Took some stills I liked and made a quick slide show that I think nicely captures the feel of exploring Italy’s romance and charms and mystery with Doug. Hope you enjoy! It’s mostly Venice with a little Florence and Rome mixed in for good measure.
Tag Archives: Venice
Venice Biennale
“Why aren’t we in Venice?”
–Reporter asking a great question.
Danger Baby!
Sawyer wanted nothing to do with anyone helping her hold on–I can do it my big self! She was fond of noting how high up she was!
Mommy, grandma, and I are going to be so nervous when we take baby to Venice for the first time, she’s such a little daredevil. Part of the challenge of parenting: letting baby have adventure without letting her get herself into too much trouble.
Cicchetti In Venezia
I generally disagree with Rick Steve’s assessment that aren’t “non-touristy” restaurants in Venice. But one surefire way to get the flavor of Venice is stopping for prosecco and the Venetian version of small plates/tapas known as cicchetti–fresh ingredients and diverse flavors. Some of the more fun things to eat in Venice.
Venice at Night
It really is magical.
Venice’s Lions
Doug Sassi told me a story he’d learned in his Venice travels about how the Austrians, after getting the Veneto handed over to them via the Treaty of Campo-Formio, deciding to humiliate the once proud Venetians by chiseling off the lions from the town’s wellheads. Scattered around the city in various piazze, the Venetians had sculpted–as a symbol of their prowess, naturally–lots of wellheads with these gargoyle-ish lions. The Austrians figured they’d give the Venetians what-for by knocking them all off.
They only missed a few. And as Doug had been told by his Venetian friends, they were on the more remote islands in the lagoon.
Doug challenged me to find one on a trip back in 2001; I was there for a week and didn’t see any and had largely given up. Needing to make room for more risotto and gelato, I went out for a run in Venice one evening to see the city and get lost on purpose, and spotted this guy out of the corner of my eye.
The kicker: it’s located only steps from Piazza San Marco in a quiet corner of castello. For me it felt like finding another version of the Mona Lisa in a coffee shop next to the Louvre; how had the Austrians missed this guy, right here in the heart of Venice’s decadence?
No extra charge on one of our tours for us to let you in on the secret of where to find this rare little treasure.
Cooking Classes in Venice
Have you checked out Mama Isa’s page? Her recipes are outstanding and our clients have loved her private cooking classes. She teaches you the authentic Veneto cuisine–seafood, meats, pastas, veggies, desserts…all the good stuff! There are scads of great local markets in the Padova area from which she sources fantastic ingredients.
https://www.facebook.com/isacookinpadua
We include cooking classes in a lot of itineraries these days, as it’s a great way to take a little slice of Italy home with you.
Welcome
I remember my first trip to Italy with Dad. I was 14. I’d never been out of the country. I couldn’t sleep with excitement on the plane, and I landed beat, bleary eyed, and amazed at everything. We hopped on a shuttle bus to the hotel and even though my mind was racing with “wow, so this is Rome!”..I fell asleep.
I spent the next three weeks amazed at all the things my Dad knew and had my worldview forever changed by seeing an amazing culture up close.
Sassi Italy Tours is all about sharing the amazement that 14 year old boy experienced with the rest of the world. We’re here to share culture, art, food, wine, history, architecture, and the dolce vita in a private, intimate setting that offers a deep immersion in all that is wonderful about Italy. I’m biased for obvious reasons, but I really do think people who travel to Italy without Doug Sassi’s perspective are missing out.
Come travel with us. Continue reading Welcome
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