kismetchimera

Good MorningPeter.I would like to ask you a question about your apartment in Venice.

Can you please tell me how many steps are from the building ground floor to the 4th floor?
Grazie,
AnnaMaria

Peter_S_Aus

Hi Anna Maria

There are 65 steps. (One step more than my age!)

kismetchimera

Thank You Peter..65 steps..a good way to lose the extra weight..
Do you think that they would be too steeps to climb for a person of a certain age with a delicate back?

The apartment looks great and the terrace is super..my main concern are
the steps.

Also we will land at Marco Polo..Do you think that the Aliguna is the best route to arrive at the apartment?

I am looking at the easiest way to do it without taking extra transportation if I can help it.

After Venice we will train to my beautiful Rome can't wait .."to walk where I used to run"..

from the lyrics of the song that the Sandpipers made famous "Quando sali de Cuba....

Grazie again..I could use any types of suggestions.

Take care,
AnnaMaria

Peter_S_Aus

Anna Maia,
The stairs are OK - not especially steep, and there are four landings. Maybe a bit steeper that your average Venetian bridge but I managed to haul my 25 kilo (that's about 55 pounds) suitcase up the stairs.

The owner's representative works near the San Silvestro vaporetto stop, and you need to call there to pick up keys. Then it's Campo San Polo, plus a couple of hundred yards to the apartment, which is near Campo San Giacomo. Total of three bridges

The Alilaguna timetables and routes have changed a bit, and I'm not really across them yet (I'll have to get them sorted out for when we leave). However, I don't think that the Alilaguna will get you to San Silvestro. You can take the Alilaguna Arancio line to Rialto (on the San Marco side) and then you have to cross the Rialto bridge to get to San Silvestro and the local agent. Or take a No 1 vaporetto from Rialto, downstream to San Silvestro - easy if you have any sort of vap pass.

We took a shared water taxi from Marco Polo to San Silvestro, and this costs 21 euro a person. For us, a good investment, and easy to do. Fun also.


"I could use any types of suggestions."

Hard to know where to start on this one. The wine shop in the street below sells good wine - bring your own bottle - for about 2.20 euro a litre. The guys who play guitar and fiddle about 50 yards away are friendly, although they do have a limited repertoire. The bar immediately opposite the bridge at the Frari does a good coffee and croissant. Costs 2.50 for a cappuccino and a coffee at the bar. More if you sit down. That cafe is the more modern looking one.

There is a shop in Calle Lunga San Barnaba that sells lovely linen. On the left hand side, as you walk from Campo San Barnaba, south (away from the Grand Canal). Tell the lady that Lou and Peter from Australia recommended her.

Cantina Schiavoni (just over the bridge from Campo San Trovaso) does good cichetti - lunch only. Costs one euro a piece, lunch would cost you about six euro.

The easiest vaporetto stop for the apartment is San Stae, once you discover how to find it, it's easy, two bridges.

Cheers

Peter

kismetchimera

Great informations..Thanks Peter..

jenmorg

Did you have a favourite local restaurant?

Peter_S_Aus

Jen, we have eaten at the Ae Oche pizza place in Calle. Tintor, Santa Croce, a couple of times. Good pizza, and cheap.
We have eaten at the place in the North East corner of Campo San Polo, and that was good. La Bitta in Calle Lunga San Barnaba is good (or was two years ago).

Probably not a lot of help for you - we do a lot of cooking in our apartment. Artichokes, duck ragu,,scallops, turkey leg chops and so on.

Tommmo

Peter we're arriving next week and staying in an apt. in S.Stefano for four days , planning to self cater often.
If you'd just arrived ,what would you buy at the markets for a couple of days? Are melon and proscuitto available? Scallops are a favourite and fish steaks if available...
Are prices clearly marked? Favourite shops?
Cheers

Peter_S_Aus

Hi Tom,
Nearest supermarket to San Stefano is a new one that we found today and it looks OK. Find Campo Manin, then about 50 yards slightly west of north from Campo Manin, find the church of St Luca. The supermarket is immediately opposite the church. It is in what used to be the Teatro Rossini.


Prices are marked on everything, and almost everything is sold by weight unless it is clearly marked, like packaged lemons or spuds. In supermarkets, put on a throw away glove, and bag your fruit and veg. Put it on the scales and select the code, and put the bar coded label on your stuff.


At the Rialto market, fruit and veg are marked, so much a kilo or an "etto", which is 100 grammes. The exception is artichoke bottoms, which you'll see as floating disks. They cost generally 5 euro for ten, and are a delicacy. Simmer them, preferably in stock, for about ten minutes or less, then fry in butter. They are great. Serve with parsley, which will be put in the bag with the artichoke bottoms. Rialto is not self service - it's poor manners there to serve yourself.


Proscuitto and cheeses are available in supermarkets packaged, or at the deli counter, which is generally take a number and take you turn. We bought scallops at Rialto a couple of days ago, about 10 or 11 euro a kilo, and eight scallops fed the two of us very well, costing about 9 euro. Scallops sell out pretty quickly.


There are all sorts of fish available - you'll find sword fish steaks plus the swordfish head looking at you. They put a bit of styrene on the sword for safety.


Bread is sold by weight. The problem with knowing what to buy is trying to limit yourself - everything looks so good.

jenmorg

Hi Peter, thanks for restaurant advice. We too will be mainly self catering but as we are there for one week we will probably have a special meal one night.

Tommmo

Thanks Peter, appreciate the advice. One week till we leave from Brisbane.
Just read a trip report from this time last year and it rained non-stop, flooding, the whole thing! How's the weather report for next week?