers in Murano have also perfected the art of making glass beads.
One could easily lose track of time as you wonder from one shop to another admiring the glass designs.
We toyed with the idea of purchasing a unique piece for our display cabinet at home but after considering the logistics around packaging and transporting this piece, we decided it was too delicate and fragile to risk. I was however spoiled with a beautiful Murano glass bead bracelet complete with it’s authentication certificate.
It’s important to ask for the authentication certificate when purchasing Murano glass in Venice. I was surprised to learn that many of the shops in and around the touristy part of Venice was selling fake Murano products which were made in China.
I have a philosophy when I travel which I learnt from my father. He says when you visit a new city, spend of what you’ve earned with an open heart. You see he has a belief that earnings/wealth is given to us by our Creator so that we can not only have for ourselves but also to share with others. And the more we are prepared to share with others, the more we will receive. This philosophy has worked for him and it’s working for me too.
San Marco Square
So when I travel I try not to focus too much on how much something
cost but instead I stay present to how I feel about spending my earnings in a
particular establishment. If it feels right, I go for it with an open heart. Almost
100% of the time I’m not disappointed with my purchase.
There is no place where I needed to use this philosophy more than in Venice. The city of canals is essentially a tourist city which means that prices are quite high. If you want to eat good authentic Italian food you have to be prepared to pay.
Keeping this philosophy in mind, we decided to treat ourselves to a good Italian pasta, pizza and dessert at least once during our stay in Venice. Here are the restaurants I recommend you try if you want to have a real Italian experience.
Spagetteria 6342 A Le Tole
Our host, Riccardo, marked this on the map for us and said, if you want to eat fresh pasta, this is your place. Armed with the map we set off on the Friday late afternoon to find Restaurant 6342 http://www.6342aletole.it/.
My husband is quite a good navigator so I really just had to follow as he meandered through narrow passages checking the map occasionally. We arrived at the restaurant only to be told that this branch was not opening until much later the evening. But, they do have another branch which operates during the day and closes in a few hours. We were lead there by a pleasant Italian waiter.
The restaurant is warm with pretty Venetian masks on the walls and soft music playing in the background creating a cosy relaxing ambience. We were surprised to find that we were the only diners in the restaurant. It seems that Venetians and tourist alike prefer to have dinner after the sun has set.
The menu gives you an extensive selection of pastas and pizzas to choose from. I decided to go with a Tagliatelle pasta prepared in a creamy sauce with Seabass. The combination of fish and pasta sounded good. As soon as I put the first forkful into my mouth I could taste the difference between authentic pasta, made today, and the pasta I am used to eating which comes out of a box in my kitchen pantry. I savoured every mouthful and tried to taste each ingredient in this simple but tasty dish.
My husband chose a Spaghetti pasta with shrimp and vegetables. We both agreed that you could immediately taste the freshness and the firmness of the pasta.
What’s a good meal without a good dessert? We decided to end off the meal with a classic Italian dessert. I guess you can say tiramisu will never taste the same to me. The smooth and creamy textures of the mascarpone cheese and the espresso coffee combined to make this dessert a taste sensation to savour with every mouthful. If you find yourself in Venice, a meal at this restaurant will not disappoint. Try it, you will thank me.
Pizzeria La Rossa Rossa
Even the name says you are about to have a true Italian experience, right? Well that’s absolutely true! If you want to eat good pizza prepared from scratch by good looking Italian chefs, then this is your place to go.
Pizzerria La Rossa Rossa turned out to be just as Riccardo described it. When you enter this restaurant you have to wonder if the electricity is out or if its just your eyes deceiving you. I’m not sure if it’s part of the look and feel they are trying to create but the lighting in here is not good. Riccardo had given us the heads up to expect this, so we were not put off by it. Instead we settled in and prepared ourselves for a pizza treat second to none. And I am pleased to say we were not disappointed.
We opted for Magheritta and waited in anticipation. You know you have a good pizza when the base is not all thick and bready nor thin and flimsy. This pizza base was just right. The cheese melted in your mouth and the base just dissolved as you chewed. Pizza is one of my hubby’s favorites, so he was in heaven. This restaurant is a must do. Let me know what you thought once you’ve been.
Gelati Nico
Walking around Venice you will see many ice cream shops with the most exquisite display of gelato ice cream. Do not be distracted or impressed by the displays. If you want to experience real gelato ice cream I suggest you walk right past all those enticing displays and make your way towards Gelati Nico http://www.gelaterianico.com/.
This restaurant is situated on the Waterfront quite close to Zattere water bus stop. We opted to walk there instead of taking the water bus. By the time we arrived we had worked up a good appetite. There is quite a variety of flavours to choose from so you may take a while to decide. Each flavour seems to be screaming out to you, “pick me”. We opted for Ferrero Roche flavour.
I loved the chocolatey nutty texture and the fullness of cream that I tasted as I swirled the ice cream around in my mouth to savour it before it slid down my throat. The combination of the beautiful location and the mouth-watering ice cream makes Gelati Nico one of the best places to visit in Venice.
Gibran
There is only so much pizza you can eat before your palette craves for something different. If you looking for something different but still authentic, why not try this Lebanese Restaurant .
Gibran is situated in the district of Castello in, where the local Italians live. The restaurant is only open at night and is a sit down restaurant. They are also more than willing to prepare a take away dish for you if you prefer to have your dinner at your apartment.
When my hubby and I travel to a new city I do my research and I make a mental note of the sights I would like to see and how much of the city I want to explore. When you have limited time, you have to be selective and you must have some sort of a plan.
Armed with “sort of a plan”, we normally head out first day and allow the city to lead us on our path. Most times we end up at the exact places we intended to see, effortlessly. It just works out that way when you have a clear intention.
Having done all the research I can, I am normally still surprised to learn that there are a number of seemingly insignificant facts I didn’t know. Here are my top 5 things I discovered about Venice that is useful to know before you go:
Marco Polo Airport Venice is NOT located in the city of Venice.
To get to the city of Venice you have to take a Vaporetto from the airport which is located 12.4km from Venice by road and 10km from Venice by water, in a city called Tessera. Arriving late at night we travelled this 10km by water only by the light of the motorboat. It took us about one hour twenty minutes to arrive at Arsenale bus stop. It was only on our next trip in daylight that we understood the way the water bus systems works in Venice.
The streets of Venice are mostly empty at night.
If clubbing or wild loud restaurant parties are your idea of a night out, then Venice is not the place to go. As the day draws to an end, you will find the busy streets of Venice seems to quiet down to a hush. This is when couples come out to walk, hand in hand under the beautiful Venice moon.
The endless bridges can be difficult to navigate with luggage or prams.
Pack light and if you are travelling with a baby or toddler, make sure his/her pram is able to move easily up and down stairs. There is no way to get around Venice without crossing at least 10 bridges in the space of 10 mins.
Just because it looks like a pizza doesn’t mean it is a pizza.
The first night we arrived in Venice our host Ricardo sat us down and gave us some solid advice. About Italian food he said, there are some really good Italian restaurants in Venice where you can find authentic Italian pasta & pizza but most of the restaurants in the touristy part of Venice is not Italian. So be careful when you see a pizza on the menu. There are quite a few Chinese owned restaurants in Venice.
Not all gelato ice creams are created equal.
The rule is if it has this creamy swirl on the top of it, chances are it’s not real. Genuine gelato ice cream is not displayed with all the swirly stuff. The proof is in the taste. Here is a pic of genuine authentic gelato ice cream Yum!
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