This magnificent fellow stands a lonely watch outside the sculpture museum on Torcello, the quiet little island where the first Venetians built a homestead to hide from the raiding Lombards and their ilk. To think of all that’s come and gone for the Venetian republic since an anonymous sculptor liberated him from a marble blank centuries ago…
The only problem with going to Burano is that you eventually have to leave. Sad every time! But perhaps not forever: someday Sassi Italy Tours World HQ is going to be here, I suspect!
The view from il Castello di Soave. Fabulous! From here you pay a nominal fee and get to walk around a medieval castle overlooking some of the best wine country in Italy. An amazing place that’s day trip-able from Venice if you’re not staying Soave.
From this perspective you get a fantastic feel for our favorite little island in the lagoon. The climb at the Torcello campanile isn’t for the faint of heart, but well worth it.
We stopped for lunch in Sirmione and had an elegant meal with fine Lugana selections to quaff with our seafood dishes. For me it was the local whitefish grilled with olive oil after this opener, a creamy tomato broth with pike ravioli. Delicious.
There’s so much more diversity in Italian food than people realize–it’s not all ragu dishes and pizza! Especially in the Veneto and Lake Region. Come check it out!
Pretty hard to beat. What a place! Take the time to get off the beaten path in Italy and you are *rewarded*. It’s not necessarily easy to get here, but we can certainly get you there, and you’ll be greeted with some pretty amazing hospitality.
Thanks go to our friends at Giribaldi.
One of our favorite things to do in Venice is walk around late at night when the cruise ship crowds are gone and the city is quiet; only the locals are milling around having a nightcap at the prosecco and spritz bars still open and mystery of the place is revealed.
It’s magic.
HDR, 25s exposure, 35mm prime @ f1.8, ISO 200.
Our friend Massimo at Burano’s off-the-beaten-path but storied Trattoria da Romano never fails to impress with his craftsmanship tableside; one of the great things about Italy is the pride and professionalism undertaken by people in all walks of life, particularly in regard to the art that is food preparation and presentation.
Massimo is a fine example. Hungry? We are!
Looks pretty darn cool if we do say so.
One of the fun parts of writing about Italy, Italian wine, Italian food, Italian people, and going over there regularly is that sensation that you’re never quite seeing it all. There’s so much to see just beyond the typical tourist track!
Our focus is seeing places we haven’t seen before and forging new friendships; one of the ones we’ve struck up recently is a winery in Soave that we’re going to spend some time investigating and reviewing and documenting for you; you’ll see here posts soon reporting back from new spots on the Italian wine and food trail that you need to know about. We like to know where we’re recommending clients to visit! Looking at other places to visit in the Garganega capital of the world I saw this lovely video on YouTube, and thought you might enjoy.
Sassi Italy Tours 