Venice – Berkeley Square Barbarian

Palazzina Grassi – Best Brunch in Venice

June 6, 2019 6 Comments

Italians are not very big on breakfast or ‘la colazione’, just an espresso and one piece of pastry will usually do the job. So what to do if you’re spending a weekend in Venice and you happen to be really into Sunday brunch like we are? After a bit of research we quickly filtered our options down to three upmarket hotel restaurants. Thank heaven that the first two places we called had already been booked out, so we ended up with a reservation at the magnificent five-star American boutique hotel Palazzina Grassi (alternatively Palazzina G) right next to the Grand Canal, very close to the Westernmost point of the San Marco neighbourhood, roughly 15 to 20 minutes’ walk from St. Mark’s Square. It took us longer, because we didn’t find the entrance in Calle Morolin/Ramo Grassi right away, there’s not much in terms of signs and not a […]

Art and Culture, Fun, Italy, Travel, Venice

Mask Ball at the Carnival in Venice

May 13, 2019 24 Comments

We had been to Venice during the carnival once before and knew we’d love it. However, this was going to be the first time that we’d attend one of the famous mask balls. We had started our research half a year ahead of time. It turned out that many of the most famous mask balls are invitation-only. The next best (public) mask balls cost €700 or more per person. Even if you were willing to splash out big, it is still not a given that you’ll end up on the guest list, as it’s all very competitive. We finally ended up choosing the ball at the famous five-star Baglioni hotel just a few yards off St. Mark’s Square for €290 per person via VeniceEvents. Initially we had had best intentions to do the proper thing and spend another €500 to €1,200 per person for the costume, make-up, hair, etc., but […]

Restaurants, Venice

Hostaria Osottoosopra, Venice

April 28, 2019 3 Comments

Friends had recommended Hostaria Osottoosopra to us and finally we were going to check this place out for a very late lunch. Tripadvisor (#26 of 1,323 Restaurants in Venice, certificate of excellence) seemed to agree with our friends’ opinion. The slightly odd-looking name is pidgeon Italian for “Below and Above,” referring to the two floors. Osottoosopra is just across the Canale Grande from Palazzina Grassi (even though a fair walking distance, unless you hop on a boat), where we had enjoyed brunch the previous day (blog post here). This is where the three neighbourhoods of San Marco, San Polo, and Dorsoduro touch. It is one of our favourite parts of Venice. Despite the physical proximity to San Marco you might find yourself walking along canals and down crooked alleyways for several minutes without spotting other human beings. Quite the opposite of super-busy San Marco. There are other quiet areas such […]

Fun, Travel, Venice, Water sports

Learning how to row Venetian style with Row Venice and loving it

April 5, 2019 17 Comments

During our recent visit to Venice, we booked ourselves into a 90-minute €85 rowing training session with Row Venice. They are ranking #1 out of 75 local boat tour operators and watersport activity providers on Tripadvisor, and, for good measure, also had a Certificate of Excellence thrown in on top. For the €85 it was open to us, if we both wanted to have a go at it, or just one of us; in the end Ms B decided it wasn’t her thing, so I became the only student. If you are a larger group, the cost per boat (whether rowing or riding) is as follows: €120 for 3 people, €140 for 4, or €200 for the 5-passenger boat. About Row Venice Row Venice has been founded in the mid-Noughties by Jane Caporal, now 56, from Bristol, UK. She grew up in Australia, married an Italian, and moved to […]

Italy, Travel, Venice, Where to stay

Hotel Bisanzio, Venice – 5mins from St. Mark’s Square for a very reasonable price

March 6, 2019 2 Comments

We’ve been visiting Venice about a dozen times, sometimes spending a lot of money for four stars, sometimes spending a lot of money for two stars. Always within ten minutes’ walk from St. Mark’s Square (because we like to be close to the action and we don’t mind the crowds too much). Three-star Hotel Bisanzio was a first time for us, but we were very pleased from the time we booked (very reasonably priced at just under £150 per night, despite the fact we went during the famous Carnival). As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by the friendly reception staff and made to feel at home. Our room was very quiet, just under the roof and pointing towards one of the quieter squares of this town. We loved the rustic interieur with wooden beams holding up the roof and the antique furniture. The anemities were just fine, […]

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