Visiting Venice is a dream for many. And then there are those who are fortunate enough to live inside that dream every day. More appealing still when part of your job description is leading hungry tourists around that dreamy landscape in search of the best cicchetti and Spritz.
I talk about all this on the podcast today with my friend Monica Cesarato; blogger, chef, food tour leader, and an unofficial ambassador for the city of Venezia.
But the dream of visiting Venice was interrupted for many by the global pandemic. Cancelled flights, scrapped itineraries, and alas, broken dreams. Perhaps more like a nightmare for the Venetians themselves who rely on the tourist industry as major source of the local economy.
The good news? It’s coming back in 2022! As of this writing, Carnevale is underway!
Monica dissects this discussion for us, talks about some other current events in the city (like the MOSE initiative to combat the high water), and shares many tips about visiting Venice beyond the standard 1-day/10-hour tour-de-force. If all you see is the worn path from the train station to the Rialto Bridge to Saint Marks Square and back, well, then you haven’t seen the real Venice at all. You’ve had a rushed visit through a museum, not an encounter with a living, breathing city. A missed opportunity of a lifetime.
In this episode we talk mostly about Venice tourism in general, and the current post-pandemic state of affairs. But Monica is publishing a book on cicchetti, the Venetian version of tapas, I suppose, by one definition. That discussion will take place on my other platform dedicated to food, Eat Like an Italian. So stay tuned for an update on that, which will be live in early April, in anticipation of her book launch.
I’ve mentioned it before: Venice holds a special place for me. I spent about 7-8 weeks there in the spring of 2010, and I recall it as the most tranquil period in my adult life.
It was a real pleasure to travel through La Serenissima once again with the guidance of Monica.
Monica Cesarato – Your Guide for Visiting Venice at her best
Grazie a Monica for being such a gracious guest, full of both knowledge and love for her city. It’s contagious. After listening to her I’m sure you’ll be researching your next trip to this one-of-a-kind magical place! But in the meantime…
Visit her website at MonicaCesarato.com
And check out Monica’s Instagram feed, equal parts food porn and pretty pictures of The Queen of the Adriatic posing so seductively, as she always does.
Ciao! (And yes, that’s a Venetian word!)
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