Drones may be the latest devise for tourist to torture their guests back home with hours of “what I did on my vacation”, remembering the early days of the video camera which allowed tourist to record hours without actually seeing…
By all accounts, Redentore 2016 was a success. Recent events in Nice had police on high alert, but other than a few slightly drunk swimmers, there was little trouble to report, which is amazing considering that an estimated 90,000 people…
It’s time for my annual what to see and do in Venice. However this year, I am a little afraid to recommend my favorite places given the behavior of recent tourist. I love sharing what I have learned in 20+…
Tourist are always just that – tourist. Peering through the windows wondering what life is really like. Our window as tourist changed forever when Bethany married Enzo. Neither spoke the other’s language, but we were joined to an Italian family…
Venice, one of the most visited places on earth, we would think is rich. With an expected 8-10 Million tourist visiting each year and the resulting taxes from those tourist, it would seem that there is plenty of money to…
On March 29, 1516 Doge of Venice, Leonardo Loredan signed the decree creating the Ghetto among the small islands in the area now known as Cannaregio. The commemoration is a tribute to the relationships betweens the Jews in the fibre of…
The Rialto Bridge was built in 1591 by architect Antonio da Ponte (no pun intended, his last name just happens to mean “bridge”). A generous donation by Renzo Rossi of Diesel of 5 million euro seemed adequate for the work…
Security and the shear number of people in line each day to see the basilica has driven the city of Venice to install turnstiles at the entrance of San Marco Basilica along with surveillance cameras. There will be a limit…
When the Leone di Venezia flew on Tuesday – it closed the Carnival for 2016. There were mixed reviews from the locals. From me it was a definite thumbs down! Maybe I don’t like change, as I was quite happy with…
La Fenice, the beautiful opera house in Venice celebrated 20 years after the fire of 1996. La Fenice lives up to its name (Phoenix) which means “rise from the ashes” as it has been rebuilt 3 times as a result…