Spanish Isles – E-postcard 2

Posted on October 15, 2010 | 1 Comment

Autumn in the Mediterranean

Friday, October 15, 2010

Sailing from Barcelona to Calvi, Corsica

 

Our cruise is off to a great start!

On a sunny afternoon near Rome, we boarded the beautiful Silver Wind, a lovely all-suite ship accommodating just 296 guests. Check-in took just a few moments; soon we were on board with a glass of champagne in hand. Though this is one of the original ships in Silversea’s fleet, the ship has been completely rebuilt inside. She’s warm and inviting. You soon feel very fortunate (and a little bit spoiled).

 

After a day at sea crossing the Mediterranean, we landed on Spain’s island of Ibiza. Unfortunately the good weather we enjoyed in Italy had given away to storms blowing through Spain so our day in Ibiza was shortened by occasional downpours. Nevertheless most of us made it ashore and climbed up to the old fortress for views of Ibiza’s old town and picturesque harbor.

 

The following day we were scheduled for our first Signature Journey excursion on the beautiful island of Mallorca. Would it be dampened by showers? The forecasts were not encouraging. Yet when we awakened the skies were deep blue and pleasantly warm. We began our day by taking an old wooden, narrow-gauge train built in 1912, from the island’s capital, Palma, across the valley and over the mountains to Soller, a charming community about 30 km from Palma. We enjoyed the old clanking train and the marvelous scenery along the way.

 

After a pleasant break in Soller, we continued our journey to the northern part of Mallorca for lunch in the stunning little village of Deis, perched high above the deep blue sea. In a typical Mallorcan restaurant, we began with a selection of tapas followed by chicken, beef and roast lamb served family style. Accompanied by two good Spanish wines, it was delicious and fun. Newcomers to Mallorca were surprised by the sublime beauty and charm of this Mediterranean island.

 

When we returned to Palma for a little sightseeing, some of us went to see the unusual cathedral (even bizarre in some aspects) while others took a carriage ride through the narrow old streets of the old city. All in all, a great day. Just as we finished the blue skies gave way to a brief cloudburst: perfect timing.

 

Yesterday we stopped in one of our favorite cities anywhere, Barcelona. Some had arranged for a private car and driver; others took walking tours through the gothic district and the Boqueria, one of Europe’s most amazing markets. A few of us visited the Picasso Museum and just about everyone went to see Europe’s most unusual cathedral, La Sagrada Familia, designed by Barcelona’s best known architect, Antonio Gaudi. Since our ship stayed in its harbor until midnight, we all had plenty of time for a good exploration of Barcelona.

 

Today the ship’s chef arranged a festive buffet in the ship’s galley; it was fun to look behind the scenes and to select from Indian curries to barbecued ribs and everything in between.

 

We’re all doing well and enjoying our experience to the fullest. Coming up next is Corsica, then two days in Livorno (for Tuscany) and Portofino before we conclude next Wednesday in Nice. So we’ve got several days ahead of us. Time permitting, we’ll write again before we depart for home.

 

Meanwhile, we’re having a great time and wish you were here.

 

Paul and Christine

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Tuning it up for the good life in Italy

Posted on October 15, 2010 | Leave a comment

Perhaps you’ve followed our previous two blogs, “Villa hopping in Italy” and “Savoring the good Life in Sorrento,” We came to Italy last April to search for the perfect villa for our guests next May. Renting a villa in Italy to savor the Italian lifestyle is one thing. Yes, you must select your villa very carefully to avoid surprises. We spent a week last April inspecting villas, speaking with the owners, looking into every room to ensure what we booked was indeed what we wanted. After inspecting a number of villas, we were successful in finding the right villa, the right location and an owner who would work closely with us to ensure all of our needs were met (and we had a lot of requirements). Alas, we could check that part of the equation off of our list.

Once the villa was selected, we began work on a ten day program that would not only show our guests the region’s incredible beauty but would also immerse ourselves into the Italian way of life (and have a little fun along the way). This is not an easy task. If you have been to beautiful Sorrento, you know that as charming as it is, the city’s streets are filled with souvenir shops and almost as many Americans as we find at home. Though it’s fun to wander the narrow lanes filled with ceramics, limoncello, the region’s famed inlaid wooden boxes and other souvenirs a time or two, we want more from our visit.

The farmer, his wife and their neighbors welcomed us warmly under the arbor outside their rural home. “Buon giorno! Welcome to our farm”. This family grows the region’s iconic lemons (large, like oranges, but shaped more like a football), olives and an extensive array of vegetables. This charming couple is planning to welcome our guests next May at their hillside farm near Massa Lebrense (just outside Sorrento.)

As we walked along the pathway to a grove of olive trees we realized that to farm this mountainous region requires some ingenious planning. “These olives are now ready for the mill. The nets you see spread out on the ground beneath the trees will collect the olives when we begin to shake the trees.” His neighbors had come to assist him and he would help them with their harvest on another day.

The lemons in the beautiful groves are the size of small grapefruit and the sweetest we have ever tasted. Used to make limoncello – that delicious drink enjoyed by Italians (and us) everywhere — the lemons are so sweet that the woman of the house cut them into thin slices, sprinkled a bit of sugar on top and we popped them in our mouth, rind and all! Fantastico.

After glasses of freshly-squeezed lemonade, we departed to visit another home nearby. There the family bakes the region’s traditional bread in a wood-fired oven. On it went throughout our day; visiting homes, talking with the locals and getting a glimpse into their lifestyle in this region, Campagnia.

When Paul and I arrived earlier in Rome, we rented a car to drive to Sorrento (about 3 ½ hours with luck). Paul was trying to be a polite, defensive driver. Here, however, you need tunnel vision and guts to survive. We did manage to get through our week without incident except for scraping one outside mirror along an old stone wall – I consider that well done.

We arranged to stay at the very villa we planned to use for 2011. I needed to “feel” the home, taking note of what I would need to add to ensure it would be comfortable and pleasant for our guests next year.

Shortly after our arrival, Giuseppe Masa, our local partner, came to the Villa to meet with us. Giuseppe was born in Capri and grew up in Sorrento. His mother still lives there on her own at 86 years. Giuseppe was planning to show us some hidden treasures and experiences we might wish to incorporate into our program.

Over the next five days our program began to really take shape. We found a historic palace, just outside Ravello, that was never open to the public. The owner, who lived there with his housekeeper, had begun to restore it, room by room, to its original grandeur. We were delighted when he invited all of us to have dinner with him one evening. Outside, a couple of streets away, we met with a man who planned to open an outlet store for cashmere sweaters. Cashmere, of course, comes from India but who better to design and create magnificent sweaters than the Italians. His sweaters, created for Italy’s fine designers, retail for 450 euro or more but through our contact, our guests would have the opportunity to see the factory and purchase items at as much as two thirds less.

Ceramics play a large part in Italian design and function and we wanted to add a twist to it. So through our contacts, we stopped just outside Sorrento at a ceramic factory that actually makes and sells its ceramics to the tourist shops in the peninsula. Our guests would have the opportunity to see these ceramics in production and purchase them at an attractive savings before they ever reached the shops.

We dined at a different ristoranti or trattoria for lunch and dinner every day during this week (such a hardship!). We found that some restaurants, though well rated, were so filled with tourists you had trouble feeling you were in Italy at all. We searched for restaurants where locals dine – simple but delicious – after all, that’s the essence of Italian cuisine.

Our program is still a work on progress. But we’re delighted with our progress and feel this will be a very special experience in one of Europe’s most beautiful places.

Ciao for now,

Christine & Paul

PS – To view our complete villa brochure, go to www.finevoyages.com/signaturejourneys. Scroll down to our “Savoring the Good Life in Italy”.

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Autumn in the Mediterranean – E-postcard 1

Posted on October 11, 2010 | Leave a comment

Monday, October 11, 2010
On board the Silver Wind cruising towards Ibiza

We’re very fond of Umbria.

While so many travelers make their plans to visit Italy’s Tuscany region, they often overlook the treasures, the magnificent landscapes and the easy smiles found in Tuscany’s southern neighbor, Umbria.

The participants in our Autumn in the Mediterranean Signature Journey arrived in Rome last Thursday, weary but anxious to experience an insider’s look at Umbria. Later in the afternoon we reached our accommodations located high in the hills of the Umbrian countryside, Villa Hotel Monte di Solare, an elegant and welcoming hideaway not far from the region’s capital, Perugia. (With its fine restaurant, spacious rooms, pampering spa and even a restored, consecrated chapel, we think this villa hotel is worth a special journey. The staff works hard to accommodate their guests’ wishes; for example, on the day we departed, the hotel had arranged for a few guests to go hunting for Umbria’s prized white truffles with a local expert. Umm.)

The next morning we met Alessandra Pettinelli, one of our favorite guides in Europe. Born in Assisi, this remarkable young woman knows that we want to explore Umbria from the perspective of an insider. She also has the special sense to know just how much we want to linger and when it’s time to move along.

During our first full day in Umbria we visited one of our favorite Italian communities, Orvieto. Perched high atop a steep hill, this fortified city does not appear to have changed very much from the way it appeared in medieval times. Along with Avignon and Viterbo, this was a city where Rome’s Popes found refuge when the politics in Rome made it uncomfortable for the Pope to remain in the city. Today in Orvieto one can still see the old papal residence alongside one of Italy’s most beautiful cathedrals. (Though most travelers feel that they have seen all the cathedrals they need to see in their lives, the grandeur of the space, the warm ambiance and the magnificent frescos more than justified our visit. Michelangelo apparently came here to view the frescos before he went to Rome to begin work on the Sistine Chapel. Alessandra’s explanations really brought these treasures to life.)

The origins of Orvieto date back to 600-1000 BC, when the Etruscans established a community here. They created a network of hundreds of caves in the soft tufa stone that lies beneath the city. We stopped for lunch at a pastry shop with a very small private restaurant not open to the public. The owner was a chef who has begun to gain notoriety on Italian television. Before we sat down to eat, we explored a small section of the extensive network of underground rooms and corridors. Our chef advised us that he had just received a few of autumn’s bounty of prized white truffles and would prepare a special pasta garnished with shavings from these fragrant tubers. Before the day ended we stopped in Deruta, one of Italy’s most important pottery centers. Back at our villa hotel we all enjoyed a three course a la carte dinner in the hotel’s dining room before a well-earned sleep.

Our destination the following day was Assisi, best known as the home of St. Francis. While most visitors come to Assisi to see the basilica with its prized frescos describing the life of St. Francis, Alessandra took us to the top of this little village to trace the landmarks left behind by the Romans. We could see that the village market was held in a space the Romans used for horse races. Nearby we could see the old homes surrounding the circular space of the Roman amphitheater, a fascinating journey into the past unknown to most visitors.

For lunch we stopped for an impressive tasting of the region’s best wines and olive oils in the little village of Spello. The proprietor of the enoteca, a real showman, led us through two white wines, four impressive red wines and two extra virgin olive oils as we dined on pastas and a superb Mediterranean salad with tuna. The salad was dressed with a 25-year old balsamic vinegar that had taken on a delightful sweetness characteristic of aged balsamico. Though the wines were marvelous with foods to match, our favorite item was a simple bruschetta, peasant bread coated with a superb olive oil and topped with chopped ripe tomatoes and fresh basil. So simple; so good. The experience made it challenging to go into Perugia that evening for dinner. (But, we rallied and had a fantastic time because you can’t have enough good Italian fare).

To conclude our visit, we were invited into the home of a family in Spello. They had purchased a 600 year old stone house with a magnificent view over the valley and the mountains. While the regulations regarding the exterior are very strict, they were able to modify the interior more-or-less as they chose. They had built an ultra-modern kitchen into their home and created wonderful warm spaces. We felt privileged to visit their home and to meet the family. They had homemade ricotta cheese and fruit desserts waiting for us along with expresso – yum!

Yesterday we said arrivederci to Umbria as we drove through the coastal mountains to the Mediterranean to board the all-suite 296 passenger Silver Wind in the port for Rome. We were a little sad to leave Umbria but, of course, it’s always a joy to board a fine ship to begin a voyage. We’ll tell you more about that experience in the days to come.

Everyone is in fine spirits and enjoying life to the fullest!

Wish you were here!

Paul and Christine

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From here I can see India

Posted on September 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

An article in this morning’s paper caught my eye – “Gunmen fire on tourists, leaving two injured in India”. How sad, I thought, that this small article will prevent some from planning a future trip to India.

We’re leaving in about ten days to begin five weeks of travel – a week to add to our villa program for next spring in Italy and then we will meet our small group of guests in Rome to embark on a wonderful fall voyage through Italy, Spain and France. When we bid farewell to our friends and clients in Nice on October 20, my husband and I will spend one more night and the next day board our Turkish Airlines flight to New Delhi where we will greet a small group of twelve for a journey through the Rajasthan region for two weeks.

The fact that two tourists were just attacked near a mosque in New Delhi is upsetting, of course. But I could as easily be shopping in downtown Portland, Oregon, and have the same experience. This is a statement of our world today. Does it stop me from traveling? No – on the contrary. I am vigilant wherever I go, paying attention to what (and who) is around me. I watch my belongings and have my car keys in hand before I reach my car.

But to hole up at home because of fear in foreign places has never crossed my mind. I believe that in today’s world we really need to be reaching out to other cultures with our smiles and our interest in bridging those gaps of differences whether it be in the name of “religion” or the misunderstanding some have in thinking Americans are simply elitists with no compassion for the rest of the world.

India is a remarkable country of contrasts. At first glance upon arrival in Delhi, the noise, sheer number of people and the traffic are completely overwhelming. Yes, there are homeless and beggars on the streets in some areas and its one region where your accommodations and restaurants are an important choice. But this country of over one billion people is also a training ground for some of the best doctors, high tech development, spiritually devoted and well-educated people in the world.

Once you look past the twelve ring circus that seems to continually be happening around you, a sense of excitement pervades. Women, dressed in their brightly colored saris are carrying on a spirited conversation around a water pump as they wash their laundry and their children play nearby. You travel down a country road and stop at a school where 500 children in their school uniforms politely sing you a song led by their teacher.

A few years ago, we had been in this same neighborhood and had taken a picture of a lovely woman dressed in a deep red and gold sari. My husband printed out this photo when we got back home a few weeks later. He decided to bring that photo with him on the outside chance that we once again might visit the same area. After listening to these children sing at the local school, my husband showed the teacher the photo he had taken some two years before. The teacher held up the 8 by 10 photo to the children. “Do any of you know this woman?” she asked. After a moment, a young girl of 9 or 10 years shyly raised her hand. “It’s my mother”, she said. Her face reflected the joy of having a picture to take home.

On another day we had arranged a visit into the home of a family. From outward appearances this home was modest. Yet upon entering, it was clear that this family was extremely well educated, boasting a doctor, dress designer and politician in the family. It was a most interesting evening.

We love to talk with the local people in the Rajasthan region. Their culture is so opposite of our own. Many still believe very strongly in the caste system which dictates your standard of living. Marriages are still arranged and if you read through the daily paper you will see page after page of advertisements seeking just the right “match” for a son or daughter.

A visit to a local market is an incredible experience. I had always thought our local farmers market was quite extensive but it pales next to a market in India. These markets are certainly a gathering place for the neighborhood. With their apartments small and often crowded, there is no place to invite in friends and extended family members. In the market they can catch up, socialize and barter for various foods, clothes, furniture and the like. And with traffic congested everywhere many women walk, carrying their purchases on their head, a child in each hand and they still manage to look so feminine and lovely in the sari and gold bracelets. Unlike Americans, they make use of everything available to them. I watched one woman leave the market with a sewing machine on her head. Now that’s being creative!

When I talk to people about India, I am often chided with remarks of “Everyone gets sick in India or it’s dirty and dangerous”. We have been in India’s big cities and in the country. It seems like everyone is busy. Busy, working in the fields (ladies in their saris), carrying bricks to a construction site, sweeping the dirt roads outside the door to their home in a rural village. These are a happy people, content for the most part with their life and eager to share it with you. When we dine in India, we have our choice of western or Indian cuisine – albeit we do not eat from street vendors and of course, only drink bottled water. No one in our small groups has yet to develop “Delhi belly”. Rather, we have experienced some remarkable and delicious dining experiences served to us with proud smiles and friendly, eager to please, gestures.

Yes, from here I can see India. I can’t wait to go back in late October.

Christine Niskanen

Follow us on our blog in the next several weeks as we share new experiences in October and early November. Wish you were going with us!

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Savoring the Good Life in Italy

Posted on August 3, 2010 | Leave a comment

When I think of my travels around the world, staying at a villa in Italy finds its way to the top of my list. Like a cruise ship or riverboat, you only unpack once; but unlike these modes of transportation, staying at a villa offers some distinctively added attractions. It allows me the opportunity to immerse myself in the culture, foods and landscapes I can’t get from a cruise ship. And, it allows me more than a day or two to “peel back the layers” of a region.

We began renting villas about eight years ago and I was hooked. From our base at a beautiful villa in Tuscany, we could spoke out to visit Tuscany’s hillside villages, the Cinque Terre, Siena, Florence, Lucca and Pisa, to name a few. But much of the pleasure came from our time at the villa – our grand home away from home.

We would awaken in the morning to the sound of birds chirping or a rooster crowing. We could walk or bike down the lane and meet the neighbors. It didn’t matter that we had a language barrier – smiles and friendly gestures go a long way, especially in Italy.

A chef prepared delicious regional cuisine for us at dinner which we savored while dining outside by the reflecting pool. We could help ourselves to a drink or raid the refrigerator anytime we chose. After all, it was our home, at least for a while.

After spending several years renting villas in Tuscany, we moved on to France. The Provence region is no slacker either on the charm scale. But, even so, my heart remains with the Italians – their wild gestures while talking, their foods (so simple but prepared from the freshest ingredients) and their way of wrapping their arms around you (literally and figuratively) to pull you in.

So, late next spring and early summer, we are going back to Italy – this time to a villa in the magical Campagna region – Sorrento to be exact. We selected a ten bedroom villa in the old neighborhood outside the heart of Sorrento. It’s the perfect base to visit Capri, Positano, Ravello, Amalfi, Naples, Pompeii and more.

It was no quick decision to determine which villa we would select. You absolutely cannot select a villa from its description on the internet; our needs are too complex. We spent a week looking at villas, talking to the owners; searching for one that would meet our needs. I wanted ensuite bathrooms with each bedroom. I wanted a large, friendly kitchen where our guests could wander in to chat with the chef and lift the lid on a fragrant dish simmering on the stove. I wanted a pool graced with lemon trees so I knew we would have homemade limoncello after dinner in the evenings. I wanted a location that would allow opportunities for an early morning or late evening stroll in safe and pleasant surroundings. And, lastly, I wanted to be within an hour’s drive of a number of interesting sites and picturesque towns.

One thing I learned from our earlier experiences is that you need at least ten days at a villa. There is so much to see in the surrounding areas but you also need at least one or two days that are not filled with excursions or activities. It’s important that there is free time so that you can decide how you want to spend your time – take a cooking class, explore the local market, hike the trails in the hills high above the sea, relax by the pool with a good book and a glass of cold Pinot Grigio or lose yourself in the village to mingle with the locals.

We’ve worked hard to create the perfect experience for our guests (and for me). A project such as this is a continuing work in progress until the first guests arrive – adding some special event or surprise that only locals would know about: the perfect gelato, a private concert, a little winery, dinner with a countess or entrée to a venue closed to the public.

Our program is out for next year and already selling well but we’re going back to Italy this fall. There is more to do, more to add – restaurants to test, cooking schools to explore, spa facilities to examine (yes, we call it work), hiking trails to check out, ceramic shops to inspect. We do this in part because we are perfectionists and because, after all, it is Italy and sometimes, you simply cannot get enough.

Christine Niskanen

For information on our 2011 Italian Villa and other upcoming Signature Journeys, go to http://www.finevoyages.com/signaturejourneys/. Scroll down on the page to download the complete program.


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Africa — It’s not just about safaris

Posted on July 22, 2010 | Leave a comment

African safaris certainly rank at the top of my travel list but there is so much more to this continent than just safaris. Here is some insight from the corners of my mind:  Moments from my African Travels.

Cape Town is a wonderful city to visit whether you are including it prior to a safari, prior to a cruise along the garden route or simply as a single destination. It reminds us of the dramatic beauty and excitement of exploring San Francisco. There is much to see including Table Mountain, Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 26 years), the Cape of Good Hope, the beautiful Cape Dutch Winelands . The restaurants and hotels are excellent and the prices are usually very reasonable.

Often, when we are in Cape Town, we include a visit to a township. “Township” is really a politically correct term for “slum or shanty-town”. These date back to the time when tribal people were moving into Cape Town in search of work. The apartheid regime established these townships to ‘keep the city clean’.  We have visited a number of these – each in different stages of recovery.

Several years ago we took one of our groups to visit a pre-school at ‘New Rest’, a township not far from Cape Town. I asked our guide, Pam Allen, what I might take that they could use at the preschool. “Well”, she said, “several months ago a businessman donated some tables and chairs to the preschool because the children had only the ground to sit on, eat on and play on. But when these tables and chairs were delivered, there clearly were not enough to go around. Of course, the teachers were very grateful for the donation but once they were set up, one small child raised his trembling voice, “Where’s my chair”? That’s all it took for me. Much to the chagrin of my husband, I turned to Pam and said “Please have someone go out and pick up all the tables and small chairs we need to complete this pre-school and have them delivered tomorrow. And while you’re at it, let’s get some soccer balls and some little trikes as well.”

It’s easy to become emotionally involved at these townships. You walk Cape Town, townships, christinethrough some areas where a house of cards looks more stable than their ‘homes’. But still, you see women outside washing their clothes and their dishes in a bucket because there is no running water. As we pass, they look up with big smiles on their faces, some a bit shy and certainly curious about who we are. The children are well dressed in clean clothing (how do they get their shirts so white?). Still many of the roads through the townships remain unpaved. As a toy, a small boy pushes along one lone wheel from a baby stroller which is attached to a long stiff wire. Outhouses are scattered throughout. Yet these people are clean, and this is their community.

Walking through I see one shack that has been set up as a telephone center where they can go to make outgoing calls. Another shack has a hand-made sign on it that says Barber; another shack sells small selections of fruits and vegetables. You wonder how these people survive. Few own bicycles, vespas or cars. They walk a long way to wait for a crowded bus that often runs late. But wait they do so they can get to their jobs. Where do they work?

Interestingly, for many years we have had our small groups stay at the Cape Grace; a lovely five-star hotel that is consistently rated among the top hotels in the world. Every time we arrived, we would see the same waitress, Julie, in the dining room. She always remembered our names, year after year, and greeted us with a wide smile every morning.

Julie lives in one of these townships. She rises well before dawn to take the bus into the city (it takes about an hour to reach the hotel), changes into her uniform and performs her duties in this beautiful hotel without any attitude or self-pity. Julie’s first hope was not to move out of her the township. Rather, it was to be able to save enough money to have some badly needed work done on her teeth that were rotting. But that never stopped her huge smile.

The last time we were there, we didn’t see Julie in the dining room. We asked what had happened – had she quit? No, we were told, with her wonderful skills with hotel guests, she had been promoted to one of the receptionists seated in the hotel lobby. We were so happy for her. We went to find her and she smiled and said, “Look, I finally have my new teeth.”

Many of these townships like New Rest have been fortunate enough to have an “angel” helping them. The University of South Africa, andBeyond Conservation, Wilderness Safaris and others have taken on these townships as a project to help them help themselves. We returned to New Rest every year for a number of years. Each year we saw a bit more progress. It was so heartwarming a few years ago to see that they were finally getting paved roads in their community. And two years ago, we went back and small homes replaced most of the shacks. It truly warmed my heart.

What I find most incredible of all is this: After the horrors of the apartheid era, where these people were uprooted and made to feel unworthy, they followed Nelson Mandela’s challenge to forgive, to reconcile with those that abused them, and to move forward. I wonder if here at home we would do the same?

Follow me again as I share additional ‘Moments of my travels in Africa’.

Christine

For information on our upcoming journeys to Africa, visit our website, www.finevoyages.com/signaturejourneys.

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We love Venice, once again

Posted on July 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

Venice is one of those wonderful, rare treasures.  Of our many visits, we liked our first and most recent visits better than all the ones in between.

Just about every visitor begins their exploration of Venice in St. Marks Square.  When the tourists are in town, it’s a cacophony of the splendid palace of the Venetian Doges; the sprawling, sinking, magnificent, Byzantine Basilica of St. Mark’s; cafés, hundreds if not thousands of visitors; the Grand Canal with its gondoloas and for every visitor, about 10 pigeons.  Sensory overload at its finest. 

You can sit outdoors in the grand Piazza San Marcos, admire the splendid architecture on all sides and enjoy a gelato while listening to wonderfully romantic music played by three competing orchestras.  On our first visit we dined well nearby, right on the Grand Canal, bought exquisite stemware from the neighboring island of Murano and explored the intriguing neighborhoods.

During our subsequent visits, the crowds at St. Marks began to overwhelm us and the area’s restaurants evolved into expensive tourist traps. The drinks near the orchestras cost us $25 and up, we were tired of looking out for pigeons and we refused to pay $100 or so for a 30-minute gondola ride.   

Last September we broke the mold by moving our Venetian base down the Grand Canal from San Marco to a sublime palace hotel located on the Canal between the Rialto Bridge and the railroad station.  Recently opened Ca’ Sagredo is built inside a former palace owned for five centuries by the Sagredo family.  Once you step through its discreet entrance, you’ll know you’ve entered something special.  As you approach the reception desk, look up into the high ceilings with their grand paintings that spill down the walls.   Next look at the grand marble staircase and the array of magnificent chandeliers, mostly old ones, created in nearby Murano. 

Carefully adapted into a hotel by an Italian businessman, Ca’ Sagredo still remains much as it was for five hundred years.  While 30 some guest rooms and suites have been artfully placed into the palace, many of the palace’s grand spaces remain untouched for guests to enjoy.  As you step into the grand music room, you can only imagine the melodies and laughter that must have filled this beautiful space.  On the second floor, a vast lobby opens up for superb views over the Grand Canal.  The attentive staff appreciate their museum-like surroundings yet take personal care of every guest.

One of the pleasures of Venice is getting lost in the neighborhoods with your camera and your appetite (and, for shoppers, your Visa card).  But, after our first visit, we have not enjoyed neighborhood exploring as much until our most recent visit.  Just a block or two from the Ca’ Sagredo, we left the gelato bars, coffee houses and tourist shops behind and found ourselves in the world occupied by Venetians.  These narrow streets and walkways along the canals are filled with mothers pushing their babies in strollers, with boys kicking soccer balls and one magnificent picture after another.  As we came around one corner we spotted one of the most beautiful churches we’ve seen in Italy.  A local, who saw our faces light up, came over to explain to us, in Italian, what we were seeing.  (Since our Italian is mostly limited to successfully navigating restaurants, his explanation was a bit lost on us.)

Speaking of prices, while we expect restaurant prices in Venice to be 30-35% higher than elsewhere in Italy, we came upon superb little trattorias and ristoranti that were about the same we would pay at home.  Talk about dining with a view…

The Ca’ Sagredo rekindled our love affair with Venice.  We can’t wait to go back.

Paul and Christine

For more information on Venice and our upcoming Signature Journeys, go to http://www.finevoyages.com/signaturejourneys/.

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