Libreria Acqua Alta

It would be easy to miss this enormous bookshop tucked away at the end of Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa, but make sure you don’t. And don’t forget to wear your rubber boots.

Even if you’re not a big reader, Libreria Acqua Alta is a purely Venetian experience, one that offers far more than books. Like, for one thing, a real gondola right in the middle of the store. And, for another, a cozy little family of rescued feral cats sauntering around the place or snoozing in a basket out front. (Watch out – most of them are affectionate, but a couple of them will smack or spit at you if you touch them.)

If you are a big reader, well, prepare to spend some serious time here. There are piles and piles of new and used books and magazines, vintage graphic novels, archival materials of every ilk, a considerable collection of erotica, even a few boxes of old sheet music. (My friend “P” recently found a set of Bach’s cello suites here. His dealer in London offered him a small fortune for them!) Then there are posters, journals, prints, post cards, greeting cards, gift wrap, and… well… I don’t even know what all.

But the weirdest and most wonderful thing about Libreria Acqua Alta is this: its back door opens directly into a canal, and the lagoon wanders in every now and then. Very frequently when I shop here, I find myself slogging around through a few inches of water. I gotta tell ya – it’s a very odd feeling that, I’m certain, no other bookshop in the world offers. You should try it.

Libreria Acqua Alta
Castello 5176A, Campiello del Tintor

Venetian things: Carnevale

I cannot in good conscience encourage you to visit Venice during Carnevale season because, quite frankly, I do not think Carnevale is much fun as it is made to seem, nor do I like the shortsighted, destructive things Venice does to herself in the name of Carnevale. I think the city is much better enjoyed at just about any other time. But I can certainly understand the rest of the world’s fascination with the masked festivities so... OK. Very well. Let’s talk about it.

It’s good to remember that today’s Venetian pre-Lenten blowout is not an extension of the centuries old tradition that gave Venice her reputation for theatrics and decadence, but rather something that was recreated in the 1970s, as a means to give tourism a boost and bring more cash into the city’s struggling economy. In short, it’s fake. Still, fake can be fun for some, so come if you must.

That said, you will want to book well in advance because Venetian hotels are jammed and very costly at this time of year. Another idea might be to rent an apartment. Go online to find one. There are scads of them available. Use your map and pay some attention to location, but remember that prices are better off the beaten path and, as this is a rather small place, nothing is really too far from anything else. Proximity to a vaporetto station is nice, but not an absolute must.

Now you must decide if you are the adventurous, get-into-the-spirit type or the shy, stand-on-the-sidelines type. If you are the latter, your work is done. Just arrive in Venice and gape and point with the other onlookers. If you are the former, you will need something to do besides wandering around town. The Venetian tourist board’s marketing promises aside, festive opportunities for showing off your costume and reveling with other merrymakers don’t just spontaneously spring up on every street corner. So plan ahead.

Last year I was surprised at how little actually happens that's free or cheap during Carnevale. Just a parade, some loud live music, and a handful of street and theatrical performances. If you want to really dress up and attend a costume event or two, you will need to find out what parties are open to the general public and make reservations in advance. Again, the internet is your source. Prepare to burn a good-sized hole in your wallet… and that’s before you rent your costume and buy your mask!

If you would like to read about the details of my curmudgeonly view of Carnevale, visit my original blog (access it through my profile) and see Post-Carnevale thoughts, 7 February 2008. But if you’ve read this far in this post, I imagine you would prefer to skip it.

Still, you might have fun with:
Frittelle, Galani & Castagnole, 25 January 2008 (about special Carnevale sweets)
Carnevale weirdness, 5 February 2008 (about my own odd Carnevale memories)
I spy., 3 February 2008 (about the fun I had spying while masked and costumed)

The forecast? Fine!

Chances are, the Venetian weather will not be perfect every day of your stay. I am forever hearing some visitor whine about how the humidity and heat or the rain and chill or the inconvenient acqua alta absolutely spoiled the vacation.

Here's what I say: "Crybabies, stay home!"

If you hole up in your hotel or hostel because of a little nasty precipitation or an overheated breeze, you're likely to miss a real opportunity. Venice is often at her most beautiful when the weather is at its worst. So get out and see what the lady La Serenissima really looks like.

Study the colors of the Grand Canal and Bacino waters as they shift and change. See that old magician "La Nebbia" (fog) make entire islands and buildings and boats disappear and reappear before your eyes. Pick a trattoria with big windows on a narrow street so you can catch the nimble ballet of bobbing umbrellas. Bundle up and enjoy the poetic solitude - a rare thing in Venice - when all the timid souls have scurried inside to stay dry. Have a really good glass of wine somewhere near the water and watch as the incoming tide bubbles up through the pavement, creeps up the fondamenta steps or down the street, changes a campo into a pond. (And if you're coming at acqua alta time, for Heaven's sake, remember to bring your waterproof boots!)

Savvy travelers know, it's far more romantic here when the forecast is less than rosy. And besides - the prices are better too.

La Cantina

Time for lunch - preferably in a place where we can sit outside…

Few osterie in town strike the balance of appealing to both Venetians and outsiders. La Cantina appears to do it effortlessly. I like the spirit here, even if it did take me a little while to cross the threshold – it is so obviously an insider place that I was hesitant at first. But after two visits, I was treated like a regular.

Inside I have found mostly food-savvy locals and a few tourists who instinctively sense the level of quality that’s somewhat obscured by the modest, traditional interior and who are not put off by the staff’s initial aloofness.

Francesco prepares most of what’s served right at his little prep counter in the dining area, so you know everything’s fresh. He makes the most beautiful platters of cheeses and meats or (even better!) seafood specialties. When you see someone else’s, you’ll want one for yourself. There's also a terrific soup everyday (check the barrel outside to see what kind) and a few good hot and cold dishes. Another good thing to know: fresh oysters are often available.

It’s not all that easy to get a look at a menu or the prices here – they prefer to tell you what the kitchen’s offering and let your tab be a surprise. (Eek!) But some of us are undaunted, and we are always rewarded with fine fare, special beers, and first-class wines. And that tab – it’s never too painful.

So don’t you be shy. Go right in and get started.

La Cantina
Cannaregio 3689, Campo San Felice
041-522-8258
Closed Sunday and Monday

Something fishy here...

Promise me that when you come to Venice, you will visit the fishmarket at Rialto.

The fishmarket?!

Yes, I know - there are so many important things to do and see here, like the Basilica and the Doge's Palace, Accademia and the Guggenheim, not to mention Prada and Gucci and the new Hard Rock Cafe (Right! Like you've never been to one of those before!).

But you'll visit Rialto sometime anyway, so why not go early one morning and see this classic (and probably oldest) Venetian ritual - the exchange of hard-earned cash for ultra-fresh fish and seafood? Here's what to do...

Get yourself over to the Ca' d'Oro vaporetto stop, then walk to the Santa Sofia traghetto station. (Anyone can point it out for you.) When the boat comes, pony up the 50 centesimi, step in and ride across the Grand Canal straight over to the Mercato del Pesce just like the locals do. (You could just walk to the mercato, but this way is a lot more fun.)

Wander around and see what's for sale. Listen and watch what happens as commerce is conducted - I suspect little has changed here for hundreds of years. Pick up a few tips from the scallop shuckers and the eel skinners. Find the old plaque written in Venetian dialect that lists the minimum legal sizes for fish and shellfish being sold - it's still the standard here. Stick around as the vendors close up and you'll see a hilarious ruckus as the seabirds fight for discarded scraps. I guarantee you'll be looking at the real Venice.

If you would like to read more on this subject, visit my original blog (access it through my profile) and see these posts:
Rialto, 16 December 2007 (about my shopping experience at Rialto)
Fish fight, 15 February 2008 (about those rumbling seabirds)
Right now!!, 4 June 2008 (about a great little lunch spot at the market)
Shopping: the seafood, 13 June 2008 (about the variety of seafood available at the market)

Venetian things: Spritz

While we're on the subject of the giro hour... Here is a post from my original blog (which can be accessed through my profile on this page). It was published 9 June 2008 under the title
Spritz! (Yuk!).

No matter how long I live here, and no matter what I do, there is one great obstacle that prevents me from ever becoming a true Venetian. And that is this pretty cocktail, affectionately known as a spritz. By twenty-to-one, it’s the preferred drink here at the giro hour, or any other time of day for that matter. I see Venetians knocking these things back like cold water all day long. But a nastier concoction you have never tasted. If they locked me in the dreaded pozze (the “wells” – the darkest, dankest cells of Venice’s old prison) and would not let me out until I downed a spritz, I might well be stuck there for days.

The spritz tradition began early in the nineteenth century, when Austrian occupying troops found Venice’s wines too strong for their taste, so they cut them with water or seltzer. How the jump was made to adding another spirit to the mix is a mystery that no one has yet been able to explain to me. (I think it was probably the influence of an aggressive advertising campaign from the folks at Campari. Remember the gigantic, red neon “CAMPARI” sign that once dominated Lido’s waterfront?)

Today the correct recipe is one part dark red Campari (which tastes like the bitterest, nostril-fuming, miserable cough syrup ever made), one part prosecco (a sparkling wine, very like champagne), and one part seltzer, plus a sour green olive on a skewer and perhaps a lemon twist. (Real Venetians promptly eat the olive and drop the skewer on the ground.) Ice is optional, but if included, it’s minimal. This version is referred to as “bitter,” pronounced “bitta.” “Bitter,” indeed! For those seeking something a little sweeter, there’s also a gentler version called “Aperol,” which features the neon-orange liqueur of that name. Same recipe, but garnished with a slice of blood orange. In some grittier watering holes, the barman skips the prosecco and just fizzes up the hideous alcoholic syrup with a double squirt of seltzer, thus erasing the last trace of the original tradition of cutting wine with water.

As a rule I see older Venetians ordering “bitter,” and students and young people “Aperol.” But I can promise you, either version of this innocent-looking drink is an upchuck waiting to happen. And didn’t we all learn in high school about the disastrous hangover effect of mixing different forms of alcohol? As we say back in Michigan, “Ish!”

There is only one Venetian drink that’s worse than a spritz, and that is the sgroppino, a weird mix of melted lemon sherbet, prosecco, and vodka. Many an old-school restaurateur will proudly present you with a complimentary pony glass of this hateful yellow foam after dinner. Smile and pretend to enjoy a sip, but trust me, do not swallow anymore of it than you absolutely must.

Schiavi

Breakfast may be "the most important meal of the day," but the early evening giro is the most fun. In my opinion, this tradition is the very best part of being in Venice. Plan to do it every night! I promise you'll get hooked and want to bring this pastime home with you.

What is it?

A giro di òmbre (literally "turn of shadows") involves a nice, leisurely walk to two or three enoteche (wine bars) where your friends are hanging out. At each stop you have an ombra (a little glass of wine or a "shadow," so called because wine was once sold in the shadow of the Campanile on hot days). Sometimes your ombra comes at a reduced price because it's smaller than a regular glass, or because it's just the house wine, depending on the enoteca you visit.

With each ombra you also have one or two cicheti (little snacks, a lot like Spanish tapas). Maybe you have a crostina (little slice of bread with something delicious on it like baccalà, which is dried cod moistened and whipped with milk and oil - mellow and unusual). Or you'll try sarde in saor (fried and marinated sardines with onions and raisins) or a cute little arancino (a "little orange" that's really a ball of leftover risotto stuffed with cheese, breaded, and deep-fried). Believe me, in a very short time your giro can become your supper!

Above I show you Cantinone già Schiavi. People just call it Schiavi, or sometimes al Bottegon. And when I say people, I mean the locals: everybody in town knows this spot. It's a favorite from lunchtime to closing because the wide selection of wines is fairly-priced, the food is fresh and authentic, even innovative, and the family that runs it is very hospitable. Especially the papa.

The cicheti are mostly crostine - but oh! what crostine! I hope they have my favorites when you come: pistachio-mascarpone cream, tuna with cocoa powder, ricotta with pumpkin cream and parmesan sprinkles, gorgonzola with walnuts and sweetened balsamic vinegar, aged parmesan with a slice of ripe fig, three kinds of baccalà!

If it's warm enough, you can take your plate and glass outdoors and eat canalside. Just don't sit on the bridge, please.

And don't miss the vast selection of wines by the bottle for take-away. Lately I've heard complaints that the prices here aren't as good as they once were, but they still seem fair to me.

Cantinone già Schiavi
Dorsoduro 992, Ponte San Trovaso
041-523-0034
Closed Sunday afternoon & evening