Lots of Venice Questions
 

Will be in Venice from 10/26-11/2/06; been there overnight in 2005 & did some wandering & some usual sights/tours. Will do the rest of the usual & the independent walking tours, but would also like to find some unique experiences (don't we all!). Please give me all of your suggestions.

1. Is there a place to view gondolas being built/repaired?

2. Know of any good, non-so-touristy shops for masks, lace, glass, tile art? I know - Venice = tourist! Ever heard of the small hand-made (supposedly) glass shop owned by Mauro Vianello at Calle della Mandol 3728? If so, any good in quality, really hand made, & price?

3. Know of any place that offers "hands-on" for mask making, art with tiles, cooking, or...?

4. Anyone been to the Gregorian mass on S. Giorgio Maggiore? If so, please give me your opinion & instructions. For instance, one piece of info says masses are closed to tourists; other says the Gregorian mass is at 11am - can we attend?

5. Anyone been to the cemetery island? If so, please tell me about it (I'm weird; I love to tour cemeteries & read tombstones!).

6. What is the Arsenale? Is there anything there to see/experience?

7. Anyone taken the Jewish museum tour, which includes the synagoge tour? If so, how was it? Only info I find says it is not worth it.

8. The Basilica interior lights - I've heard that sometimes they are "off" & it is too dark to really see anything. When are those times? Don't want to go there then!

9. Rialto Bridge - Our apartment is on the San Marco side; the hotel for checkin is on the opposite side. There is a vaporetto #1 landing on the hotel side at S.Silvestro, south of the Rialto Bridge. Anyone know this stop & area? How is the terrain; would hauling our luggage from there be easier than hauling it over the Rialto Bridge - twice? (Our hotel rec. taking #82 & getting off at the Rialto stop & crossing the bridge, twice!)

Or, does anyone know the San Marco side of the Rialto Bridge well enough to advise me if there is a place for one person to SIT with our luggage, while the other goes to the hotel & checks in? Not knowing how long it will take to find the hotel & checkin, I don't want the person with the luggage standing for a long time, especially after that long & sleepless flight!

10. Anyone know if the clock tower in San Marco is open? It was or is being renovated.

11. Any "different" types of tours you have heard of or taken? If so, please tell me about it/them.

12. Anyone watched the 12 minute "Intro to St. Mark's Basilica" video that is given in the "bag check" church next to St. Mark's?

13. Anyone take the tour offered inside the St. Mark's Basilica?

14. Anyone know where the Dalmatian School is located? Can't find it on my 2 maps or in my 2 tour books.

15. Anyone gone to Lido? What is it like?

16. Anyone been to the monastery island of San Francesco del Deserto? If so, were you welcomed by the monks & had good interaction?

17. Anyone checked a bag before going thru St. Mark's Basilica? If so, is it true that you got to skip to the front of the line?

Now that I have exhausted everyone, I'll say thanks in advance!

Julie

Let me just answer the question about the landing stop. There are a couple of cafes right by the San Marco side -- Rialto stop. I'd suggest one person stay there with the luggage, have a coffee and relax, and let the other one go do the "work". Much easier than lugging the stuff over that bridge twice!

Thanks Neopolitan. How about the other stop on the hotel side? Do you know about that terrain?

If not, at least we know there is a place to sit on the San Marco side.

Julie

I visit Mauro Vianello's shop when I am in Venice.He indeed makes the items right there in the shop.I have bought some lovely,unique things.Also,he's a hoot and will give you great recommendations for restaurants,activities!

Thanks, Massagediva. That is definitely one stop for us then! Looking forward to the visit & hopefully buying some nice, but not too expensive, souveniers!

Julie

Wow- you have done your research. Those are some great questions! I look forward to reading the answers. Thanks!
:)>-

The stop on the other side is also between a couple of restaurants, so yes, you could sit down, but I don't get the point of unloading your luggage there to carry across the bridge.

"Q #6. What is the Arsenale? Is there anything there to see/experience? "

The Arsenale was part of the naval shipyard during the heyday of Venice. Part of the Arsenale, the Corderie, is used as exhibition space for the Venice Biennale.

The Venice Architecture Biennale will be held during your visit. Worth checking out if you're interested in architecture.

http://www.labiennale.org/en/architecture/

Q 17
I'm not sure of the location where you check bags for St Marks, but I do know they give you a pass which you show at the tour entrance. I booked advance reservations with St Marks online and also by-passed the line entering through the tour entrance. A friend entered at the same time with a pass she was given when she checked her bag.

7. Anyone taken the Jewish museum tour, which includes the synagogue tour?

We enjoyed this tour very much, but we're Jewish, so it represented our heritage, and is a nice change when we get over churched.

Julie,
3. Hands on tile mosaic workshops...Orsoni's. But I think that their workshops are 5 days in length.

5. San Michele...been several times. A beautiful cemetery.....full of history....look for Brodsky's grave.

9. Good advice about one of you staying with the luggage & the other going for the key.

16. San Francesco del Deserto is a wonderful visit. You have to call to make a reservation....and find transportation to the island.
Fr. Antonio (little Anthony) was our guide..he was a marvelous source of information...delightful. He was very happy to practice his english.
It is a beautiful peaceful oasis!!

My sister & I will be in Venice from Nov. 1st -16th....if you'd like to get together for a drink?
[email protected]

10. The clock tower has reopened.

11. We recently bought the Venice Chorus Pass, available at the tourist office along the water, just to the left of P. San Marco in a weird little modern building, if you are facing the water.

This pass allows entrance to a good many churches that charge admission, all over Venice proper. Comes with a map and descriptions, and we got to see a lot more than we previously had by hunting down the various churches. It was a very cool "self-guided" tour.

1. There's a gondola workshop (or 'squero') south of the church of San Trovaso, on the way to the Zattere. I don't think the building is open to the public, but they work outside in the yard, which you can see clearly from the opposite side of the canal.

You can also buy the Chorus Pass at any of the participating churches.

> 5. Anyone been to the cemetery island? If so, please tell me about it (I'm weird; I love to tour cemeteries & read tombstones!).

No, you are not the only one. Many tourists do that, perhpas on the way from Fondamente Nouve to Murano. Stravinsky is buried there. Its tomb is on the other end of the island from the vaporetto stop. Also an interesting view of Venice from there. For me it's also a bit like visiting Lido away from hectic tourist center of Venice.

> Anyone know if the clock tower in San Marco is open? It was or is being renovated.

It has been open again since last May. There was a big ceremony with some celebrities including Claudia Cardinale.

> 14. Anyone know where the Dalmatian School is located? Can't find it on my 2 maps or in my 2 tour books.

That's Scuola di S. Giorgio degli Schiavoni. I visited the place in Castello.
http://www.invenicetoday.com/art-tou...le/giorgio.htm

> 15. Anyone gone to Lido? What is it like?

Not bad to be there occasionally. In Nov, there is no beach crowd so can be a relaxing experince. A view over Venice from there is not bad either.

The first time I went to il Lido was last year. I totally hated it. It was loud, busy and dirty. I promised myself I would never go back. Of course, this was in Summer, on a Sunday, around 5 pm.

However, I was in Venice again last month because I really wanted a break from all the sightseeing, so I decided to give il Lido a second chance. I totally loved it. Of course, I went in Autumn, on a Thursday, around 1 pm.

I had ice-cream at a gelateria on the main street (Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta), and I was surprised when I got to the beach. There were very few people and, after walking for half an hour, I found a deserted spot near the Excelsior Hotel beach and it was great. The water was still and clear, and the beach was so peaceful that I wanted to go back the following day.

If you have time and you're interested, go there. If you don't like it, you just have to take the vaporetto back (it's a 10 minute ride). However, Venice is so beautiful that, if this is your first time, you'll want to spend every single minute of it in the city.

People usually hate il Lido, even my bookguide advices not to "waste our time on that disapointing island", but next time I go to Venice, I'll totally reserve a day for it.

> People usually hate il Lido, ...

Really ???? If it's YOUR opinion, I'm sorry I think you are wrong.

> even my bookguide advices not to "waste our time on that disapointing island" ...

Your guide seems down right wrong or too biased. True there are varied opinions but not that oneway negativity.

Q8 - When we visited 3 times in one trip the Basilica lights are usually dimmed (not off) and only once lit up in full - and that was only for 15 mins or so. When they are fully on it is absolutely stunning. When dimmed you ca still see the mosaics but the overall effect is more limited. Our hotel told us the timings are v. unpredictable so it is pot luck.

Q15 - we went to the Lido in winter. It felt like a holiday resort in winter! Good views but that was all.

Thanks for asking all these great questions that I didn't know I had!

Don't miss the beautiful glass in the shop in the Castello area. There are two locations but I only went to one of them. The lasy I met, Ketty, spoke beautiful English and was very informative. Alice in Wonderland was the name of the shop. You'll find lovely glass and mosaic pieces.
www.alicefinearts.com

9. Rialto Bridge - Our apartment is on the San Marco side; the hotel for checkin is on the opposite side. How is the terrain; would hauling our luggage from there be easier than hauling it over the Rialto Bridge - twice?

Almost anything would be better than hauling your luggage over the Rialto twice. It is a very tall bridge packed with visitors. Climibing it twice with luggage would be a very unpleasant way to begin your visit. The terrain beyond on eaither side will be flat with an occasional bridge--up 4 steps, down 4 steps. Having one person wait at a cafe with the luggage on the apartment side is a great idea. Be sure the person checking in takes ALL the passports--I suspect the hotel will need to register all guests in the apartment.

For lace, visit Burano.

For glass, Murano.

The clock tower was open 2 weeks ago.

To see San Marco when the chanderliers are lighted, go to the side door by the lion statues on the left facing SM for the 8:30 Mass. It lasts about 30 minutes and is a lovely uncrowded experience.

<font color="blue">7. Anyone taken the Jewish museum tour, which includes the synagoge tour? If so, how was it? Only info I find says it is not worth it. </font>

We made the mistake of NOT taking the tour but visiting the museum. The tour gives you access to areas (including the synagogues) you can't visit on your own. If you go, take the tour.

Kappa, I wonder if you read my post or only some words of it. I said &quot;I totally loved it&quot;. It's not MY opinion, because, as I've said twice, and I quote, again: &quot;I totally loved it&quot;.

I've been a user of this website since January and, so far, I think I have read 2 out of 10 positive comments about it. That's why I said &quot;usually&quot;. Who knows? Maybe I am like you. I read a couple of words from a post and, then, jum into conclusions.

However, this is what you said about it &quot;not bad to be there occasionally&quot;, which is not really an encouraging opinion.

My goodness! I was so excited when I came to Fodors &amp; saw the # of responses I got. Then I clicked onto this thread &amp; found all of the great responses - thanks everyone! :-)

Then lo &amp; behold, Samantha Brown had a show today on the &quot;Hidden Venice&quot; &amp; I got it taped. In that show she went to the hands-on mosiac tile shop, Orsoni, as Bailey advised me - thank you, Bailey. S.Brown said it was in the Cannaregio area. I will have to watch the tape to see if I can spot a calle or address; I'll try searching the internet also. Bailey if you know anything, I am interested; such as, hours, website, must book now or can book after arrive, etc. Would be nice to make coaster size tiles (w/ &quot;Venezia&quot; on them) to take back as gifts.

She also had a &quot;genuine&quot; mask shop profiled, but didn't give any info. Would love to find out about it. It makes masks in the &quot;old&quot; way, in the shop.

Thanks to all who told me the clock tower is open - that is great &quot;photo op&quot; news.

Abram &amp; Mclaurie, thanks for the Jewish tour info. Now, we definitely are interested in taking it; glad I asked. We are not Catholic either, but were in awe of the Vatican. So, not being Jewish will not matter. We love history &amp; personalized history is icing on the lucious cake!

Bailey, again thanks. Now, definitely ant to visit the monastery on San Francesco del Deserto. Do you remember if there is a website; how you got there; how to make a reservation; any details would be appreciated. Also, I'm assuming you gave a donation? How does that work - hand to your guide, or...

And yes, Bailey, we would love to meet you &amp; your sister, but don't know if it is feasible. You arrive on the 1st &amp; we leave early on the 2nd? However, we do not drink alcohol; realize we could order a soda, but if it works out, maybe we could do a gelato???? Always room for gelato!

Chorus Pass - good info; thanks to those who gave me that great info. We have 6 independent walking tours mapped, so I'm sure we can make good use of the pass!

SaminLondon - thanks for the gondola info - more great stuff! We will sure be there to gawk - just like at a construction site! Hope we get a good photo op.

Kappa, thanks for the Dalmatian School link. No wonder I couldn't find it on the map - I was looking for &quot;Dalmatian School&quot; &amp; it is Scuola de S.Giorgio degli Schiavoni - whew!

And the Lido - Diz01, Kappa, Castellanese, we are convinced &amp; we are going, especially since the beach season will be over. I understand how many people would hate it &amp; books would rec. against it - must be horrible during tourist season! That's what is so great about this board; we can ask each other - much better!

Diz01 - you helped me with the Basilica lites issue - I was afraid we would be stumbling around in the dark - now I understand. I will check around &amp; try to get the times for the &quot;illumination&quot;!

yk - thanks for the link to the Arch. Bien. It appears to be a sort of &quot;trade&quot; show; may not allow the public. But definitely worth looking into once we get there. I am sure the TI will know about it.

Allona06 - sounds like checked bags do bypass the line. RE: the tour - what did you think of it? Were you given enough time at each spot? Do you remember the website for pre-booking? Do you think I can book after we arrive in Vencie? Thanks for your help.

Neopolitan - I really appreciate your info on the terrain on our hotel side of the Rialto Bridge. Now we have 2 options. I understand your puzzle re: why have the bags on that side &amp; then have to carry them over the R.B. to get to our apartment. But, we may have to &quot;check&quot; the luggage at the hotel if we cannot immed. occupy the apt. We arrive in Venice at 8:30am. The hotel said that right now, the apt. is not booked the nite before we arrive &amp; to check with them just before we leave home. If not occupied, we can get keys early &amp; someone waiting with the luggage on the San Marco side would make more sense. If not, we can take a vaporetto to the hotel side, check our bags, wander around, take a vaporetto from the hotel side to San Marco = no hauling over the bridge.

To the others I have not mentioned, thanks for your gracious responses &amp; help.

Now....hopefully more posts will arrive....still have the Gregorian mass, hands-on or visiting a &quot;real&quot; mask-making shop, unique tours (ghost, etc.!), 12 min. intro video on St. Mark's, &amp; so many things I have not even mentioned.

Wish everyone could come along with us - our own group tour! Thanks again, Julie

Julie-

The Venice Architecture Biennale is open to anyone.

Last year, DH &amp; I went to the Venice Art Biennale while we were there.

There is a review article on the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/14/ar...gn/14bien.html

If you subscribe to the WSJ - I believe a few weeks ago there's a detailed section on the Architecture Biennale (on the show itself, and how to visit it etc) on a Friday European WSJ. If you subscribe to WSJ online, you get free access to it.

i'm in the camp that thinks the Lido is ugly and a total waste of time. why would anyone with limited time in venice go there. if you want a beach go elsewhere. that's the only reason i can think of to see the Lido.

Hi Julie. You asked about a lot of places I was interested in as well...went with my family this past June. Ironically, our hotel was very close to a wonderful, authentic mask shop I'd read about and wanted to visit...&quot;Ca' del Sol.&quot; It is in the Castello area, just back in a bit behind the Bridge of Sighs, San Zaccaria area @ Fondamenta Osmarin. Their website is www.cadelsolmaschere.com They have two shops, right across the canal from each other, where you can watch them make masks. They encourage you to try them on. They also sell Carnivale costumes (don't know if you can make them there yourself, but am sure they could inform you). My kids were fascinated with this place. Seems I'd read that there a shope where you can make them in Dosodoro. I also caught the S. Brown show about the mosaic place two days ago, and was going to mention it...glad you got it!

We went to the Gregorian Mass April 2005. It was lovely but not exactly what we expected. It does start at 11 a.m but it is in the chapel, so seating is limited.

I thought it would be a group of people &quot;chanting&quot; together but it is your regular mass, just whoever is speaking is singing. Also, it is not in English so beautiful to listen but we were not able to follow along easily.

The church is really pretty and we were glad to have had the experience. Have a wonderful trip.

So sorry! I forgot to thank some folks - ellenem, thanks for the luggage suggestions; katharineclifton thanks for the Alice in Wonderland link; saraho, thanks for the San Marco idea--love those little known times &amp; sites, will do; thanks, maureen, oliveoil, gekko; sorry if I missed anyone.

Just so thrilled to have gotten so many responses &amp; so many great leads to exciting new adventures!

yk - don't do WSJ; but thanks for the link. Glad to know that Arch. Bien. is for public; it's on one of our independent walking tours so will be sure to check it out.

guanciale - thanks for the great &quot;mask&quot; leads &amp; the link. Will definitely go to the one/two you suggested &amp; will ask around &amp; look for the possible hands-on one.

earl30 - thanks for giving me what I just love about us humans - we have differing opinions! To answer your question regarding why anyone would go there - I would not during beach season. Plus, not interested in swimming/sunning at all. We will go there because &quot;it is there&quot;, want to see for ourselves, we'll have the time (won't take long), &amp; one never knows where a memorable occasion will occur! Could happen for us on Lido; but if not, no harm done. At the very least, when I come back &amp; I see someone on this board ask about Lido, I can do as you did &amp; give my opinion!

Thanks again all. Now I have to go to all of those links, put all the info together, so we don't forget/miss anything!

Julie

p.s. motorcitygirl, you must have posted while I was working on this. Soooo thrilled - keep getting more &amp; more info. Did you get seats? What time should we be there to get a seat? How long does it last? I'm not Catholic; what should I know about attending a mass? During the mass do we go to &amp; from kneeling position, or since we are not Catholic should we just sit still? What about donation - is a plate passed as in Protestant churches? Should I wear a scarf on my head or is that no longer necessary in Catholic churches? Heard Gregorian mass is also at 8am Mon-Sat; do you know about those? Thanks so much for your help - this is so exciting!

We went to the San Giorgio Gregorian Mass at 11 am on Sunday. It was in the church and it was lovely to listen to it while looking at the beautiful large painting to the right of the altar. It's a little tricky to get on the vaparetto that goes directly there, so allow enough time to make sure which vaparetto to go on to get there in time for the church service. After church, go up the tower for a spectacular view of Venice.

We will be in Venice October 11-15- sorry we'll miss seeing you there.

Julie,
We did not take a tour, just made advance reservations to avoid the line at basilicasanmarco.it, - go to plan your visit and follow the links. We made our reservation for the opening time and by-passed the crowd by entering at the door marked for tours. If you schedule a tour you would also avoid the long line and go in through the tour entrance. There is not a charge for reservations. Have a great trip, Venice is my favorite city in the world.

I think we got there about 30 minutes early. Plenty of time. We got seats and they don't let people into the chapel really early, so people kind of lined up about 10 minutes before 11 am.

You will kneel, stand, sit on a rotating basis. Just follow everyone else. I think I remember a donation plate being passed. Have some coins.

You do NOT need to cover your head. I don't know about the other time. We found out about it through the Rick Steve's book.

Gosh, the info just keeps coming! I have copied &amp; pasted all of this onto my sightseeing file (which I will print out &amp; take w/me!)

Thanks again everyone.

Julie

Hi Julie, no head covering required but do have your shoulders and upper arms covered and your legs covered to right below your knees. It sounds like you will have a wonderful time in Venice!!

Castellanese, if you are still following this thread, please read what I wrote and what you wrote again.

I had understood you loved Lido the 2nd time. You said &quot;people usually hate il Lido.&quot; That's what I said you are wrong about. People usually don't HATE Lido. Some may love, for some it may be just fine or some may be just indifferent but not many people have such strong opinion as HATE against Lido. At least I have never read one here.

And I like Lido, just not as much I love Venice proper.

Ok, I see above earl30 who actually HATED Lido but I bet this one is an exception.

There's nothing particularly wrong with the Lido--it's a beach resort with all the pluses and minuses of beach resorts.

In late October there really isn't much to see or do there as it isn't beach resort weather. I don't think that I'd waste valuable vacation time going to the Lido during its off-season.

Congratulations to these detailed questions, Julie_Hurst - these are really different from what is being asked every day here on Fodor's! I don't think there'll be anyone around to have an answer to all of them - at least, I haven't! I'm leaving out the numbers I can't answer or that have already been thoroughly answered by others:
1. SamInLondon has already answered it - I just want to add that for those who want to meet for a gelato in Venice, the best gelateria in town is just across the canal from the squero. Additionally, and way less known than the &quot;last squero&quot;, there's a &quot;remer&quot; (a manufacturer of oars specifically for gondolas) at Corte Rota, just across Ponte dei Carmini from (above mentioned) Fondamenta de l'osmarin.

2. 99 percent of the glass and lace of Venice are horrible, horrible, horrible tourist stuff. I don't know if you can buy ONE piece of really decent lace on the Burano island, but at least, you can watch some very, very old ladies demonstrating lace production at the Burano Lace Museum (museo del merletto), that's really interesting. The ladies (especially one of them) are coming every day twice, in the morning and in the afternoon, but they have of course no fixed schedule, you have to ask at the museum entrance whether they're here or when they'll come back.
As far as glass, there are SOME better (at least: slightly better) manufacturers and shops on Murano, but the one and only really good Murano glass is to be found three steps from Piazza S. Marco: the Pauly company (follow Calle larga S. Marco to the end and don't turn right, like everybody, but cross the bridge over Rio della canonica - it leads directly into the palace where their showroom is to be found). This is exactly the opposite of cheap, but in every respect - it's in fact the only place where you understand why the hell Murano glass could ever become famous (ugly as it usually is, nowadays).

4. I've nothing to add to the mass (I'm the contrary of a mass expert), just to the &quot;beautiful large picture right of the altar&quot; - this is one of Tintoretto's most famous and most brillant works, the very best of his many Last Suppers.

5. S. Michele is worth visiting if you are &quot;collecting&quot; tombs of prominent people. Otherwise, my personal view is that it's not particularly rewarding (and yes, I'm equally weird and like visiting cemeteries). S. Michele's problem, to me, is that it's so closed within its brick walls that are not only surrounding the island but also dividing the cemetery into many smaller areas. The best part of it is its early Renaissance church.
If you love cemeteries, I suggest going to the Lido (YES, and that's certainly the one and only reason why I'd go there - I'm another one who hates the Lido) and visit the &quot;new&quot; Jewish cemetery (the historic one is practically closed all year round, since the supposed Sunday guided tours almost never take place, and in autumn, they are not even scheduled). This &quot;new&quot; cemetery, however, is still old enough, and it's really an intriguing place.

6. The Arsenale was the heart of the military and industrial power of the mighty Republic of Venice, the factory where they built their war and trade ships (and much more). What remains today, are more or less the ruins of the historic arsenal, but they're still impressive enough (and well-preserved enough to host part of the Biennale, also of the Biennale di Architettura). The most impressive part is the Corderia, Venice's largest building of all times (they manufactured the ropes for their ships there). Don't miss the experience, it's a great sight off the beaten track.

7. Don't know where you got this info. The Synagogues are extraordinarily interesting and beautiful, above all the one built by Baldassare Longhena (the architect of S. Maria della Salute).

8. Go when the sun is shining. The interior is getting some (though not too much) light from outside.

9. Generally spoken, both sides of Rialto are confusing, with a high probability to get lost, but the S. Silvestro side maybe even more so. Anyhow, for waiting with the luggage, I'd immediately choose the S. Marco side - don't underestimate the effort of hopping off and on the vaporetto with your luggage!

11. I never understand why anyone should take a tour where it's possible to make the visit on your own, so I'm just talking about places that you can ONLY visit with a tour. Very interesting is the island of Lazzaretto Nuovo (open on Saturdays and Sundays - the vaporetto no. 13, the S. Erasmo line, will stop there on these two days): the late medieval/early Renaissance quarantine station of Venice, rather far out in the lagoon (inevitably, for a quarantine station). Sailors and their wares had to wait for several weeks there before entering the city, if Venice had the slightest suspicion they could bring in any disease. They were treated extremely well and got a medical service of the highest possible standard - of the time, of course, with tragical mistakes, as we know today. It was thought then that fragrances were a remedy against the Black Death, so they burnt rosemary and similar herbs to make the incense &quot;disinfect&quot; the merchandise... Anyhow, many of the sailors must have never before and never again experienced the same standard of living and of hygiene as during these weeks in Venice's quarantine station.
Else, the Scuola di S. Girolamo a S. Fantin is a small hidden jewel in the midst of the touristy hustle-bustle of the S. Marco district; excellent paintings of lesser Renaissance masters like Palma il Giovane. It houses the Ateneo Veneto now, an important scholarship institute in the field of the humanities. Nobody ever comes and visits; they're literally happy if they can show you around. For more &quot;different&quot; suggestions, you might want to read my &quot;favourite Venetian sightseeing&quot; thread (just click on my screenname, and you'll easily find it).

13. No, and I wouldn't (see above) if it doesn't include the great, normally closed, and totally unknown, crypt (which, however, I strongly doubt).

14. Addition: this is one of the greatest sights of Venice - Carpaccio (the painter, not the beef) at his very best.

15. See above - ugly, cheap-looking, modern, and the main problem is that there are cars and busses, which deprives you of the best Venice experience: to see no car at all for several days. Only reason to visit, as I told, is the Jewish cemetery.

16. Yes. The monks were a little weird, as monks usually are (no big surprise, given the strange life they have), but very, very, very friendly and nice. It's difficult to get there; the point is not that you'd need a reservation, you need a boat (no public service goes there)! There are kind of taxis or private ferries that do only S. Francesco from Burano, but that's one of the worst tourist rip-off traps all over Venice and its lagoon - their prices are simply incredible (it's a way of five minutes each). The monastery is not that beautiful (in fact, from the artistic and architectonic point of view, it's not at all beautiful - just its location is splendid) that I'd pay such a crazy price. I went there with a Venetian who has his private boat, but this won't be a possible solution for you, unless your Italian is very, very good.

17. The bags service is at S. Basso, if this is of interest to you or anybody, an ex-church to the left of the Basilica. Big signs will guide you there.