Dayenu

1) We have some liras at home, will a decimille (10,000) be enough for a taxi from the airport, and I will use ATM later.

2) Are there safety vests on the waterbuses, or there are only enough for the bus drivers? I worry, as I can’t swim.

3) Are the gladiators still dangerous? Maybe if we avoid Rome we shouldn’t worry? I see gladiator sandals sold in shoe stores in San Francisco, is it because the market for them is dwindling in Italy?

4) Should we, just in case, bring swards and shields to fight off the occasional gladiators?

5) Is it true, boats to Murano are made of glass? As I wear skirts, modesty is a concern.

6) Still confused about the languages, Italian or Roman or Latin? How to determine which one to use?

7) What should we wear to blend in with the locals? We still have time to learn arias if needed. Should my husband tie a bandanna on his neck or…?

hmmm

Slow day?

colduphere

Tape your skirt to your ankles and then stand on your head on the way to Murano. This is tricky if there are heavy waves.

Mimar

The swards will be more useful south of Rome, where it is drier.

Josser

Don't forget to try the famous echo in the Sistine Chapel and remember that if you jump in the Trevi Fountain you are guaranteed to get a few days extra in Rome

Dayenu

Do I jump in the fountain with coins or without? Which coins - liras or pennies?

Cold, you are so very practical!

Mimar, I thought swards should be kept greased with gelato, not dry, no?

Josser, if I try echo in English, will it reply in English or Italian?

sobster

Have you consulted any guide books? One should always do that before asking questions on travel boards. All these issues are covered in a regular guide book. Well, maybe not the swards.

Peter_S_Aus

Before we can help you, we need to know when you are going, and what your interests are. Then we can come up with an appropriate itenirarri for the seventeen towns that you intend visiting in the four day time that you have.

I would suggest lire denominated travellers cheques - do not, on any account, take plastic cards or cash. Alternately a Letter of Credit may suffice.

Louis vuitton have released a new line of steamer trunks - www.loui'da'vuitton.com.uk will find them.

YvonneT

Thank goodness you stepped forward to ask these questions. I was too shy to ask these very things. I'm off to the bank today to buy those travellers cheques in lire, and some duct (? duck) tape for my skirts.

Oh, one thing you didn't cover. Is it OK just to land in Venice (does one land or splash down??) in July/August and look for a good cheap hotel then? I can probably run to, oh, about $25 (Australian)/night, and would expect breakfast included. What areas of Venice are safe? I don't want to walk over any bridges, and want to have as room on the canal. There's only one canal there, right?

Peter_S_Aus

I think it is unwise to arrive in Venice without having pre-booked a gondola for the period of your stay. The gondolier (all of whom are the most honest and generous people whom you could encounter) will be able to arrange accommodation for you.

It is appropriate to tip the driver and stoker from the steam train a handful of lire, the conductor and guard should be tipped a little more.

Baedeker does not recommend the restaurant at the station.

Porters, who will advertise their services by singing a few bars from Rigoletto, are available at the station, and will carry your trunk, hatbox, portable wine cooler and travelling kennel to your selected gondola. Another handful of coins are appropriate. You should engage a separate conveyance for your travelling maid and butler.

On arrival at your hotel, you may wish to send out for some ice, as August is quite hot in Venice, and one so wishes to avoid a glowing complexion. Ice is brought down from the glaciers on the Dolomites , and its arrival is announced by people shouting “Glace, glace” or “Ice, ice” if they are dealing with colonials. Several handfuls of lire will be most appreciated.

Fashionable people, and even some Americans, congregate in the Piazza san Marco of an evening, to take cocktails and admire one another’s clothes. One should avoid Australians, readily identified by calling one another “Maaaate”, and wearing hats with corks strung about the brim. They are not couth, indeed, are MOST uncouth. Welcome shade will be found in the Piazza in front of Florians. The apology for music offered by this establishment, and Quadris, on the opposite side, does not warrant applause.

Nobody swims in the canals these days, although that nice Mr Byron has been known to swim from the Lido to his palazzo on the Grand Canal. Should bathing be desired, bathing machines can be hired for a modest sum on the Lido. These machines are horse drawn, and a handful of oats will be well received.

If you have travelled to Venice via Austria, you would do well to ask your maid to remove all references to Vienna from your luggage, as the memory of Mr Manin in Venice is still strong. Do not, on any account, play Strauss waltzes on the portable steam calliope that you are inclined to take with you on your travels.

Hearty British food is available, and one should avoid local cuisine.

Peter_S_Aus

A letter of introduction to Mrs (Peggy to her friends) Guggenheim is worth securing, as she maintains one of the most fashionable salons in Venice. You might consider attending the English church on Sundays, Matins is at 11:00, and tea is served at the conclusion of the service. The Church is near the Academe Bridge (the exact location escapes me) and your gondola can be moored nearby. You will encounter few Americans at this church, as they are mostly to be found at the Temple of Mammon, incorporated in the Casino on the Lido.

I would suggest that you obtain a Letter of Credit from Barclays or Coutts, as both these banks are well regarded on the Rialto. We did experience a problem in Venice, when drawing against our Letters, as they were denominated in guineas, a unit that the Venetians are not familiar with. They refused to believe that a guinea is worth twenty one shillings, and offered exchange against the pound Sterling. I was able to persuade the British Consul to intervene – a most helpful gentleman – and with a few strokes of his pen, some deft manipulation of his abacus, and some words spoken in Italian - which I am fortunate to have no knowledge of - and the problem was set to rights.

I believe that you have acquaintance with Count Nicolai, and he spends his summers in Venice. He maintains a small steam pinnace, which can transport you to the more remote islands of the lagoon. A picnic luncheon can be provided by your hotel, and ice taken for cooling drinks.

You may find that tobacco is used more in Venice than you would expect. Now, while no lady would use tobacco, Venetians do claim that tobacco smoke keeps mosquitoes at bay.

There is an establishment called Harold’s or some such name on the Grand Canal, and one can find near-passable food there. The clientele seems to favour Texan cuisine, an oxymoron to many.

LSky

Looks like Peter_S_Aus will be getting a free book soon.

Peter_S_Aus

I must confess that I learned all I know about writing fictional travel guides from Rick Steves.

YvonneT

Now, see here. This is getting all too complex for me. And, too many big words. But, I understood about free tea at that church near the Ackademe Bridge. Ripper, Rita.

Dayenu

"This is getting all too complex for me." - oh, Yvonne, do I hear you!

Peter, thank you for mentioning Count Nicolai, this mean we won't be deprived of russian-speaking companions.

And what is that "Lido" you keep mentioning - you mean, Lido deck on the cruise ship? Are cruises mandatory in Venice? I hope so!

(side note for Sobster: I just need a break from a serious research)

Peter_S_Aus

Day,

Lido has nothing to do with cruise liners. I believe that the derivation of the word is from a brand of air beds or mattresses, called Li-lo. Not to be confused with the term “lie low”, which means to withdraw from public gaze.
Visitors have been exhorted to bring a Li-Lo to the beach at Venice, as the pebbles can be harsh. “Do bring a Li-lo” was corrupted to Do-Li-Lo, hence to Lo-Li-Do, and hence to Li-Do, and so now we have the name of the beach.

Simple, really.

Dayenu

OMG just now realized I've misspelled "sward" is land covered with grass, "sword" is the weapon to fight off the gladiators.

Mimar on Aug 30, 10 at 7:53am
The swards will be more useful south of Rome, where it is drier.

Hmmm....

Luhimari

I beg to disagree with sobster - the tips poster has been given are more of the "local knowledge variety" and are really awesome. You will not find any of these useful tips in a regular guide book.

I'm taking notes for my three day trip to Italy.

As far as the language is concerned, do brush up on your Latin.

Peter_S_Aus

The water may rise in parts of Venice when the tide is at its peak. This can inconvenience travellers somewhat, and the water is most noticeable at the Piazza San Marco. This flooding generally occurs when Aquarius is in the house of Saturn.

Sedan chairs may be hired at many places in Venice to transport travellers, allowing one to keep one’s feet dry. Sedan chair carriers advertise their services by singing arias, Wagner for those hoping to attract customers from Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and from the Mikado for those seeking Oriental custom. A handful of lire will suffice as recompense.

Although the City Authorities have introduced a prohibition on keeping dogs in Venice, there is not universal adherence to this local law. For this reason, visitors are advised not to walk barefoot in Venice, even when the water rises.

The Piazza San Marco provides a delightful location for fly fishing when it floods, and fish taken there will be happily cooked for the fortunate diner at Quadris. The competing establishment, Florians, does not offer this “cook to order” service.

One should not request a “borsa de cane” in Venetian establishments, unless one is seeking to amuse fellow diners. This applies to most parts of Italy, particularly in the province of Leghorn.

Even if one is eating poultry.

Kal

Wish I could help but I've never been to Venice.
http://www.worldisround.com/articles.../photo183.html