A glimpse on 'When in Venice'.
Here I am with the review of 'When in Venice', a website on guided tours in charming Venezia, the city where I studied and worked for over 10 years and where I left a piece of my heart.
Every time I go back to Venice I feel strong emotions: it’s a mix of nostalgia for the past - a part of my life that I intensely lived and remember - and excitement for being there again, like a kid at a funfair. Do you also have a place that means for you the same as Venice means for me?
Erika and Matteo, the young founders of the page, are registered tour guides based in the Venetian lagoon. Hailing from Liguria and Veneto, they both studied in Venice and fell in love with it. After having travelled and lived abroad for a while, they decided to settle down in this unique city, where light and water change every day their shades and tones, contrasting yet melting their immaterial, fickle essence with anthropic shapes and solid stone buildings.
Having to deal with Venice is not easy at all… Massive tourist traffic is leading to commercialization, high increase of prices and depopulation. Environment and sustainability are hot issues, since the relation and mutual influence between city and nature are very tight, and their balance as much fragile.
As you can read, I feel this topic very near! That’s a reason why I find Erika and Matteo’s choice of staying and keeping on spreading the Venetian heritage very brave. They offer their competence and knowledge to everyone who would like to discover Venice with curiosity and awareness beyond mass tourism.
Why do I like this webpage?
The design is clear and essential, with the addition of amusing illustrations by Francesco Gasparotto.
Two smart tools are at disposal: a little Venetian dictionary, to help you understand useful words and find your way through the labyrinth of calli (check out the meaning HERE) and useful tips to feel like an insider and not only a tourist.
As Erika and Matteo point out: ”Millions of tourists visit Venice every year, but not many of them really grasp its unique charm. If you think you deserve something more than the crowds, if you want to satisfy your curiosity, then we are here to guide you into a deeper travel experience. We are both official tour guides and Venetian residents: this city is our daily life, but also a never-ending adventure. Through our tours and this blog we aim to provide a picture of Venice that goes beyond the bridges-and-canals thing.” And this is the best part, in my opinion! I completely share their will of showing a different Venice, from a closer point of view. I am trying to do the same for South Tyrol in my blog :-)
'When in Venice' recently introduced the blog section with a special post on Carnival Venetian fritole: I loved that piece for the yummy photos and the granny’s recipe so much, that I replied with my South Tyrolean apple fritters post. Should you have missed it, click HERE and read it. Moreover, the brilliant recall to frittelle in Venetian art is for me a big plus, evidence of their deep knowledge of art and history and of their willingness to share with all us!
Ok, I thing you got a good glimpse on it. So what are you waiting for?
Plan your trip to Venice and book your tour with 'When in Venice'!
My hint:
Ask Erika and Matteo to include a food-and-wine stop in a bacaro (Venetian tavern) and taste all sort of goodies that a melting pot city like Venezia, multicultural since its early history, can offer. My favs: sarde in saor, baccalà mantecato and moeche!
I'll wait forward to hearing from you about your past or future experiences in Venezia.
#destination #suggestions #Italy #experience #inspiration #emotion