Tuesday, August 27, 2013

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9 top cities for 'detective travel'

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 11:00 PM PDT

Murder. Smuggling. Extortion. Here's all the grit your guidebook won't mention, but your favorite mystery writer will
Paris

Once upon a time it was the sunlit fjords, clean cities and reputedly gorgeous locals that drew tourists to Scandinavia.

Now it's crime, grime and darkness that's equally likely to reel them in.

A recent boom in the popularity of so-called Nordic noir -- TV cop dramas and crime novels based in northern Europe -- has seen fans making pilgrimages to the scene of the crime, the Scandinavian cities featured therein.

But why stop there?

With France tipped as the next hotbed of Euro-crime fiction, there's plenty of vacation inspiration from the doings of Gaelic gumshoes.

There's no reason to limit your detective travels to Europe.

Why travel like a private eye? The reason, as Sherlock Holmes would say, is elementary.

Whereas traditional guidebooks stick to the boring old tourist mill, crime fiction steers its readers to the seamier corners of the city, where mystery, adventure and possibly even sauciness lie in wait.

Let's look at the evidence.

Exhibit A: Stockholm

StockholmSödermalm, Stockholm: interesting shops, groovy people and home to fictional amateur sleuth Blomkvist.Detectives: Mikael Blomkvist, a bed-hopping journalist whose worthy but dull scoops lead him to lock horns with suits, sadists and psychopaths.

Lisbeth Salander, a tattooed security consultant who hacks computers, kicks ass and wreaks nasty revenge.

Both appeared in Stieg Larsson's "Millennium" trilogy.

Guide books say: Pretty Scandinavian city once home to Vikings and ABBA.

Crime fiction says: In Södermalm, the buzzing island suburb that both Blomkvist and Salander call home, you'll find stunning views, interesting shops and groovy people.

Stockholm City Museum now offers guided tours of Millennium trilogy locations.

Crime scene: Mellqvist Kaffebar, Hornsgatan 78; +46 (0)76 875 29 92. The coffee shop and cafe was a favorite of both the late Larsson and his characters.

Exhibit B: Copenhagen, Denmark

CopenhagenCopenhagen's twee tourist siren the Little Mermaid isn't what you're inner detective is after.Detectives: Inspector Sarah Lund, an obsessive near-sociopath with a stylish taste in knitwear who has relentlessly chased suspects through three twisty seasons of TV drama "The Killing."

Guide books say: Visit the twee Little Mermaid or the happy hippies of Christiania commune.

Crime fiction says: Lund's city is dark, cold, perpetually overhung with rain clouds, riddled with corruption and littered with corpses.

Lund's $370 Faroe island sweater might steal the show, but there are plenty of other stars, not least the elaborate brick-built City Hall, the austere police headquarters or the upscale Østerbro district that Lund initially called home.

Crime scene: Holberg No. 19 cafe, Holbergsgade 19d; +45 33 14 01 90. A favorite of "Killing" star Sophie Gråbøl.

Exhibit C: Edinburgh, Scotland

EdinburghThe detective tour of Edinburgh is all back alleyways and dark staircases.Detective: Inspector John Rebus, a grizzled former military man whose prodigious love of jazz about equals his thirst for beer and whisky.

Guide books say: Och aye! Bagpipes, tartan and ancient castles.

Crime fiction says: Och no! Rebus pursues murderers, gangsters and bent politicians through Edinburgh's back alleyways and dark staircases to locations ranging from rundown housing projects to the Scottish parliament -- with plenty of booze stops along the way. The guided Rebus tour does it best.

Crime scene: The Oxford Bar, 8 Young St.; +44 (0)131 539 7119. Real life regulars at Rebus's favorite watering hole crop up in author Ian Rankin's novels.

Exhibit D: Paris

LachaiseDo you prefer the romantic boulevards of Paris or the spooky ones of Pere Lachaise cemetery?The detective: Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg, a scruffy daydreamer who wouldn't last cinq minutes in most police forces. But quelle surprise, his eccentric methods get results.

Guide books say: Ah Paris! City of romance, of style, of architecture, of je ne sais quoi.

Crime fiction says: Ah Paris! City of pestilence, superstition and medieval grudges.

Author Fred Vargas conjures a French capital of introspective and untidy communities populated by amiable weirdoes.

It's a far cry from the boutique-filled boulevards. This is a grubbier, more vital world and, as Vargas's florid plots unfurl, no less filled with je ne sais quoi.

Crime scene: Père-Lachaise Cemetery, Av. Gambetta. Built to re-accommodate Paris black death victims, this tangled graveyard is classic Adamsberg territory.

Exhibit E: Oslo, Norway

OsloNot-really-so-mean streets of Oslo; even the city's fictional detectives live in leafy neighborhoods.The detective: Inspector Harry Hole, a brilliant sleuth whose maverick methods, alcoholism and troubled love life leave him constantly teetering between promotion and dismissal.

Guide books say: Boats in museums -- choose from Viking vessels or the Kon-tiki, weird park-based art (the heebie jeebie-inducing Vigelandsparken sculpture collection) and an opera house. Plus fish. 

Crime fiction says: There aren't really any mean streets in Oslo -- Hole's home address on Sofies Gate is in the city's leafy Hanshaugen district -- so Nesbø adds grit via his hero's frequent trips to bars such as the Underwater pub (so gritty it hosts regular opera nights).

Crime scene: Restaurant Schrøder, Waldemar Thranes Gate 8; +47 22 60 51 83. A stodge-serving Norwegian eatery frequented by Hole when he's barred elsewhere.

Exhibit H: Marseille, France

Marseille"Nothing for tourists in Marseille," says one of its great crime novelists; on the other hand, there's plenty to eat.The detective: Fabio Montale, a boozy and lovelorn cop hungry for justice and hungrier for Mediterranean cuisine.

Guide books say: Explore the Old Port, stroll along La Canebière avenue, lose yourself in the exotic Panier district.

Crime fiction says: Writer Jean-Claude Izzo captures the smells and tastes of Marseille, but imbues Montale with his own ambivalence toward the city.

In his trio of crime novels, Izzo spends half his time hymning about France's second city and the rest despairing about its evils. As he bluntly puts it: "Marseille isn't a city for tourists. There's nothing to see."

Crime scene: Chez Loury, 3 Rue Fortia; +33( 0)4 9133 0973. Also a keen food writer, Izzo sings the praises of this classic Provençal restaurant.

Exhibit I: Ystad, Sweden

YstadYstad: one of Swedish detective Kurt Wallander's favorite hangouts.The detective: We're back in Sweden, this time in the southern Skåne peninsula where insomniac Inspector Kurt Wallander defies his own shambolic lifestyle to catch criminals.

Guide books say: The charming town of Ystad is surrounded by pretty fields, splendid castles and golf courses. Zzzzzzz.

Crime fiction says: Writer Henning Menkell sees only stark, windswept countryside where bodies wash up on deserted beaches and teenagers are butchered in woodland glades.

Crime scene: Hotel Continental, Hamngatan 13; +46 411 137 00. Where Wallander eats numerous lonely dinners for one.

Exhibit F: Cape Town

Cape TownA detective's guide to Cape Town is more compelling than the official version.The detective: Inspector Benny Griessel, a brilliant sleuth whose maverick methods, alcoholism ... you know the rest.

Guide books say: With Table mountain, the V&A waterfront and vineyards, Cape Town is South Africa's jewel.

Crime fiction says: Cape Town suffers from the same corruption, poverty and apartheid hangovers as the rest of South Africa, and has the body count to prove it. But writer Deon Meyer's dusty city is far more exciting than the yawn-inducing destination portrayed in travel brochures.

Crime scene: Carlucci's Deli, 22 Upper Orange Street; +27 (0)21 465 0795. A sandwich bar that is the hub of the action in Meyer's page-turning "Thirteen Days."

Exhibit G: Shanghai

ShanghaiShanghai's poetry-loving gumshoe thrives in the rigid structures of China's Communist PartyThe detective: Chief Inspector Chen Cao, the opposite of Hole and Grissel. He's a poetry-loving gumshoe who thrives within the rigid structures of China's Communist Party.

Guide books say: Gaze in awe at ultra-rich Shanghai's rapidly expanding skyscape.

Crime fiction says: Gaze with respect at disappearing ways of life and those who fall victim when money, power and politics collide.

Crime scene: Laobanzhai restaurant, 600 Fuzhou Road; +86 21 6322 3668. Author Qiu Xiaolong's favorite.

Insider Guide: Best of Venice

Posted: 25 Aug 2013 09:19 PM PDT

On any given day, there are as many tourists in the Floating City as there are locals. With our expert guide, you can enjoy Venice as both

In its heyday, the Queen of the Adriatic was the world capital of publishing, banking, jewelry and trade.

Venetians established the first bank at Rialto in 1157, the first written patent law in 1474, the first ghetto in 1516, the first casino in 1638, the first art Biennale in 1895 and the first film festival in 1932.

These days, the local population has dwindled to less than 60,000, while the number of tourists has soared to over 20 million a year. But the best of Venice is tucked away from the eyes of the masses, often hidden in plain sight.

The cultural and luxury market is thriving. In addition to art and cinema, La Biennale has expanded to include dance, theater and music, as well as becoming the most important architecture festival in the world.

High fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton and Diesel have teamed up with the city to breathe new life into ancient monuments.

You will get lost in Venice. It's part of the fun. Don't worry; we'll guide you through the best of Venice.

Hotels

Luxury

Sleep under a Tiepolo ceiling in Aman Resort's first property in a major European city.

Aman Canal Grande Venice 

Throughout the centuries, Palazzo Papadopoli has been peppered with colorful characters, hosting grand parties and welcoming visitors from around the world.

Now the Arrivabene family has found a clever solution to continue that tradition.

The 16th-century palace is still the home of Count Giberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga and his wife, Bianca, who live on the top floor with their five kids.

They rent out the rest of the property to Aman Resorts, and guests are encouraged to consider it their palazzo-away-from-home.

There are only 24 rooms for guests, plus two private gardens and a rooftop terrace -- making you feel like you are a privileged guest at a cozy, civilized house party that has been going on for centuries.

Aman Canal Grande Venice, Palazzo Papadopoli, Calle Tiepolo 1364, Sestiere San Polo; +39 041 270 7333; from €1,000 ($1,330) per night

The Gritti has hosted luminaries from Sir Winston Churchill and Charles De Gaulle to Bruce Springsteen and Al Pacino.

The Gritti Palace

After a 34 million ($46 million) nip and tuck, the Gritti recently reopened in all its familiar splendor. The spirit of Ernest Hemingway still permeates the corridors of this Venetian institution, right down the hall from where Somerset Maughan once found his muse.

New themed suites have been added: the Peggy Guggeheim Suite boasts a Pablo Serrano sculpture and Manolo Valdes' Dora Marr on the wall, along with a view of Peggy's place, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, across the canal; the La Fenice Heritage Suite features a centuries-old harpsichord; the Redentore Terrazza Suite with its 250-square-meter rooftop terrace, complete with mini pool and views across the Grand Canal, is the most impressive.

The Gritti Palace, Campo Santa Maria del Giglio, 2467, Sestiere San Marco; +39 041 794 611; from €485 ($650) per night 

Mid-range

Keepin' it in'a the famiglia.

Hotel Al Sole
Hotel Al Sole is housed in a palazzo built at the beginning of the 1400s for one Giovanni Marcello, and is still owned by the Marcello family whose roots stretch back more than a millennium.

Its members include bishops and admirals, composers and commanders -- Titian himself painted a portrait of Doge Nicolò Marcello.

The hotel is strategically located close to Piazzale Roma and Campo Santa Margherita with comfortable rooms and a peaceful garden.

Warning: the spirits of the ancestors have free reign, so you just might find yourself sharing your room with an ambassador to the Sultan.

Hotel Al Sole, Santa Croce 134/136, Sestiere Santa Croce; +39 041 244 0328; from €125 ($170) per night

The Romanelli family have been hoteliers in Venice for generations, and know their way around town.

Novecento Boutique Hotel

The Novecento Boutique Hotel is off Campo San Maurizio, which puts it right in the center of Venice's universe, but out of range of the maddening crowds.

The furnishings and tapestries are Far East and Mediterranean originals, a reminder of the days when Venice and the Orient were trading partners.

There are only nine rooms, all with en-suite bathrooms and exotically furnished common areas, an "honesty bar," plus a small garden for breakfast when the weather is fine.

Novecento Boutique Hotel, Calle del Dose, 2683/84, Sestiere San Marco; +39 041 241 3765; from €200 ($270) per night

Budget

Good deal if you can find it.

Corte 1321 Bed & Breakfast

There are only four rooms at Corte 1321 Bed & Breakfast: two quads, one triple and one double, all with en-suite bathrooms. The price is 50 euro per person.

If you can fit yourself into one of those categories, you will score a great location, tasteful furnishings, a private courtyard complete with ancient well, Wi-Fi and a TV -- one quad even comes with a kitchen.

If you're a single, or you're a couple who want to stay in a quad, the price is higher, depending on the season.

Close to the Rialto Bridge, it is difficult to find, but easy to reach once you get your bearings. 

Corte 1321, San Polo 1321, Sestiere San Polo; +39 041 522 4923; from €50 ($67) per person 

Apartments

Because Venice isn't much of a food town anyway.

Views on Venice
If you plan to stay in Venice for three nights or more, renting an apartment allows you to "live like a Venetian," particularly if you like to cook.

Filippo Gaggia is the personable owner who handles the most desirable properties in Venice, from moderate to expensive -- he even rents his family palazzo, the impressive Palazzo Loredan dell'Ambasciatore, once home to the ambassadors of the Holy Roman Empire.

Views on Venice, San Marco 4267/a; +39 041 241 1149; from €180 ($240) per night, 3-night minimum

Dining

Grancaffé Quadri, abcQuadri and Ristorante Quadri

Ristorante Quadri was awarded one Michelin star in 2012.

 

Ristorante Quadri (upstairs)

In a merger of the Titans, the Alajmo family, of the renowned Le Calandre -- the three-star Michelin restaurant in nearby Padua -- took over the Quadri in Piazza San Marco back in 2011, transfusing fine dining with an awesome view of one of the most dramatic venues on the planet.

Max Alajmo designed the menu, zapping traditional Venetian and Italian classics into the 21st century.

The focus is on fish that arrives daily from the Rialto market. The Laguna tasting menu includes Burrata cheese ravioli with mixed seafood, fresh tomatoes and oregano.

Ristorante Quadri, Piazza San Marco 121 (upstairs); +39 041 522 2105; closed Monday; expensive

Keep calm and Quadri on.

Grancaffé Quadri and abcQuadri (downstairs)

In 1725, Giorgio Quadri and his wife, who were from Corfu, bought the coffee house in Piazza San Marco and began serving Turkish coffee, a new delight. Three hundred years later, the show plays on, from breakfast through nightcaps, the famed Quadri orchestra playing in the background.

Now that the Alajmo family operates the Quadri, if you step inside and stand up at the bar, you can actually get a caffé for €1.10 ($1.50) and Venetian appetizers called cicchetti for €2.00 ($2.70).

If you don't feel like getting dressed to go upstairs for dinner, grab a plate of pasta at the abcQuadri, which offers Alajmo-inspired cooking in a relaxed atmosphere.

Grancaffé Quadri and abcQuadri; Piazza San Marco 121 (downstairs); +39 041 522 2106; budget-expensive

This is where Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis and Orson Wells drank the night away, and remains a favorite of professional drinkers the world over.

Harry's Bar

Bartender Giuseppe Cipriani founded Harry's Bar in 1931 after having a 10,000-lira loan repaid by a young American man named Harry Pickering, who threw in an extra 30,000 lira so Cipriani could open a high-society bar.

It was an instant hit, attracting the international elite. The next year Giuseppe's son was born, and he named him Arrigo, which is Italian for Harry, who runs the show today.

Harry's Bar is a Venetian rite of passage. The Bellini -- puréed white peache and prosecco -- was invented here, as well as the Carpaccio, created for an ailing countess ordered by her doctor to eat raw meat.

The food is classic Venetian. The chocolate cake is divine.​

Harry's Bar; Calle Vallaresso 1323; Sestiere San Marco; +39 041 528 5777; expensive

You can't get more Venetian than Al Vagon.

Ristorante Al Vagon

Celsa Grinzato grew up at Al Vagon, which was bought by her parents in 1951. Her husband and kids work there; now her granddaughter is growing up there, too.

The fresh produce comes from San Erasmo, a local island in the lagoon; the fish comes from the Rialto market. Celsa makes the desserts by hand; the semifreddo alla meringa -- ice cream cake -- is a specialty.

Located on a quiet canal, there is plenty of outdoor seating where you can watch the gondolas go by.

Ristorante Al Vagon; Cannaregio 5597; +39 041 523 7558; closed Tuesdays; moderate

You might be more of a sandwich than the food, depending on the hour.

Bar Rialto da Lollo

The best tramezzini and panini -- sandwiches -- in Venice are in this little cafe under the Sottoportici degli Oresi at the Rialto Bridge. The codfish and artichoke tramezzino is a standout and the coffee is excellent.

The place is packed with locals at lunch; eat standing up or try to squish your way onto a stool. 

Bar Rialto da Lollo; Sestiere San Polo 57; +39 041 520 0106; closed Sunday; budget

 

Nightlife

Clubbing as it's known in the outside world is almost nonexistent in Venice, with noise ordinances kicking in at 11:00 p.m., codes against live music and elderly Venetian women armed with watering cans on patrol in top-floor apartments. However, a few places have managed to wriggle their way around the rules.

Remember: there are no cars in Venice, so no worries about driving home.

Campo San Giacomo di Rialto and the Erberia

According to legend, it was here that Venice was born on March 25, 421 A.D. at 12:00 noon, and it is still a major hub in the Venetian wheel.

The bars and eateries in and around Campo San Giacomo di Rialto -- known locally as San Giacometto -- and the adjoining Erberia have evolved into Venice's main party scene.

Think of the campo as a giant, outdoor living room, connected by a bunch of different dining rooms, bars, cafes and kitchens. Some places have live music; some have DJs, some just have a good sound system. 

You can segue from spritz hour to dinner to after-dinner drinks to rowdy rocking to weeping in your best friend's arms without ever having to leave the zone.

Campo San Giacomo di Rialto and environs, from morning to late night

Tourists have recently taken up the habit, ignoring protocol and drinking spritzes at all sorts of strange hours.

Spritz

It's a Venetian tradition to have a spritz with friends after work and before dinner, and bars all over town serve them up with gusto.

The spritz was introduced in Venice when it was under Austrian occupation in the early 1900s, and is a mixture of white wine or prosecco, seltzer, and either Aperol, Campari (more bitter) or Select (sweeter), adorned with an olive and an orange slice and usually served on ice.

Spritzes are often accompanied by some sort of snack, from potato chips to cichetti (Venetian appetizers).

Spritz - Served at every self-respecting bar in Venice; starting at about €2 ($2.70) 

There are a couple of terrific girl singers in Venice, and sometimes you will find them at Remer.

Taverna al Remer

Remer is one of the few establishments in Venice (outside of hotels) that knows what happy hour and a cocktail is. It feels like a tavern, with clunky wooden tables, but with a touch of class -- discreet antiques are scattered throughout.

There is a piano, and that means there is music, and musicians dropping by. If you want dinner conversation, it's best to sit in the other room.

Outside there is a small square on the Grand Canal, and a little dock with a great view of the Rialto Bridge, where you can wander with your best-of-Venice drinks.

At lunch (noon-3:00 p.m.) there is a substantial all-you-can eat-buffet with local produce, including wine, water and cofee for €20.00 ($27).

At Happy Hour (5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) there is an all-you-can-eat snack table with cocktail included for €8.00 ($10.70).

Dinner starts at 8:00 p.m., serving local Venetian classics, mainly fish.

The music starts cranking at 9:00 p.m. and has been known to last until 1:00 a.m. and beyond, depending on the crowd. As the evening wears on, tables get shoved out of the way and the dancing begins. 

Taverna al Remer; Cannaregio 5701, Campiello del Remer, Sestiere Cannaregio; +39 415 228 789; budget-moderate; closed all day Wednesday and Sunday lunch

Shopping and Attractions

Venice keeps one foot firmly planted in the past. It has been compared to Disneyland, but it is actually the Magic Kingdom, where jobs such as maskmaker, glass blower, gondolier and fish monger still exist, and counts and countesses still live in palazzi.

From Palladio to Titian, the immense amount of art and architecture concentrated in such a small area can dazzle the senses.

Saint Mark's Basilica. The Doge's Palace. Teatro La Fenice. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The Prada Foundation. Palazzo Grassi. Punta della Dogana. The Giorgio Cini Foundation. La Biennale. And much, much more.

Vaporetto dell'Arte

If you buy a normal time-limited vaporetto (water bus) ticket from 12 hours to a week, and pay €10 euro more at the time you purchase your ticket, you can ride on the Art Vaporetto for as long as your ticket lasts.

This is something every sane person should do.

Instead of being stuck on a boat with the sweltering masses, you can ride on a comfy vaporetto with Wi-Fi, put in your earplugs and listen to a guided tour of the Grand Canal as you travel down one of the most spectacular water ways on the planet.

The Vaporetto dell'Arte runs from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. every 30 minutes, seven days a week, and makes only 10 stops.

It highlights the art and culture to be found at each stop, provides a map, and encourages visitors to hop on and off to take it all in.

Vaporetto dell'Arte; purchase at vaporetto (ACTV) ticket offices throughout the city; the one-day ticket for the Vaporetto dell'Arte on its own, without the standard ticket is €24 ($32)

Venice's new Luis Vuitton Maison store is the second of its kind in Italy, after Rome.

Louis Vuitton Venezia

A "Maison" offers an exclusive range of services that are not available in regular Louis Vuitton stores, like a nifty VIP shopping salon that disappears behind a wall and Made to Measure shoes. Maisons are also larger and are housed in distinct buildings -- in this case, the former Cinema San Marco designed in 1936 by architect Brenno del Giudice, a manifesto for contemporary architecture in its time.

On the top floor, the store features a very cool exhibition space. Vuitton has partnered with the Fondazione Musei Civici a Venezia, Venice's Civic Museums, to sponsor the restoration of classic artworks, which are loaned to this new space.

Then, a contemporary artist is invited to exhibit, inspired by the classic work.

The newly-opened store's opening exhibit is entitled "Where should Othello go?" and features the restored painting The Death of Othello (1879) by Pompeo Molmenti, together with the contemporary video art Strawberry-Ecstasy-Green (2013) by New York-based artist Tony Oursler, and runs through November 24, 2013.

Louis Vuitton Venezia; San Marco 1345; +39 041 522 4500; expensive

Ground zero, mask.

La Bottega dei Mascareri

Maskmaking in Venice can be documented back to the 13th century, when masks were used for a variety of reasons -- in the government, on the stage, as a form of dress and as a means of disguise.

During Carnival, social and class distinctions were flipped on their heads, with servants dressing up as masters and vice versa.

These days there seems to be a mask shop on every corner, but only a handful are the real deal -- most are Chinese imitations.

Sergio Boldrin and his brother, Massimo, have been a major force in keeping this early art form alive.

La Bottega's creations are completely handmade the traditional way, from papier-mâché, and were featured in the film, Eyes Wide Shut.

La Bottega dei Mascareri, San Polo 80 (Rialto), +39 041 522 3857; budget-expensive

The flavor of the East spiced with a British touch.

Gems of Venice

The Venetian Marco Polo was one of the most famous travelers on the ancient Silk Road, together with his father and uncle. After traveling through the Far East for more than two decades, they returned in rags to Venice in 1295.

No one believed they were the Polos, nor any of the amazing tales they had to tell, so they arranged a banquet, ripped open the linings of their ragged coats, and out tumbled a fortune in gems.

Centuries later, Gems of Venice continues that tradition, although these days the gems arrive by FedEx.

For more than 30 years, Angela Cook, the British-born founder of the boutique, has traveled to exotic locales on her own quest for treasures to offer her clientele.

In her workshop close to the Rialto Bridge, local artisans assemble the jewels into unique, wearable works of art.

Gems of Venice (formerly Ganesha); San Polo 1044; +39 041 522 5148; moderate-expensive

Vascellari also sells the usual designer glasses -- like these Swarovski specs -- and performs an excellent eye exam.

Ottica Vascellari

Optician Robert Vascellari became so frustrated with the quality of designer glasses that he decided to create his own line, together with his relatives in the Dolomites.

The family had been in the optic business for generations, originating in the 1930s with Roberto's grandfather, up in Calalzo di Cadore.

The Vascellari fabbrica is in a rural, Alpine area, surrounded by mountains and nature, which is the inspiration for their eyeglasses. The materials they use are derived from cotton.

Bees-wax and wood are used in the last steps of production, so the eyeglasses you wear on your face are composed of natural materials. 

Even though Vascellari eyeglasses are handmade, they actually cost less than the average designer glasses, priced around 100 euro.

Ottica Vascellari, Ruga Rialto 1030, Sestiere San Polo; +39 041 522 9388; closed Sunday and Monday; moderate-expensive

Rosanna Corrà's motto: "We don't always need to do things by the book."

Càrte Venezia

Rosanna Corrà creates marbled paper and then, with cardboard, turns that paper into usable or wearable works of art.

Diaries and agendas. Paper jewelry: earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, brooches and belts. Purses. Bowls. Furniture. And lots more. Even Rosanna doesn't know what she's going to paper-ize next.

Trained in antique book restoration and binding, Rosanna is continually experimenting with paper as a medium.

From conception to design to construction of models to the finished product, she is constantly pushing the envelope.

Càrte Venezia; Calle dei Cristi 1731, Sestiere San Polo; +39 320 024 8776; budget-expensive

Minds get blown right along with the glass.

Simone Cenedese - Vetro di Murano

Murano has always been a secretive island, only a five-minute vaporetto ride from the center of Venice, yet mysterious enough even to Venetians. Glassmaking traditions pass from father to son. Competition and copying are rampant.

Feuds rage between different branches of the same family. The industry is of such importance that, in the past, a traitorous glassblower who revealed his secrets would be punished by exile or even death.

Simone Cenedese was born into a glass-blowing family. As one of the youngest maestros on the island, he has earned international respect. Cenedese specializes in contemporary lighting and sculptures, and has one of the more outstanding showrooms on Murano.

Simone Cenedese Glass Factory; Fondamenta Vetrai, 68, Murano; 041 527 4455; expensive

Book on upstairs for Venice's temple of tome.

Acqua Alta Bookshop

There is a gondola piled high with books inside Acqua Alta Bookshop, the self-proclaimed "Most Beautiful Bookshop in the World."

There are books in the bathtubs. Books on the walls. Out back along the patio is a staircase made of encyclopedias that leads to a view of a quiet canal.

There are thousands and thousands of books inside Libreria Acqua Alta, some new, most used; most are in Italian, but also come in a smattering of languages. The owner, Luigi Frizzo, is saving all the books.

Acqua Alta means "high water," and is a tide which invades Venice with ever-increasing frequency, flooding the streets and shops.The gondola inside the shop is like a Noah's ark for books, as are the bathtubs.

There are also postcards, posters, a small English-language section near the side door, an erotic section complete with Casanova condoms and plenty of cats.

Libreria Acqua Alta; Calle Longa Santa Maria Formosa, 5176; Sestiere of Castello; +39 041 296 0841; budget-moderate

Only in Venice

The cabs here smell a lot better.

Gondola

The elegant, black gondola is Venice's most well-known symbol. Designed to maneuver the waters of the canals and the lagoon, a gondola is an ancient method of transportation, hand-crafted down to the smallest detail.

These days, a gondola ride is mandatory for many tourists, but pricey. Is it worth it? Yes.

There is another Venice that is only visible at water level, and there is only one Venice. It's a trip into another dimension. Sunset is a good time to go.

Just stroll around town and when you see a gondola that catches your fancy, that's your ride.

Gondolas, located throughout Venice; €80-100 ($106-133) per gondola for about 40 minutes

The Rialto Markets

Get a whole squid for just a few quid.

The Fish Market

Venice's fish market has been around since the year 1097, and is one area where you'll find many locals actually doing their shopping, especially if you go on Saturday morning.

Located near the Rialto Bridge on the San Polo side, the fish market is now in the Pescaria, a "modern" covered pavilion built in 1907. 

Stalls of unrecognizable squiggly creatures are arranged on crushed ice, as well as more familiar fish like shrimp, squid, tuna and salmon, all with their prices and place of origin clearly labeled.   

If a fisherman gets lucky, there is sometimes a dismayed swordfish on display.  

The Fish Market; Pescaria at Rialto; closed Sunday and Monday; moderate

Market on your calendar.The Fruit & Vegetable Market

Right next to the Rialto Fish Market is the Fruit & Vegetable Market, with its ever-changing produce, depending on the season.

Fresh vegetables and fruit from the local islands of San Erasmo and Vignole are on offer, as well as imports from the exotic Mediterranean and beyond.

Nothing is more exciting than when the castraurearrive, which are tiny "castrated" artichokes grown only on local islands in the spring -- it's gotten to the point where you have to know somebody to get your hands on some.

Most stalls close around 1:00 p.m., but some have started staying open until the evening.  

The Fruit & Vegetable Market, Campo de la Pescaria, closed Sunday, budget-moderate

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