14/10/2013
My vacation in Venice Italy.
When I say Venice Italy many of you may think of canals and boats. The pictures you see on TV or if you have visited there are no cars. You are mistaken Venice in Italy is not only the city, it is also a Province and there is so much more to discover. If you arrive by train you will have only known Venice the city. On the mainland there are different piase, (cities) to explore. I know this as my grandparents have lived here for many years and I try to come back every year.
My family home is located in Zelarino it is a small town just outside of Venice or Mestre. By car it is about 15 mins. to the city and by bus a half hour. Our house is located on a farm. When you drive throughout the mainland outside of Mestre you will find and discover the true Venice, as it is very expensive for people to live in Venice. This is really where all of it happens.
Why not live the way the locals do. In the summer there are many festivals and out door discos and restaurants. These are truly family events even the discos can be. Walking the streets or riding a bicycle you will discover many homes with beautiful gardens as you see the older generation taking care of the gardens.
Today people still bring fruits and vegetable from their gardens as gift to their neighbors. The family aspect is very strong. Many of my friends still live at home or there family has bought a house for them near there home. I think us North Americans have it all wrong. They don't need a lot they just need family and friends. Well of coarse good food and wine.
My friends here all grew up know what they can pick from the wilderness to eat, flowers, nuts, fruits and they prepare food and alcohol from scratch. As traditions go the women still cook and clean and the men fix everything. It just goes with out saying. I sometimes feel lost having grown up in Canada with a traditional Italian father.
If you arrive in a small town you may find the stores closed on certain days certain hours. They still have keep some traditions as 3 hour lunch to go home and eat with the family and take a nap. This is not for all, as many of my people work far from there home town they cannot go home, but the ones that can will. If you arrive on a saint holiday and trust me there are many, you will find the stores closed as well. One more thing you may find inconvenient is that many of the businesses are still locally owned and when a family wants to go on holidays, they put a sign on the door that reads sorry we are closed for vacation. This generally happens in August as most Italian love to take vacation time in August.
When you arrive in Italy do not expect people to speak English. They do in most popular tourist destinations and most of the young people learn in school as a second language so be prepared to know a little as you are in a foreign land. Most guidebooks will provide you with the essentials you will need while visiting.
Whether you choose to rent a hotel, or a maybe an apartment or house while you are in Italy you should be aware that some things are very expensive and you may not have the luxuries of home. For instance hotels are very expensive and small and do not have the same star rating as other countries. Hot water and electricity are very expensive so you may not have air-conditioning. Most houses and apartments will have a washer not a dryer, dishes are done by hand. Another option for accommodation I found quite nice while traveling north to Lake Como are Trattrias and you may have accommodation and food from the local farm. There is a set menu and it will be home cooked and delicious this option is much cheaper then most hotels. You usually are staying in someone’s home.
You will see people take many modes of transportation. The locals take the bus, ride bicycles, or scooters. As the roads are very small here most of the cars are too. If you plan to explore the cities outside of Venice I suggest to get the most out of your trip is too rent a car and have a GPS. If you are scared to drive in Italy then there are many busses and it is also easy to take the train. Please make sure you check the bus schedules and times, as some of the busses do not run certain days and times. To ride the bus you have to by tickets at the store you will find that the newspaper stores will sell them. Taxis are very expensive and no one but tourists tend to take them.
Cities that you can visit near by you may have head of but know nothing about or small towns that are super beautiful. From Mestre you can take a train and visit a few of these places for a day or a few days if you prefer. Verona the city that is famous for the story of Romeo and Juliet. Treviso is a beautiful city that is still surrounded by a moat, with canals shopping, restaurants, and bars. Milano well that goes with out saying. Lago di Garda is located on a lake with a beautiful castle you can visit. I even went t o Balognia for a day to go shopping at the market, it is known to be one of the best.
Beaches that can be reached by bus. In this region of Italy there are two types of busses the ones that travel small distances stopping in each town to let the locals off at there stops and the ones that travel from one city to another. The blue busses you pay more and they are direct to go where you need to go. So if you want to visit an amazing fun beach town that the locals rent beach apartments in the summer and many European tourists spend vacations here as well. You need to take the Blue bus from Mestre to Jeasalo. If you decide to go to Jeasolo I suggest booking a place in advance if you plan to spend some time there, as it is a super hotspot for the locals to go. It is a beach that has many hotels and apartments for rent. A few other beaches that are beautiful near by are Carole and Bibione, these two are much more quiet and laid back. Last but not least you do have Lido in Venice this is the only island in Venice where cars are allowed. When you arrive in the city of Venice you can take the ferryboat to reach Lido. When the boat lets you off it is a small walk to the beach.
Lets talk a little more about Jeasalo. Jeasalo has many things for the locals to enjoy at the beach, from shopping to riding bicycles, to water slides and go-carts. There are also a few campsites available. There are many discos you can enjoy at night a few inside but in the summer Italy is famous for it's out door discos. The large discos have a few different stages so you can enjoy what every music you would like.
If you prefer to dance on the beach you will find many bars have a spitz hour. This is a typical drink in Venice. It is an aperitif made with Aperol, which are a bitter alcohol, Persecco, a bubbly white wine and soda. During Spitz hour you will find free snacks from potato chips to small sandwiches depending on which bar you attend. Spritz hour is not just an hour. It usually starts around 5 or 6 before dinner and depending where you are located can turn in to a party dancing on the beach either to a DJ or live music. My favorite past time while lying on the beach in Jeasolo is people watching. A beach to Italians can kind of be like a fashion show. I come here every year to see what style of bathing suit the men are wearing and especially the color. This year they seem too be very bright and small. I don't recommend white. I do believe it see though.
A little something you should know about the small towns around Venice. Each town will have its market days. This means that in the centre of the town vendor’s set of stalls to sell fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and or coarse many house hold items and clothing. Each town has a different size market depending on the size of the town. My two favorites that are reached by local bus are Mestre there market is Wednesday and Fridays and Noale which has there Markets on Tuesdays and
Thursdays.
In the summers in the small towns people really enjoy there out door events with music and food. These are in the countryside and the name for them is Sagra, an agricultural festival. It is best to ask the locals where you may enjoy something like this. They set up huge tents with many tables set for the event of eating and drinking with family and friends. Here you will find usually a BBQ, pasta, beer and wine. I can guarantee there will be a stage with a live performance or two. These places are fairly cheep to eat and drink it is more about socialization and fun for all. One year I attended one that served buffalo from Canada.
Many Italian also spend weekends in the mountains many of them have summer homes. In the mountains the towns are small and beautiful. You may discover a small restaurant bar in the middle of know where. I say you enter it to have a little fun. You will find the locals eating, drinking and singing throughout out the day and night. If locals invite you to mountains be prepared for a full day adventure. You will leave around 9am and return around 1am in the morning. Lunch turns into dinner and walks though vineyards or farms that may be near to the restaurant they have chosen. Another event that happens in the mountains my friend just asked me to attend is a 7km walk, not the type of walk you are thinking this is a walk that you go from bar to bar eating and drinking for 7km.
Some festivals you may enjoy in the summer in Venice is Regantore, This festival happens in July and it is the festival of boats. If you chose to celebrate Reginore in Venice the city you will experience huge crowds but you can see several boats costumes and enjoy fireworks. If you to chose to celebrate it in a small town there will be a festival set up with food drinks and entertainment.
Another festival option, which I found most entertaining when I attended, is The Medieval Festival in Noale. Here you will find all the old foods, liquors you can taste. Also the antique furniture, toys, and tools they use to enjoy back then. You can try playing a medieval game. My favorite part is the medieval dinner where you sit on cushions at a large table and eat with your hands. After this there is the entertainment where all 4 quarters of the town dress up in costumes and acted out the originally way they fraught to win the leadership of the town.
Winter festivals in Venice that you may be interested in are Carnival and
One last word of advice, this is when you are dinning. Italians have a lot of rules. When you enter a restaurant if you sit it will always be more expensive even to drink a coffee it is a service charge. Unlike North America they do not expect a tip. Now that we have that straight, here is where it gets complicated. Ok you may drink certain alcohols with certain food and it is not just red and white wine. You must have an aperitif before not with or after the meal. With the dinner always wine colour optional, unless it is pizza or a sandwich then you may have a beer. Last but not least you may finish your me with liquor, Zambucca, Grappa, Lemoncello. Some restaurants may bring you the bottles to the table as a thank you and you pour what ever you would like to taste. Remember that food is very important to Italians you will not be able to substitute your food and If you do not eat it all they will likely be offended. One more thing to remember is if you ask to take it home you will definitely get a strange look. I cannot say I have had a bad meal when I am in Italy, but the most delicious and best experiences are when my friends take me to a restaurant that is out of town. These places usually have our door seating and are very big they also may have a garden for you to walk about after dinner. Lets say cheers to this.
When I entered the My destination contest to be a travel blogger my good friend in Italy asked me if I would make the small town of Zelarino Famous. I just did Cristiano.
