%crThe Lions of Venice%c* and other Venice, Italy General Tips

Fondest Memory: A winged lion is the symbol of St. Mark, the patron saint of Venice who's buried in the Basilica di San Marco. Lions thus became the symbol of the city of Venice itself, when Venice ousted its former patron saint in favor of St. Mark over a thousand years ago. You'll see lions, both winged and regular, everywhere around the city if you keep your eyes open. You can also find them on the mainland and other islands around - basically anyplace that used to be part of the Venetian empire.

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Favorite Thing: Before I came here, I gobbled up Donna Leon's series of mysteries set in Venice. They give a great sense of what daily life is like for people who actually live here (Leon lives here herself, but don't try to spot her, she hates being famous). You'll also get to know where lots of places are throughout the different neighborhoods as you make your way through the pages, which is very helpful once you get here. Her quirky protagonist, Guido Brunetti, is a provincial Venetian through and through, and will have you smiling and chuckling over and over. Start with the first book, Death at La Fenice. The fourth, Acqua Alta, is another one of my favorites in this series.


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Favorite Thing: Winding through the multitude of tiny islands that are Venice, the Grand Canal looks like a giant "S" from the air. It seems almost more like a river than like the other canals, since it's so much wider than most. Beautiful frescoed and marbled palaces of Venice's old aristocratic families line both sides of it, along with other famous landmarks like Santa Maria della Salute church, the Accademia, and the Rialto Bridge. Only three bridges cross it, with a fourth soon to come.

Fondest Memory: One of my favorite memories is sitting outside in the fresh air on the #1 vaporetto going slowly down the Grand Canal, taking in the beauty of the water and the architecture all around.

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Favorite Thing: I took a tour of a gondola shop, or squero, where they make those asymmetrical boats Venice is famous for. They used to be the locals' regular transportation, but now are only used by tourists. I was surprised and saddened to learn that fewer and fewer people are going into the business of gondola making.

The gondolier who spoke with us was married to the daughter of the gondola shop owner. He said you could count the squeros left in Venice on one hand, and that no one new is taking up the profession these days. He explained how gondolas are made by hand using numerous different kinds of wood for different parts, and how you'd have to apprentice for years to really learn how to make them well. I don't know what they'll do when no one's left to make them or repair them anymore... ?

Fondest Memory: One of my most romantic memories is of watching a couple tango-dancing on the steps of the Salute Church, which led right down into the water. I was in a gondola, complete with accordian player and singer, the moon was out, and the church was all lit up at night... fantastic!!!

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Favorite Thing: You really need to wander around the maze of back streets and narrow canals to get a feel for Venice. And by streets, I really mean sidewalks, because there are no cars in Venice - my favorite thing about this place! Just canals and sidewalks!

Spending all your time in Piazza San Marco or at the Rialto Bridge will only get you part of the experience, and often it's the loudest, most crowded part, with the most trash on the ground. Away from the piazza and the Rialto you get a completely different feeling - quieter, more Venetian, less touristy. Less grand, but more charming perhaps, with laundry hanging out of windows and boys kicking soccer balls around in the little campos.


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Favorite Thing: If you're at all interested in Venetian glass, you probably already know that the nearby island of Murano is the place to go. This is where all the glass factories were moved centuries ago, when it was determined that they posed too great a fire hazard to remain in Venice proper. Most people come here to tour a glass factory or the glass museum and to buy glass - shop after shop line the main canals.

Even with all the people who come here for the glass, though, it's still more like a small town, especially compared to Venice. I came here just to relax for half a day while my friend shopped for glass, and it was nice just boating across the Venetian Lagoon to get here. Vaporetti leave from Venice's Fondamenta Nuove, in the Cannaregio District.


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