Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/416739
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 16 NOVEMBER 2014 TRAVEL 42 TOBY ROSS I had not visited Venezia since I was twenty years old, and that was a long time ago. The modern era of cheap airplane travel has many advantag- es, but it also means that fascinat- ing places have become increasingly packed with tourists, many of them not even appreciating what they see. I was recently stopped by a cruise boat occupant in Valletta who asked me where he was. I replied that he was in Valletta. The answer – yes, but in which country! So I was scared of visiting Venice again, scared that it would be packed with mass-tran- sit tourists mindlessly pushing me out of the way, and hordes of street vendors trying to sell me souvenirs made in China. And I was absolute- ly right. But it didn't matter. There's something magic about travelling from the taxi drop-off ar- ea near the train station to your hotel in a private water taxi. The regional road of Venice is the Grand Canal, but cruising the main thoroughfare in your own shiny mahogany boat is a jaw-dropping experience. The oft abused expression of travelling back in time is about the only way to describe it. The wide expanse of water is lined by grandiose palaces, very much as it was three hundred years ago. It's simply stunning. Just like the renaissance paintings that so many of enjoy looking at in art galleries, but can't afford to buy. But this is the real thing, and it doesn't disappoint. As the sun was setting, our boat dropped us off at the steps leading directly to our hotel. We had chosen a small establishment on one of the minor canals, and it was everything we had hoped for. Clean, comfort- able, with quiet stylish bedrooms and helpful staff. As night fell, we took are first foray into the laby- rinth of narrow streets and canals, and promptly got lost, despite hav- ing a map. Much of the town is not very well lit at night, and the already difficult to find street names dis- appear into the obscurity. But we eventually found our way back to the hotel, and then set about looking for somewhere to eat. This was some- thing else I was frightened about. I was pretty certain that we were go- ing to end up eating bad food at rip- off prices. And that is exactly what happened. We were tempted by an expensive mouthwatering menu in front of a chic looking restaurant, and made our first and last mistake. The food was awful, and we left most of it on our plates. Munching on fifty euro notes would probably have been a better culinary experi- ence. And certainly more exiting. On the way back to the hotel we came across an interesting look- ing bistro populated mainly with what appeared to be Venetians, so we tried to get a table, as we were still hungry. Alas, it was full, but we booked a table for the next evening, bought a packet of biscuits and re- treated to the hotel. The next day I had to go to Padova on business, so I left Sophie to make an initial exploration. By ten in the morning, lost and looking at the map, she got picked up by a charm- ing man of eighty years old, who was born and had spent all his life in the city. By all accounts he was the ultimate tour guide. At eight in the evening, we met up again at the restaurant we had booked the night before, and had a wonderful meal. A couple of aperitifs with some finger food, followed by a great meal and a bottle of Chianti. The service was friendly and the ambience perfect. It was more than we hoped for, so we booked a table for our remaining two evenings, something that we did not regret. The next morning we decided to get Piazza San Marco out of the way as quickly as possible. It's a must do in Venice, but I wasn't particularly looking forward to it. The closer you get, the denser the crowds and street vendors. I have always been surprised at the vast number of legal sellers of Chinese bric-a-brac that are allowed in Italy, often blocking views of wonderful architecture. And Venice is no exception. On a chic street leading into the square you can find all the luxury shops, including the likes of Vuitton and Prada. And right in front of them, on the pavement, you can buy cheap repli- cas of those super-expensive hand- bags. Exiting from a narrow street onto San Marco is shocking. The huge size of the square is breath- taking, especially in comparison to the rest of the town. If I was told that it was bigger than six football pitch- es, I wouldn't be surprised. There are probably bigger squares in the Beyond the Venetian tourist traps Romance awaits you