The Great Italian Road Trip 2023, Part 1–Carnevale di Venezia

Well hello there everyone! It’s been a fair minute, but it’s nice to see you all back again. Your dear old friend the Professor has been on yet another adventure across Italia, sort of a “reverse order” from last year. We start our fun not in Venice as the title implies, but in a quiet subdivision outside Baltimore. (Yes, it’s a bit word-heavy at first but I *PROMISE* the photos are coming…)

I awoke at approximately 3am the DAY OF DEPARTURE to notifications galore from Delta Airlines that the flight from JFK to Rome was cancelled, and they were making *NO* effort to re-book any portion of the trip. After calling them still half-asleep and whole-grumpy, they were clear on the phone that “none of the other flights in the itinerary are affected so no refund will be provided.” Sorry? Oh well it’s nice to know the flight from Rome to Venice is unaffected, that makes my heart sing knowing that a plane I won’t be able to board is unaffected.

After booking *NEW* flights the day of, which incurred SIGNIFICANT additional costs, and a few more angry phone calls with Delta, they relented–turns out when you have them saying in writing that *THEY* have cancelled your flight, and *THEY* can’t be bothered to rebook or even attempt to, that helps immensely. So that reduced the additional out-of-pocket just to get there, but at least it lessened the blow.

The flight from Dulles to Brussels was lovely. Some great movies available, plenty of snacks. However, upon arrival in Brussels, we were informed there was a strike among the baggage handlers and no checked bags would be loaded onto the connecting flight to Zurich or onward to Venice. Curious, I did some digging and discovered the baggage handlers were distraught over, among even less important things, the fact that not all of them were allowed to drive the little baggage cart trains around the apron. Look I’m all for proper pay, non-craptastic working conditions, insurance if it’s in the contract, etc. If you’re on strike for a *REASONABLE* goal, go for it. If you’re on strike because you want to drive the little cart around the airport and making thousands of peoples’ lives (who have absolutely JACK SQUAT to do with your situation) miserable? We have a stark difference of opinion on what’s important, and it’s quite obvious they were just throwing a temper tantrum like a 4 year old in the grocery store who can’t have the M&Ms.

*OTHER* than the baggage issue, the rest of the flights were uneventful and a new experience was enjoyed–the Alilaguna water taxi from the airport directly to Venice–and what’s more, this trip’s hotel, Venezia Palazzo Barocci, happens to be immediately next to the Sant’Angelo vaporetto stop, where the Alilaguna arancia line stops! A significant step up from last year, towing bags nearly half a mile over cobbles and bridges, that’s for sure!

You’d be hard-pressed to find a *BAD* hotel in Venice, though I’m sure some “less good” ones are certainly out there. This trip involved a grand canal-view room on the ground floor, and pricing was less than a BWI human-trafficker special. The staff was incredibly welcoming, patient with my improving (but still crap) Italian, and went above and beyond with luggage storage, recommendations for sights to see, shops to visit, and restaurants/dishes to try. It’s not the Gritti Palace, of course, but it also isn’t anywhere close to the *PRICE* of the Gritti Palace either! Having that vaporetto stop just outside the door really made things significantly easier as far as getting around the city. While getting semi-lost in Venice is half the fun of visiting the floating city, sometimes you just need to get across the Grand Canal without spending 20-30 minutes getting to either the Rialto or Accademia Bridges. A multi-day vaporetto pass makes this SUPER quick and easy; or, you can take a Gondola Traghetto. Still a fancy long black gondola, but instead of 80 Euros for a 40-ish minute float around the canals, it’s 2-3 Euros per person for a quick trip across the Grand Canal.

After check-in, it was time to adventure over to La Bauta, our favorite mask and costume purveyor. They have an etsy shop (search for Labautamaskcostume) as well as their three shops at Campo San Toma. One strictly for masks, all traditional papier-mache (no cheap plastic here!), one for costume rentals/purchases, and one for all the accessories one needs as well as a cadre of incredible ladies ready to help you try everything on. Armando, the owner, is clearly passionate about his craft–all costumes, hats, shirts, are handmade locally in Venice. Shoes are not made locally, but *ARE* still Italian-made in nearby Veneto. As you can see below, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to buy a proper Venetian horsehead. I just…..*REALLY* should have asked about sizing before clicking “buy now”. This seems better though. And who knows, maybe in a couple years retirement will see me creating a costume around it…..

The next morning, slightly jet-lagged still, called for a bit of a shopping trip (bags hadn’t shown up yet–spoiler alert they never showed up the entire Venice portion), and in Venice that means wandering around, finding a cafe for a quick breakfast (weirdly the entire staff was Chinese but almost EVERYONE coming in was clearly a local–and those are the spots you want), getting a little lost (a recurring theme for sure!), and enjoying the city. Weather was fair, chilly and a decent breeze but not awful. Lots of haze/mist though, so visibility wasn’t the greatest for a sunset photo-op from the DFS rooftop terrace. But you know what? It wasn’t Baltimore. So there’s a huge plus.

Dinner was next, and hooooooo boy. Antinoo’s Lounge, found in the Sina Centurion Palace hotel in Dorsoduro is next level. A quick 15-minute stroll took us across the Accademia bridge and down to Dorsoduro palace. The narrow alleyways opened into an epic courtyard and atrium with enormous glass to let as much natural light in as possible. The table looked across the Grand Canal to the Gritti Palace.

The food and service were BEYOND “this should be Michelin rated”; however, the restaurant has VERY good relationships with local farmers on the mainland to source their meats, vegetables, wine, dairy….nearly everything comes from within a 2-hour journey. “Perhaps we don’t want the Star; perhaps the Star means we are now expected to get our pork from Spain instead of a local farm. We get our seafood from Japan instead of the Venetian lagoon.” I totally get it. Why put yourself in a position where an expectation means you aren’t offering truly fresh, LOCAL food to your guests? Especially when that local produce gives you this!!

Amuse was an amberjack crudo with soy pearls; antipasto a warm (their way of saying lightly-seared) scallop with roe sauce and cocoa butter, crispy caviar and shallot (a little remy martin cognac in there too); primo Fusilloni pasta di Gragnano with lamb jus and black garlic; secondo roasted comacchio eel with orange and radicchio, and tiramsu to cap it all off. Between the food you see below and the service, this spot was exponentially more memorable and enjoyable than (michelin-rated) Aroma last year.

Quite possibly some of the best food I’ve had at a fine dining establishment that isn’t Bresca/Jont (sorry I will *ALWAYS* love them first and most!). Bravo Antinoo’s Lounge, see you next February!!

After dinner was a lovely stroll back to the hotel, as always some great shop windows along the way…..

And of course the empty streets and mirror-calm canals of Venezia at night….

The next morning was another trip to La Bauta, as the baggage delays meant a costume did not arrive so a rental for the day it would be. Lo and behold, the Doge stopped by!!

After obtaining a costume, it was grab-n-go pasta (served up by Sebastian Vettel’s doppelganger) and a visit from a gatto.

My friend Roy, stationed nearby, once again brought his family into the city for a visit. We ventured allllll the way up past the Arsenale to see a really neat sculpture that…..we couldn’t get to because the path was closed. But no matter, it’s never a bad day seeing Roy!

A water taxi got us into Cannareggio, but no further as the boat’s draft was too great for the canal at low tide. Back on foot, we found ourselves at a tiny little out-of-the-way spot called La Corte 1642. Another phenomenally charming local hang-out, the owner provided his own twist on the classic spritz, which was delicious and refreshing.

A quick walk to the Casino vaporetto stop got us back down toward Rialto with enough time for a carbonara and panna cotta at Osteria del Lovo before enjoying I Musici Veneziani in concert with Vivaldi’s Four Seasons inside the Scuola Grande di San Teodoro just steps from Ponte de Rialto. To hear music by a Venetian, being played in a palace that the composer himself debuted music in, with performers in period costume….it’s about as authentic as it gets really. After the show, a stroll to St. Mark’s capped off the evening with lots of tourists wanting photos. Suckers didn’t realize…..

Sadly, the next morning was the final one in Venice. Luggage stored for a few hours, we found a cafe in the second-most-famous Piazza in the city, San Barnaba. “But I don’t recognize that name, Professor!” Yes yes I hear you. But…..you do recognize the “library” where X marks the spot…..

After a quick breakfast, which included a couple of impressively well-costumed individuals strolling through, a short walk to see Banksy’s “The Migrant Child”. From there, it was onwards to the airport to pick up the rental car from Sixt…but we’ll have more on that next week. For now, dear reader, I say ciao….fino al prossima settimana!