Thursday, April 21, 2011

Easter in Venice

Let's pretend we're in Venice for Easter... Let's amble along a canal... Let's buy a pink quill pen and write a love letter to Byron or Shelley... Whilst drinking a Campari spritz in a cafe... You could think about all the Murano glass you didn't buy...
And forget the rather unspectacular pizza you did buy. These guys should come to New York - they throw a thin stripe of red sauce around the edges. What's up with that?
Nevermind. The views ARE spectacular.
And the gelato NEVER disappoints.
New York gelato joints could catch a few lessons here.
Shall we catch a Vivaldi concert in some old church? It's required listening...
What about the Easter eggs/uova di cioccolata all covered in crepe paper and ribbons? Paris would not approve. They like to SEE their chocolate.
I guess it's pommes and blood oranges.
Happy Easter from Venice!

32 comments:

  1. You are really loving this Easter theme!
    Very cute!
    I found this great store that had just a ton of great photograph/writing/office gifts. As a writer I had to indulge myself! I bought letter openers, sketch pencils, photo album (hand painted with watercolour) and a leather sketch/writing book.
    There is so much to look at in Venice!
    I could only imagine what it would be like during Christmas!

    The Wanderfull Traveler
    canadianculinarytravel.blogspot.com/

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  2. Justine5:34 PM

    I wonder if it was Testolini?

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  3. I love the canal photos - how will I ever get back there :)
    I loved the gelato, too.
    That pizza is a bit shoddy - the best pizza I had was in Pisa!!

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  4. Had I found one of those pens while there I would have surely snapped it up.
    I adored Venice..great photos.

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  5. Ok, I'll go along ......lets stroll through the calles and shop for una perfetto scarpa! Did I see salted caramel gelato? Desidero una grande! I do love the crepe wrapped eggs..that is a strong memory for me! Happy Easter Carol!!

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  6. Anonymous7:18 PM

    Lovely that you took us to Venice for Easter - a lovely walk down memory lane, yes you are right about Italian pizza, it has much to be desired. New York pizza I know is better - I think it was invented there although don't let any Italian know that.
    The charm of the place is unbeatable except perhaps by Paris x

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  7. Anonymous7:49 PM

    ah, Campari. it always seems better in Italy.

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  8. Dianne9:47 PM

    Lovely photos!
    I forwarded today's "Easter in Venice" to my daughter to show to my granddaughter. I realize that your target audience is probably not 5-year-old Marin County girls, but since my daughter travels around the world for her job, geography lessons are de rigueur for little Zoe.

    I continue to look forward to your blog every day!

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  9. Venice is very photogenic!
    xxx
    Annie

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  10. Great photos. This brought back many wonderful memories of 2007 and 2009,including the Vivaldi concert in that old church. Another Italian holiday is still a possibility this year and your pictures and thoughts makes the decision to go easier. Happy Easter.

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  11. New york Paris Venise....

    Joyeuses fêtes de Pâques

    Manon

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  12. One can dream *sigh* i wish i was in venice

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  13. What beautiful glimpses of Venice at Eastertime, Carol, thank you for sharing them!

    Next time you go to Venice, I'll send you to my favorite place for pizza. It will not be served at a table, you buy it by the slice, but I promise you'll love it. I walk long distances just to get a slice. They even have artichoke pizza. Oh so good!

    The Italian Easter eggs are different in that they usually are huge chocolate eggs filled with all sorts of stuff, chocolate pralines, small toys or gifts, depending on the company that makes them. They usually come with colorful wrappings and a bow.

    Happy Easter,
    Merisi

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  14. P.S.:
    Those glass birds are darlings!
    I'd love to know where you discovered them.
    Hugs,
    M.

    P.P.S.:
    Every time I walk into that church with the Vivaldi exhibition they play Pachabel's Canon in D. ;-)

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  15. Thank you for the spectacular views and photos, I've never been to Venice. Happy Easter!

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  16. Now that's a nice way to spend this holiday. I've never been to Venice. I enjoyed taking your photographic journey with you and your gentle readers!

    Hugs!

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  17. OH MY, such lovely photos of beautiful Venice! Thanks for your post. One of my trips to Italy was the week leading up to Easter, and we traveled all over including Venice. I remember well all of the Easter windows, pastries and chocolates. I also remember the, lets not say bad, just not good food in Venice, but Roma made up for that! Thanks for the memories of this romantic and charming city. Great way to enjoy my morning coffee. Happy Easter......

    ~Emily
    The French Hutch

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  18. Yes please - I love Venice! It is so pretty and romantic as you've shown here. Those Easter decorations are so gorgeous! Thanks for showing as Carol.


    Happy Easter,
    Brittany.

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  19. Oh, what a lovely treat! Thank you.

    Happy Easter to you and Bear!

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  20. I love Venice and Paris and Easter. I am spending Easter with my women's group in retreat!


    Hi to you and New York, Astoria.


    xxoo

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  21. Carol, seeing these views of what it might be like to be in Venice as Easter nears...well, my wanderlust is enriched.

    One of the earlier commenters wondered about Venice pre-Christmas, and I would like to see that as well.

    I would also like to learn the location of Merisi's pizza spot.

    Over here in New York, I did a bit of a search for hot cross buns in my neighborhood, and had almost given up all hope, when I found some available at Citarella. (Not fabulous, but at least available.) Perhaps next year I'll get organized and get some yeast and make my own.

    Definitely trying to get more control over my schedule so we can get together again.

    Best wishes to Bear!

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  22. Those Ventians are quite civilized! Not a long-ear insight! I was meant to celebrate Easter in Venice!

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  23. Dudes who think that Italian pizza has much to be desired - whoa. Maybe that particular Venetian pizza, yes. Sacrilege - Neapolitan (& Roman) pizza is THE best in the world. NY pizza is good as an example of NY pizza. That is all.

    Carry on:)

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  24. A soggy bottom is not acceptable in my book on PIZZA.
    Nor is a thin circular strip of sauce around the outter edges...
    But the crust is key.
    In Venice you don't have too many cheap eating options.
    There are panini and pizza.
    There is GELATO of course but that ain't a main course in my opinion.
    What goes on in other Italian towns doesn't help you out much at noon in Venezia.

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  25. Thank you for the lovely Easter stroll through Venezia, one of my favorite cities. I spent my weekend strolling through another of my favorite cities, New Orleans. Great architecture, food and music (and the bonus for me is it's a two-hour car trip as opposed to an overnight plane trip to my other favorite places). On the great pizza debate: I had great pizza in Venice, I had mediocre pizza in Venice. On the whole, however, I do prefer the way the Europeans do it. In my opinion, we tend to glop on too much stuff .

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  26. Cathy, I made a pizza this weekend and I did glob on a ton of balsamic-sauted veggies, yet the bottom was not soggy.
    Do tell where you got the good pizza in Venice or maybe I should do a search.
    I felt they were too heavy-handed with the Mozarell...

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  27. I was in Venice in October after SIAL…. Thank you for bringing all those wonderful memories back …. We even took some very similar photos…

    Hope all is well for you Carol

    Marie

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  28. Carol, the place with the good pizza was in Campo Santa Margherita somewhere, but I know that doesn't help. The problem in Venice is that you sort of stumble on great places and then can never find them again. I agree about the soggy crust bottoms. I think the issue is a lot of places in the city can't have the brick ovens because of the fire codes. One place I can recommend for good basic Venetian fare is Taverna Ciardi in the Canareggio district. Very hard to find, fills up quickly. I reviewed it here: http://mikeandmaryskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/10/venetian-cuisine-deja-vu-all-over-again.html

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  29. Venice — always lovely and intriguing. A city that “ seems to personify itself, to become human and sentient and conscious of your affection.
    You desire to embrace it, to caress it, to possess it; and finally a soft sense of possession grows up and your visit becomes a perpetual love-affair." (Henry James)

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