What to see in Venice

San Polo, the smallest district inVenice, has the charm of being one of the oldest parts of the island and where they erected the first markets, which continue to fill it with life and ceaseless activity. You can find numerous attractions here, starting with theRialtoBridge, continuing with its churches and palaces and then ending in the markets.

TheRialtoBridgewas one of the first bridges inVenicethat was built with stone and it was the only route to cross the canal for a long time. It took some 40 years to build and was finished in 1591. Until that point in time all of the bridges of the island were made of wood. Take a break there to admire the unforgettable views of theGrand Canal. When you cross the bridge, you will arrive in San Polo.

Just a few steps away from the bridge you will find thechurchofSan GiacomodiRialto. Although there are many churches in the neighborhood, this one has the distinction of being the first church inVenice. It is believed to be from the year 421 B.C. and, curiously, the face of its clock shows 24 hours instead of the usual 12. Nearby is the Rialto Market, the principal market ofVenicesince 1097. The market, which takes place every morning except Sunday, sells fresh goods. It offers an excellent opportunity to get a glimpse of the daily life of Venetians and to try the delicious local products such as cheese, seafood, fresh pasta or typical sweets. Don’t miss the chance to try the purple artichokes from Sant’Erasmo, the radicchio fromTrevisoor the asparagus from Vignoles, which are all authentic delicacies to tempt the palate.

Another major attraction in San Polo is the Basilica deSanta MariaGloriosa dei Frari (St. Mary of the Friars Basilica). It is located in the southern part of the neighborhood and boasts an impressive Gothic façade. At over 80 meters, its bell tower is the second largest inVeniceafter the Basilica di San Marco (St. Mark’s Basilica). Inside, one can see magnificent panels by Titian and Bellini’s “Madonna and Child with Saints”. Nearby, in the Piazza San Rocco, you can make a stop at theChurchofSan Roccoand the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, which have numerous works by Tintoretto.

In the northern part of the neighborhood, you will find the Ca’Persaro modern art museum, which is located in the imposing palace of the familyPesaro, about which you can also read on our blog. Close by and no less impressive is the Palazzo Mocenigo, the luxurious residence of the family that shares its name. Today, it houses the city’sCostumeMuseumand holds a valuable library with more than 5,000 books, which is open to the public. And finally, there’s also theMuseumofNatural Historynearby.

More information: http://www.veniceclick.net/Pages/Venice/Guide-Venice/sPolo.htm

Elena Alvarez

Dare to discover the hidden treasures of San Polo. Stroll through its charming streets, shop in its markets, and cook with the local produce while you rent one of our apartments in Venice the best way to spend unforgettable days on the island.

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In another post on this blog we talked about the imposing Palazzo Grassi in Venice and luxury tycoon Francois-Henri Pinault’s enviable collection of international contemporary art. In order not to repeat ourselves, we will simply remind travelers that the Venetian palace as well as the site known as Punta della Dogana (which has been converted into a unique exhibition space) both host exhibitions that showcase works from Pinault’s collection. The actual exhibition on view until the end of the year – that is,December 31, 2012– has been given the disquieting name “In Praise of Doubt”.

La Punta della Dogana

The repurposed old Venetian customs house known as Punta della Dogana has an industrial air without having ever been so and a history rife with trade. It is a triangular-shaped building which opens on two sides to the waters of the canal and is attached at the base to the Palazzo Grassi. After its restoration, the building has been used as an exhibition space. It’s high, thick walls now serve as the backdrop for the collections of the multimillionaire Pinault.

All of the exhibitions are curated by Caroline Bourgeois and take many months to organize. This is due in part to the complexity in mounting and managing the works, since many of the installations and sculptures are of such a large scale and made of such diverse materials that they are difficult to move.

In Praise of Doubt

That is the name of the exhibition currently on display which runs until the end of the year. For it, a variety of works was selected from all over the world that raise questions about what is like to be changeable, about the relationship of man in a liquid environment, about the limits of transformation and something as slippery as the adaptability or the capacity of survival when the world begins such dizzying changes that a panic breaks loose.

Caroline Bourgeois has chosen not only which works are included but also the location and placement of each in the exhibition, so that each poses a question about the following and the entirety becomes a dialogue with the spectator-viewer. If we stop to view the installations by Chinese artist Chen Zhen, we may see a visual tour of the five continents of our planet or an ironic look at women as icons and objects for marketing or for sexual satisfaction (symbolized, for example, by the Barbie Doll), which references the work of North American artist Paul McCarthy. The show closes with art projects that examine the role ofVeniceas a catalyst for avant-garde art expressions over the centuries.

The artists exhibited there are very much contemporary artists – the majority of the artists were born after 1940 and some are not yet even 35 years old. As a result, it offers a unique opportunity to see what is happening in the worldwide contemporary art scene. Here is the link to the exhibition, which also has information about how to purchase tickets: http://www.palazzograssi.it/en/exhibition/in-praise-of-doubt

Candela Vizcaíno

You can even rent apartments in Venice with views of the Palacio Grassi or the Punta della Dogana. What are you waiting for?

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Finding your ideal partner is no longer a headache. The internet gives us a range of possibilities to get to know that person who adjusts the most to our interests and helps our search for a partner to share our lives with. Without doubt, the use of the internet to get to know new people and relate with them has been present since the first versions of the internet, like the case of Minitel in France, with which many people tried to make contact with others via text message, and they also used it as an erotic contact service. The internet technology allows you to explore profiles of people from all over the world, which broadens and expands your quest to find love.

Today, the options to find a partner are many. However, there are some details that you must bear in mind before using a dating page, which are known as online dating services. Before choosing the webpage that you´re going to use, check some forums and webpages related to the subject of finding a partner online, because they can give you better information on the quality of the services of these webpages and, possibly, personal accounts of couples that have met through these services. Despite the fact that some of these pages are presented as free, most of them will ask for a registration fee, as well as other payments according to the benefits or services that you want to access. Take into account that it´s important to be honest with the information that you use to complete your profile on these websites, as well as the photograph that you use to present yourself. Update your profile on these pages with real activity photos, that show you as a secure and confident person. There´s nothing more attractive than projecting yourself as confident in a photograph.

Among some of the most efficient pages to find a couple, we recommend Badoo.com, Meetic.com, Match.com and Eharmony.co.uk, which are among the most popular ones right now. However, you can find all sorts of options on the internet according to your sexual preferences, age and even fetishes. If you´re gay, for example, you can explore the webpages PrideDating.com, Gay.com and ManCrunch.com. For lesbians, LesbianRomance.com and PinkCupid.com among others. There are even pages to find love among older people, such as SeniorDatingAgency.com; love has no age, especially on the internet. When choosing the page that´s more convenient for you, you can also look for pages in other countries and languages, if what you´re looking for is meeting someone from somewhere else in the world with a different culture to yours. In love, like in war, everything is permitted, so don´t hesitate to find your partner with some of the webpages we´ve recommended.

Alexa Ray

Once you find your ideal partner on the internet, get apartments in Venice and travel together to this beautiful city. Venice is one of the most romantic cities in Europe, ideal for those who have recently fallen in love.

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The Ducal Palace is a landmark of Venice that every traveler should visit. Created in the IX Century, it became one of the most beautiful Palaces in Europe and a symbol of power in the city. It was the government´s headquarters for long periods of the Venetian Republic, and  later became a prison.

Located in the Plaza de San Marcos, it offers magnificent views of the Grand Canal and the lagoon and its facade changes color according to fluctuation in the intensity of daylight. Currently, its use is cultural and has become a museum, not only for its wealth and interesting rooms in classic style, but also because it regularly houses exhibits and has a magnificent collection of works form artists like Tintoretto, Titian, Bellini and Veronese .

To visit the palace, you can choose the traditional route or an alternative route that includes the most secret rooms. Both are interesting and  if you have the time a great idea is to do both,

In the traditional route, you will see the Museum dell´Opera, with archaeological remains of the original construction of the building, the rooms of the College, the High Council chamber (where the world´s largest oil painting stands, Paradise, painted by Tintoretto) and the residence of the Doge (chief minister). To access the latter, go up the Scala d´Oro (Golden Staircase). Inside the apartment, you can see works of art by Titian and other Italian painters, the route passes through the famous Bocca di Leone, where the Venetians deposited anonymous complaints against suspected neighbors .

The secret itinerary is a guided tour that must be booked in advance. It is done every morning at set times, in English, French or Italian, and in small groups. We visit the most secret rooms of the palace: the Board of Ontario, which explains how the government is administratively organized in Venice, officials rooms where judicial decisions were made, and crossing the Bridge of Sighs, so named because it was part of the road which sentenced to death crossed before they were executed. You also get to see the dungeons. there, you can see the torture chamber where prisoners were interrogated, and the cells that held the famous Casanova. It is an ideal visit to help you understand how the political and administrative system in the island works, along with interesting stories of Venice which the guide shares with the visitors.

Address: Plaza de San Marcos 52

Hours: 8:30 to 17:30 November to March and from 8:30 to 19 from April to October (open up to an hour before closing).

Prices: There is a single ticket for 16 euros, which gives access to all the museums of St. Mark´s Square and includes the Ducal Palace. The secret route has an additional charge of 20 euros. Both can be purchased online at http://www.vivaticket.it/festival.php?id=629&op=museiCivici&change_language=1

Elena Alvarez

If you want to spend some unforgettable days in the city of canals, nothing is better than to book one of our apartments in Venice

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The peculiar geography of Venice favors the eternal resting place of its inhabitants is in a small island called San Michele. A few minutes by vaporetto from Venice, it is a destination not to disappoint avid travelers of places off the tourist circuits.

You can start your journey in the church of San Michele in Isola, the first Renaissance building in Venice, designed by architect Mauro Codussi, key figure in the local architecture. Its façade is of marble from Istria and offers stunning views of the lagoon. The interior is divided into a nave and two islands, beautifully decorated. Passing through a door at the back of the church, you can visit the chapel Capella Emiliani, built years later, which was recently restored.

The church of San Cristoforo della Pace, though more modest than the last, is not without attractive. It was demolished for reconstruction in the XIX Century and has a bright mosaics inside that deserve a visit. The reason there are two churches on the island San Michele is that it is the result of its union in 1836 with neighboring San Cristoforo, the official cemetery of Venice since 1807.

When you reach the cemetery, keep in mind that is divided into multiple sections, so it´s a good idea if you do not have much time to carry a map of it to organize your itinerary. Otherwise, you can wander aimlessly to discover surprises that hide in the original graves. There are areas for the Orthodox, the Catholic, the Evangelical and a Protestant sections as well as curious ones as those dedicated to the gondoliers of Venice, nuns, priests or soldiers.

In the Orthodox area, there is a beautiful garden and you will see the graves of composer Stravinsky, or the one of Sergei Diaghilev, founder of Russian ballet, and members of the Russian nobility and monarchy. In the Bible Belt, lies the poet Ezra Pound. Other graves of famous people that you can visit are those of the famous composer Wolf Ferrari Ermnnano , writer Joseph Brodsky, the adventurer or the Frederick Rolfe and the painter Emma Ciardi.

The newly dead are transferred from Fondamenta Nuove in Venice in a gondola funeral. It is a solemn and moving ritual. If you have the opportunity to witness it, it is not to be missed. At the entrance of the cemetery, you can check the times of upcoming funerals.

Do not forget that the Italians a cemetery is a sacred place of rest, so please be respectful and follow the basic rules of decorum, as to etiquette and behavior.

Getting there: The quickest is to take the vaporetto 4.1 or 4.2 from Fondamenta Nuove and get off at the next stop, Cimitero, in just 5 minutes away.

Hours: The cemetery is open from 7:30 to 16, between October and March, and up to 18 hours from April to September.

Elena Alvarez

For your trip to the beautiful city of canals, choose one of our apartments in Venice and you will ensure a comfortable stay on the island.

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Sometimes we find that we don’t always have the same preferences as our partners. Whether music, movies, food, activities in summer or winter, there are times when we don’t see eye to eye. Usually you can find a compromise when you are choosing a destination, planning dinners or nights out as a pair. But what do you do if your partner doesn’t drink alcohol but you especially enjoy going to parties and drinking alcohol, cocktails and wine? Venice, like much of Italy, offers some of the best wines in the world. So, what do you do?

Choosing not to drink may stem from age restrictions or customs and traditions. Health reasons is often stated as one of the most frequently given reasons for not drinking alcohol, and your partner may not want to have his or her body altered. From allergies to liver problems or digestive issues, it is true that alcohol may not be healthy for everyone. Of course, people say that wine is a good for you and helps foster good circulation and heart health. Unfortunately, however, we cannot all drink and eat the same things. Respect your partner’s health choices and agree to choose an option that will be agreeable to him or her.

Other important reasons for abstaining from alcohol could be previous addictions or alcoholism. If your partner has chosen not to drink for this reason, it is important for you to accept and respect this decision and above all, to help his or her recovery. Alcoholism is without a doubt a difficult problem to overcome, perhaps even more so than if he or she were recovering form illegal drugs. Alcohol is a socially accepted drug and available practically everywhere you go, which makes the possibility of relapse very real since it is so very accessible.

On the other hand, your partner may have been told or seen first hand that alcohol can do great damage, or perhaps it is simply against his or her beliefs. Tolerance is important in any relationship, and you should learn to respect the decision of your beloved. Traumatic childhood experiences may be another possible reason for abstaining from alcohol. The emotional and physical state of each person can also be affected by alcohol, depending on the character of the person with whom one is involved. In each of these cases, you should speak with him or her in confidence. In Venice, one can enjoy a variety of non-alcoholic drinks in addition to the excellent wines. This way, your partner can accompany you while you enjoy a cocktail or beer and there’s no need to change your trip.

Alexa Ray

Rent apartments in Venice and enjoy romantic days with your partner in a city that is both magical and beautiful.

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The eighteenth century was a time of great wealth and artistic splendor in Venice, that the island has a museum entirely devoted to this period in the palace Ca´Rezzonico. This glorious building is one of the few palaces on the Grand Canal that you have the chance to visit when coming to to Venice. This place offers a great opportunity to learn more about art and architecture prevailing in the eighteenth century.

Located in the Dorsoduro district, its construction began in 1649 and finished in 1751, when the wealthy Rezzonico family acquired it. For the interior decorations, several artists put their expertise, including Giambattista Tiepolo, who painted some fabulous frescoes on the ceiling.

What can you visit in the museum?

Downstairs you will find access to the lovely garden, in which sometimes small performances are made, and if you go up to the mezzanine, you will see the Mestrovich interesting collection, with works by Tintoretto and Pitati.

To access the first floor you should take the spectacular stairway created by Massari for Rezzonico. It has 11 rooms: the ballroom, the room of allegory wedding, the chapel, the hall of the cakes, the room of the tapestries, the Throne Hall, the room of Tiepolo, the library, the room of Lazzarini and Brustolon room. Also, you should visit the portego, a long central corridor characteristic of Venetian palaces. In each of these rooms, one can admire furniture, paintings and sculptures from the eighteen century, as well as works by Lazzarini, Brustolon and Tiepolo.

The second floor houses the museum´s most important paintings. Through its various rooms, you can admire The Death of Giambattista Piazzetta, 1746, one of the greatest masterpieces of history painting, and creations by artists such as Canaletto, Pellegrini or Guardi. Here you can also find more frescoes by Tiepolo and the bedroom, a reconstruction of a dormitory of the eighteen-century, in which  you can find real objects used at that time.

Finally, the third floor hides a pharmacy, created with real furniture of an old Venetian pharmacy from the eighteen-century, and the Egidio Martini’s Gallery, a large collection of paintings raging from the thirteen to the twentieth century. It shows like no other the best Venetian painters.

Address: Dorsoduro 3136, 30123, Venice (vaporetto line 1, Ca´Rezzonico)

Opening hours: 10 to 17 from October to March and from 10 to 18, from April to September (you can enter up to 1 hour before closing), closed on Tuesdays.

Prices: 8 € standard rate, reduced € 4. It is included in the Museum Pass, a bond that gives access to all municipal museums of Venice for 20 € or 14 € in low rate. There are discounts for families and tickets can be purchased through the website: http://www.vivaticket.it/festival.php?id=569&op=museiCivici&change_language=1

Elena Alvarez

If you are passionate about art, you will enjoy visiting this museum. Just book one of our apartments in Venice and spend a few magical days in the city of canals.

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Each city is a body. Imagine that each area of your city is an organ, a piece of skin or hair. Some parts of this body are hidden and others revealed; they are shown with no shame, while hypnotizing us, attracting or repelling us. Imagine the city, as the path of a body that can be a different travel mode if you put your mind on it, a way of understanding the paths through space without the typical clichés of urban tourism, maps or guidebooks.

What is the sensuality of a city made of? Just walk the streets, see its public spaces, shops, restaurants, the provision of space and how it is organized, while approaching the pace of the city and get lost in it. Everybody’s different, and similarly, each city ids different: different breath, different flows, different forms of expression and different dreams. If we think of a city like New York, we realize that the pace of this city´s breathing is accelerated. Just by watching people walking back and forth with a firm, quick step, without seeing much on the sides but rather predisposed to come to some essential destination. Whether work, school or fun, you´ll notice that an excess of cultural, visual and media surrounds the citizens of New York. Thus, the sensual experience in this city can be somehow impersonal but equally disturbing and emotionally charged.

The pace of a city like Venice is completely different, event to the point of being the complete opposite side of New York. While the influx of curious tourists who invade Venice is very high, the city continues to maintain a personal one, which traces its roots in historical and artistic way, which is internationally acknowledged. The breath of Venice is aquatic; think of Venice as an amphibian, houses, neighborhoods and old buildings intersected by canals and traditional gondolas, serving as a route and means of transport respectively in the wet body of the Italian city. A tour of Venice invites you to walk alongside these winding and wide veins of water, discovering spring nights where the temperature grabs you and shakes you, bars and restaurants where the best Italian wines are at your disposal and a lot of good art.

Encouraging imagination and our desire for sensuality and pleasure is certainly essential in any of our trips and new discoveries. Don’t allow your travel adventures to become a mechanical experience. Keep the imagination of your senses awaken in each of your vacation trips and business visits. Any journey is an excuse to get lost in the living body of our cities and re-discover ourselves.

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Venice and get lost in the magic and warmth of this Italian city. If you are looking to satisfy all your senses, Venice has what you need to disconnect and lose yourself in sensuality and romance.

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