Mar 112019
 

On September 12, 2019, Venetian host and Captain Mauro Stoppa of the vessel, Eolo, and I will shove off for a singular culinary and cultural tour of Venice and its lesser known islands. She is one of the few remaining purpose-built, flat-bottom boats left that were designed during the time of the doges to navigate this fabled city of 100 islands and 150 canals. Here is our itinerary, offering our guests an intimate experience for cruising by day, and first-rate accommodations in historic inns and hotels at night. We invite you to come on board for three days of island hopping, followed by three days of immersion in Venice proper. You will see how John Ruskin, upon seeing Venice could write,

I have never entered it with such wonder, nor left it with such regret. 

Read more about us heresee a new video about our tour, or go directly to the Eolo’s website for more information and press endorsements from prominent food and travel publications including The Herald Tribune (The New York Times), Saveur, Conde Nast Traveler, and the Financial Times.

Reserve by June 30.  Terms & Conditions below.

Mauro Stoppa, skipper and chef, on board his beloved Eolo. Photo: Photo: Paolo Destefanis for Veneto: Authentic Recipes From Venice and the Italian Northeast, by Julia della Croce (Chronicle Books)

Host Mauro Stoppa on board his beloved Eolo. | Credit: Paolo Destefanis for Veneto: Authentic Recipes From Venice and the Italian Northeast, by Julia della Croce

CRUISING VENICE, SEPTEMBER 12-18, 2019

…it’s hard to blame people for getting excited when they eat risotto with sea asparagus—the Venetian “salicornia”— or grouper cooked in peaches with a Byzantine basilica as a backdrop.  —Elisabetta Povoledo, The New York Times

  • See the glittering city on the sea only as natives can while sailing aboard the historic and beautifully restored Eolo, a flat-bottom “bragozzo” whose design goes back to the time of the Doges and is the only one of its size still navagating.
  • Experience the magic of the lagoon, its history and culture; natural life, music, and rich local traditions.
  • Explore the bucolic, lesser known islands by boat and on foot with our native guide.
  • Visit lace, glass, fabric, and food artisans who have been practicing their arts for generations.
  • Eat the genuine local cuisine while under sail and dine in the best restaurants of Venice.
  • Sleep in the islands’ charming inns and historic hotels.
  • Finish with a sojourn in Venice for 3 luxurious days in a magnificent private palace and immersion in the art, history, and culture of this spectacular city.
Experience the magic of the lagoon, its history and culture; natural life, music, and rich local traditions.

Experience the magic of the lagoon, its history, natural life, and rich local traditions. |Credit: http://www.cruisingvenice.com

Day 1

Mazzorbo and Burano

Locanda Venissa, Mazzorbo. Photo: Paolo Spigariol

The island of Mazzorbo and our lodgings, Locanda Venissa. | Credit: Paolo Spigariol

  • We will meet you upon your arrival at Venice Airport and take you by water taxi to the Venissa, a manor house-hotel and wine estate on its own bucolic island, Mazzorbo, top-rated by The New York Times, Michelin, and Travel + Leisure. The tiny, peaceful island, once an important trading center, is known today for its colorful houses, vineyards, and orchards. Settle in and eat a light lunch. After a rest, go for a guided walking tour to the nearby island of Burano, renowned for its lace making. You will have time to visit the artisans, do some shopping, or just stroll the ancient streets lined with colorful houses.
  • Return to Mazzorbo for a rest and dinner at the Venissa’s acclaimed inn and restaurant.

Venissa portico. | Credit: Paolo Spigariol

Day 2

Torcello and the northern Lagoon

The Eolo under full sail approach the fabled island of Torcello. | Photo: Paolo Spigariol

  • Breakfast at the Venissa, then board the Eolo and set sail for Torcello and the northern waters of the lagoon. The original site of Venice and famous haunt of Hemingway, the island has a rich and fascinating history. Visit its impressive Byzantine Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, built in 639 A.D., and the 11 th century octagonal church of Santa Fosca. Climb the bell tower for a bird’s eye view of the lagoon, and wander the island’s tranquil paths.
  • Board the Eolo again and set sail for a quiet canal in a nearby saltmarsh richly populated with birdlife and carpeted with colorful native flora. Anchor. Lunch on the chef’s freshly cooked specialties based on splendid produce and seafood of the lagoon.
C, 09 23_0218 copy

Flamingoes in an estuary of the lagoon.| Credit: http://www.cruisingvenice.com

  • Set sail for the pristine northern lagoon where thousands of flamingoes can be seen flying over the saltmarsh to join other wild fowl that inhabit the islands nearby.
  • Sail to the Locanda alle Porte 1632 at sunset for dinner and an overnight stay. Constructed in 1632 between the lagoon and the Sile River, the building, once the customs house, controlled the entrance into the Grand Canal. There, Venetian officials collected taxes from both residents and foreigners doing business in Venice. Today it is an inn and a restaurant. Sunset dinner and overnight stay.
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Inside the Locanda alle Porte 1632. |Credit: http://www.cruisingvenice.com

Day 3

Lazzaretto Nuovo and Malamocco

Venetian mask representing the doctor of the plague.

Venetian carnival mask originating from the quarantine representing the doctor of the black plague. Vinegar-soaked cloth was wrapped on the face and covered with the long-nosed mask to avoid the infection.|Credit: http://www.cruisingvenice.com

  • Breakfast at the Locanda alle Porte 1632.
  • Board the Eolo. After local fishermen deliver their early morning catch to our boat, we set sail. Mauro and Julia will prepare lunch from what the lagoon has offered this morning.
Mauro teaches how to stuff zucchini blossoms on board the Eolo. Photo: Paolo Spigariol

Mauro shows how to stuff zucchini blossoms on-board the Eolo. | Credit: Paolo Spigariol

  • Drop anchor near the island of Lazzaretto Nuovo, which once serve as a quarantine facility. Venice appears in the distance. Lunch on board.
  • Disembark on the island and find remarkable evidence of inhabitants who lived here well before the Romans. During the Middle Ages it was used solely as a place to quarantine goods and sailors for a period of time before they could enter Venice as a precaution against the spread of disease. Talk to local mask makers to learn about the origins of their craft. This is where the Venetian mask originated, elaborate cloth cover-ups soaked with vinegar to ward off disease. Today, the island is a beautiful and and peaceful respite.
  • Board the Eolo again and set sail for the ancient village of Malamocco. Dinner and overnight accommodations in a beautiful 14th entry villa, Ca’ del Borgo.

The Eolo under sail in the lagoon. |Credit:

Day 4

Chioggia and Venice

  • Breakfast at Ca’ del Borgo.
  • Set sail for Chioggia and take a guided tour of the old port, considered a “little Venice.” See the vibrant fish market, where Mauro will buy the ingredients for our lunch. Stop at the grain store, dating to 1322, one of the most important historic buildings on the island. Visit the island’s Duomo with its masterpieces by Tiepolo, Carpaccio, and Tintoretto.

Fishmonger, Chioggia. | Photo: Julia della Croce

  • Leave Chioggia for Valle Zappa, a remote island that was once a private hunting and fishing area where you will find a unique example of  “mirror architecture.”
  • Lunch under sail. The bell towers of San Marco, which once guided ships into the port of entry, will appear in the distance.
  • Disembark in Venice. Transfer by water taxi to Palazzo Morosini degli Spezieri, 5-star, newly renovated private apartments in a magnificent 17th century palace overlooking a quiet canal.  Spend 3 nights in your own apartment with a kitchen, private living room and bathroom.
  • Dinner on your own. Recommendations for Venice’s most authentic and famous restaurants are for the asking.

Our accommodations in Venice in the newly renovated Palazzo degli Morosini Spezeri are spacious apartments overlooking a quiet canal. Photo: Compliments of Palazzo Morosini degli Spezieri

Day 5

Venice

On our walking tour of Venice. | Photo: Julia della Croce/Forktales

On our walking tour of Venice. | Credit: Julia della Croce/Forktales

  • Follow your guide through the famous Mercato di Rialto with its beautiful vegetable and fruit stalls and colorful fishmongers. The famous market was once the trade and financial center of Venice. Wander your way through an intricate maze of narrow alleys, bridges and canals to Bevilacqua Textiles. Established by Luigi Bevilacqua c. 1499, it continues the city’s ancient tradition of weaving velvets, brocades and damasks by hand.
  • Lunch in an acclaimed vegetarian restaurant nearby.
  • Conclude your day with immersion in the city’s culture, including a stop at the imposing Gothic Frari church with its precious treasures, including The Assumption, the first public commission for a young Titian who would become the most important artist working in Venice. Also see the exquisite Madonnas by Giovanni Bellini and Paolo Veneziano, and Titian’s burial monument.
  • Dinner on your own. Recommendations for Venice’s most authentic and famous restaurants are for the asking.

Day 6

Venice

Piazza San Marco. | Photo: Greg Mitchell

Piazza San Marco. | Credit: Greg Mitchell

  • Go with our guide to St. Mark’s Square, once the political and social nerve center of Venice’s wealth and power. See the city’s most iconic buildings and learn about their origins and history. Start off the visit at the Doge’s Palace with its perfectly preserved magnificent facade and interior. Adjacent is the opulent St. Mark’s Basilica. With its nearly 90,000 square feet of gold mosaics and precious oriental marbles, it is considered one of the best examples of Italian-Byzantine architecture.
  • Lunch in a bacaro, a typical wine bar that serves “cichetti,” Venice’s answer to tapas.
  • Free afternoon for exploring or shopping.
  • Farewell dinner at the palace for a last taste of authentic Venice.

Day 7

Depart Venice

Farewell and thank you from the Eolo. | Credit: Paolo Destefanis

  • Airport transfer by water taxi.

Rates and Particulars:

  • 4,950 Euros per person including accommodations as detailed, breakfasts, lunches and dinners as described, private visits as per itinerary, all entrance fees, cooking class on board the Eolo, the service of your tour guide(s). Rates based on double occupancy; 20% more for single occupancy.
  • 10% deposit upon reservation, refunded if the minimum of 6 guests is not reached.
  • 40% upon confirmation, the balance 30 days before departure.
  • Minimum 6 guests. Maximum, 12 guests.
  • For those wishing to extend their stay in Venice, ask us to arrange for extension of accommodations at Palazzo Morosini degli Spezieri upon availability and at your own cost.

Not Included

  • Flights, travel insurance, items of personal expenditure (e.g. telephone calls, laundry etc.), discretionary gratuities to boatmen and guides, government levies or taxes introduced after publication of this program (March 11, 2019).
  • Please note that if circumstances beyond our control necessitates some alteration to the itinerary shown, you will be notified of any such changes as soon as possible. 
  • To be sustainable, a minimum of 6 guests is required; maximum 12 guests.
  • Payment terms: 10% to confirm your reservation; 40% when 6 reservations are booked; balance due 30 days before departure.

Contact

  • For more complete information, visit our earlier Forktales post.
  • Questions? Email julia@juliadellacroce.com
  • To book, please email info@cruisingvenice.com
Winner of the 2004 World Gourmand Awards.

Julia della Croce’s Veneto: Authentic recipes from Venice and the Italian Northeast, with photography by Paolo Destefanis (Chronicle Books) won the 2004 World Gourmand Awards.

“Everyone knows Venice, but the Venetian cuisine has been somewhat of a hidden treasure. Rich in the use of unique spices left from its Serenissa years, the cuisine sparkles with surprise. Julia della Croce [in her book, Veneto]…has captured wonderfully [its] nuances and sparkle of this regional cuisine.” —Lidia Bastianich

Julia della Croce has been immersed since birth in the tastes and aromas of the Italian cooking she loves. After becoming disenchanted with a political career, she began cooking in the galley of a 50-foot sailing ketch for paying passengers. She is a journalist, and James Beard award-winning cook book author and cooking teacher. Among her fourteen titles is Veneto: Authentic Recipes from Venice and the Italian Northeast (Chronicle Books), winner of the 2004 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. She writes about the culture of food and drink in this blog, and most recently for National Geographic’s atlas of Italian food, Tasting Italy. She is a noted authority on the food of Italy.

Mauro Stoppa was born and raised on his family’s farm in a small village near Padua on the southern edge of the Venetian archipelago. He is an agronomist by education but his first love was always the world of the lagoon. In 1998, he pulled up his land roots and bought and restored the Eolo, a vintage bragozzo named after the Greek god of the wind, a flat-bottomed 52-foot fishing barge that is one of the last of its kind. There and then, he decided to fulfill his lifetime dream of living on the sea and to devote himself to the restoration of the Venetian waterways. Stoppa takes small groups on cruises to sail, eat his sublime food, and experience the magic of Venice and the lagoon he loves, a venture featured in the New York Times.

with Mauro at Met

Mauro lands in NYC to cook for a private party at Sotheby’s, bringing his own ingredients with him from Venice. We met at the Met for some down time. | Credit: Nathan Hoyt/Forktales

Jan 112019
 

The Eolo under sail at dusk. Called a bragozzo in Italian, the restored fishing vessel, built in 1946, is one of the last sailing ships of its kind that were designed to navigate the shallow lagoon waters during the era of the doges. Mauro Stoppa, a native Venetian and our host, has lovingly restored and adapted it for modern comforts. Photo: Paolo Spigariol

What: Slow food and slow travel in Veneto, Italy

Where: Culinary & cultural tour of Venice and its lagoon islands, and the Brenta Riviera

When: April 29-May 5, 2019—6 days, 7 nights.

Price: Euros 5,800. Price covers meals, overnight accommodations in first-rate inns and hotels, guides, cooking lessons and museum fees.

Hosts: Best-selling National Geographic author Julia della Croce and architect-photographer Nat Hoyt partnering with Venetian host, captain Mauro Stoppa.

Deadline for signing up: January 30, 2019

Reservations: info@cruisingvenice.com

Questions?: Contact julia@juliadellacroce.com

SPRING TOUR April 29-May 5, 2019 Itinerary

We have 4-8 spots left on our historic sailing vessel that will make an unforgettable tour of Venice and its lagoon’s lesser-known islands. From there, you will journey on with us to the Brenta Riviera for a land tour of the Renaissance world of Andrea Palladio, one of history’s greatest architects. See his opus, Villa Foscari, also known as “Malcontenta” and other UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Dine with a countess in her ancestral palace. Visit the medieval charms, art treasures, and famous markets of Padua. Enjoy superb local wines and the delicate cuisine of the provinces and be amazed at the cultural and gastronomic richness of the Veneto region. Boats and traditional means of transport make for a unique journey in one of Italy’s most historically, culturally and gastronomically rich regions. This is a variation of our original tour of Venice and the lagoon islands (that will be offered once again, September 12-18).

On board the Eolo with Mauro Stoppa. Photo copyright Nathan Hoyt/Forktales 2017,

We begin onboard the Eolo and sail on the tranquil waters of the lagoon westward into the bucolic Brenta canal and the Renaissance world of one of history’s greatest architects, Andrea Palladio and that of his contemporaries. On the Veneto mainland, our crew will transfer us onto smaller traditional boats built to navigate the narrow, shallow canals of the ancient Venetian waterways just as the Venetians once did. Along the way, we’ll explore everything from the magnificent villas of the 16th, 17th, and 18th century merchant classes to the ancient cities and villages of art and culture along the Brenta, the natural extension of the Grand Canal. We’ll be reliving the extraordinary experience of noble families leaving Venice to spend the summers in the countryside during the Serenissima’s gilded age, and also discover the ancient world of ordinary Venetians. We conclude with a return to Venice proper. This is a unique exploration of Venice and its environs not offered anywhere else. Our past guests have said that traveling with us on the Eolo was the experience of a lifetime.

You’ll travel to the Venice of past times on board the Eolo, Mauro Stoppa’s restored traditional sailing vessel that plies the Venetian lagoon and its ancient waterways. Offering a unique experience of Venice not found elsewhere, Stoppa and his able crew will draw you into life in Venice and its region as it has been lived by Venetians for centuries.

  • Sail lost Venice and its lagoon islands for immersion in the private world unknown to most outsiders, that of the native islanders—fishermen, artisans, tradesmen, sailors, farmers, and vintners.
  • Travel through a unique ecosystem of small canals, shallow waters and sandbanks to the channel flowing into the Brenta Riviera and be immersed in an extraordinary and unspoiled natural world along the way, stopping to visit fishermen’s huts or ancient monasteries, visiting the most important Palladian villas, dining at the table of a Venetian countess in her palace, tasting the authentic cuisine of common people and noble Venetians alike.
  • Be guided by the locals who take pride in the rituals of their traditional life and will welcome you into their worlds and share the details of how they live and work.
  • Journey the breathtaking Brenta Riviera and see its famous villas, gardens, and artistic treasures executed by masters including Giotto, Giambattista and Domenico Tiepolo, Donatello,Veronese, and Tintoretto.
  • With our local guide, tour Padova (Padua in English), the crown jewel of the region’s splendid Medieval and Renaissance cities.
  • End your journey in Venice proper for an overnight in a newly restored, palatial apartment overlooking a lazy canal in the charming San Polo district where you can sightsee with our Venetian guide, shop, or, if you like, just ramble the backstreets of Venice beyond the city’s most famous sights on your own.

Photo: Mark Cowan

Day 1 (Includes dinner and overnight)

MEET ON THE PARK ISLAND OF CERTOSA, A 40-MINUTE VAPORETTO RIDE FROM THE VENICE AIRPORT

—Group meets Julia and Nat at the Venice Certosa Hotel on the tiny island of Certosa, once the site of a monastery, now a park, marina, and sole hotel. Check in at 3 p.m.

—Group dinner at 7 p.m.

—Overnight here.

Our guests on the Eolo, September, 2017. Photo: Nathan Hoyt/Forktales/To Italy With Julia, 2017

Day 2 (Includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and overnight)

CROSS THE LAGOON, STOP AT SAN LAZZARO DEGLI ARMENI ISLAND; HEAD FOR THE MAINLAND; TRAVERSE THE CANAL BY TRADITIONAL BOATS CALLED CAORLINE, DINNER AT THE PRIVATE VILLA OF  COUNTESS ENRICA ROCCA

—Morning: Breakfast at the hotel. Mauro comes for us dockside on the Eolo. The crew will make you feel at home on deck, serving fresh local fruit, snacks and coffee prepared in the galley.

Back on board and a little snack from the galley—the local white, wild asparagus, and tasty crab morsels to suck on. Photo: Nathan Hoyt/Forktales/To Italy With Julia, 2017

—Sail to the tiny monastery island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni. Like many of the lagoon islands, it has been used in various ways over the centuries. A quarantine site for ships and their passengers before they were permitted to disembark in Venice during the years of the Black Plague, it eventually became a monastery for Armenian monks in the 18th century and a place of study and eventually, a publishing center and important library that is still in use.  https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Lazzaro_degli_Armeni

—Disembark and meet our local guide for a tour of the abbey and the island while Mauro and the crew prepare a delicious lunch in the galley of genuine Venetian dishes sourced from local ingredients.

—Lunch al fresco, in the open air, on deck. Superb local wines served with every course.

—Shove off from the lagoon for the Brenta Riviera, gliding the gentle curves of the canals on the Eolo until we pass the last lock. At this point, guests will transfer to a convoy of smaller vessels called caorline, traditional Venetian row boats designed to navigate the narrow and shallow waterways manned by their prideful owners who, if you ask them, have plenty of tales to tell about their beloved river. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caorlina

Boatmen rowing their caorline, traditional Venetian crafts on the Brenta canal. Photo credit: Mauro Stoppa 2018

—Disembark at the spectacular Villa Foscari, better known as “La Malcontenta.” Mirrored in the waters of the Brenta, it is considered the most fascinating of the numerous 16th century country palaces designed by the legendary architect Andrea Palladio for wealthy Venetian merchants. Guided tour of the estate. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Foscari

Villa Foscari, courtesy UNESCO.

—Re-board the caorline for an opulent riverside relais et chateaux, the 17th century Palladian villa Franceschi, former residence of the Doge’s jewelers. It comes into view in all its splendor at a bend in the canal, skirted by acres of forested parkland. According to tradition, all the villa’s balconies and terraces from which we will eat superb Venetian cuisine “al fresco,” in the open, should face the breathtaking panorama.  http://www.villafranceschi.com/en/ https:// and  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Pisani,_Stra

—Dinner prepared by Mauro Stoppa and the Eolo’s crew will be served in another, nearby private villa owned by Countess Enrica Rocca.

—Overnight at Villa Franceschi.

 

Day 3 (Includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and overnight)

VENETIAN VILLAS, UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES, A RESTORED ANCIENT GRANARY, A BEAUTIFUL FISHERY, DINNER AT THE VILLA OF COUNTESS ROCCA

—Transfer by van to Villa Pisani at Strà on the Brenta Riviera that links Venice to Padua. The most famous of Veneto’s villas, Villa Pisani, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, is considered the most spectacular for its classical grandeur and allegorical frescoes by Giambattista and Domenico Tieplo and other Renaissance masters. Guided visit of the villa and its gardens. http://www.villapisani.beniculturali.it

Villa Pisani, view from the reflecting pond. Photo credit: Rafaela Pagani, 2014

—Embark on the caorline for the Molini di Dolo, perfectly restored ancient mills for grinding corn and grains that were the staples of the Venetians.  http://www.rivieradelbrenta.biz/ristoranti_riviera_del_brenta/i_mulini_del_dolo.htm

—Lunch at a typical restaurant near the mills at Villa Goetzen.

—Board the caorline again for the dramatic 17th century Villa Valmarana. http://www.villavalmarana.net/

—Return to Villa Franceschi by caorline, or on foot along the breathtaking paths on the properties, if you prefer.

—Once again, dinner will be prepared by Mauro Stoppa and his crew at the villa of Countess  Rocca.

 

Day 4 (Includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and overnight)

PADOVA EXCURSION AND A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE, DINNER AT THE PRIVATE VILLA OF COUNTESS EMO

Padua at night. Photo: Nathan Hoyt/Forktales/To Italy with Julia, 2018

—Transfer by van to Padova/Padua, a dazzling tapestry of medieval marketplaces, Renaissance architecture, and early 20th century facades. Home to the second oldest university in Italy where Galileo taught and patrons of the powerful Scrovegni family sponsored Giotto’s famous works.

—Guided visit of Giotto’s Cappella degli Scrovegni, Scrovegni Chapel, a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site, an extraordinary example of 15th century art and the most comprehensive collection of preserved frescoes painted by Giotto (1303-1305).

Kiss of Judas, one of the panels in the Scrovegni Chapel, Padova, by Giotto di Bondone, 1304-1306. Courtesy: Cappella degli Scrovegni

—Lunch in a typical restaurant in the historic center of Padova/Padua.

—Visit Palazzo della Ragione and the Prato della Valle piazza. Built between 1218 and 1308, the Palazzo was the government center of Padua. The interior is designed to simulate an upside down wooden boat, symbolizing the intimate relationship between the city and its waterways. The nearby Prato della Valle piazza is considered one of Europe’s most significant.

—Transfer by van to the villa residence of Countess Emo in Monselice nestled in the Euganean Hills for a dinner prepared by Mauro Stoppa and the Eolo crew. Overnight in the villa.

 

Day 5 (Includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and overnight)

UNIQUE BAROQUE GARDENS, VISIT TO THE EUGANEAN HILLS, TRANSFER TO VENICE

—Transfer by van to the nearby gardens at Valzanzibio, designated by UNESCO as the first Italian baroque garden, known for its allegorical themes and unique botanical labyrinths. https://www.valsanzibiogiardino.it

—Lunch at a restaurant in the charming medieval village of Arquà Petrarca, home to the last house of the fourteenth century poet, Petrarch and considered one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. www.arquapetrarca.com

Arquà Petrarca. Photo credit: Alain Rouiller, Wikicommons

—Guided visit of the Cataio castle. http://www.castellodelcatajo.it/

—Transfer to Venice by van and water taxi.

—Free evening in Venice. Overnight in spacious apartments in the newly renovated Palazzo Morosini degli Spezieri overlooking a lazy canal in the charming San Polo district.

Our accommodations in Venice. Photo: Compliments of Palazzo Morosini degli Spezieri

Day 6 (Includes lunch, dinner, and overnight)

Farewell dinner at the storied Trattoria Antiche Carampane. Photo: Nathan Hoyt/Forktales/To Italy With Julia, 2018

VENICE AND FAREWELL DINNER

—Guided visit to Venice’s artisan rowers guild (forcole). Onto seeing an example of the ancient printing press system (Venice was once an important publishing center).

—Lunch in a typical bacaro, eatery specializing in small plates.

—Free afternoon.

—Farewell  dinner at the legendary and colorful restaurant Antiche Carampane near the Rialto bridge, once a government-designated retirement home for ladies of the night that inhabited the neighborhood.

Day 7 (Includes hotel breakfast)

FINAL DAY

Photo: Mark Cowan

—Depart Venice, or extend your stay the palazzo if you wish, and we will arrange for your reservations at your own cost.

Rates and Particulars:

  • 6,200 Euros per person including the last night (7 nights) or 5,800 Euros for 6 nights for accommodations as detailed, breakfasts, lunches and dinners as described, private visits as per itinerary, all entrance fees, cooking lessons during our journey at your discretion, the service of your tour guide(s). Rates based on double occupancy; 20% more for single occupancy.
  • 10% deposit upon reservation, refunded if the minimum of 6 guests is not reached.
  • 40% upon confirmation, the balance 30 days before departure.
  • Minimum 6 guests. Maximum, 10 guests.

Not Included

  • Flights, travel insurance, items of personal expenditure (e.g. telephone calls, laundry etc.), discretionary gratuities to boatmen and guides, government levies or taxes introduced after publication of this program (September 7, 2018).
  • Please note that if circumstances beyond our control necessitate some alteration to the itinerary shown, you will be notified of any such changes as soon as possible.

Contact: For more information and reservations: Write to Mauro Stoppa at the following email address info@cruisingvenice.com or email me with any questions you might have.

 

 

 

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Oct 102016
 
Undiscovered Venice May 15-21: Glide Away With Me

A marvelous program, a priceless exploration of some of the secrets of this most secretive of cities. I wish I were fit and free enough to jump aboard. —Victor Hazan Victor Hazan, who lived in Venice with Marcella, his wife and Italian cookbook legend, knows: Few outsiders ever get to see the real Venice.  You have to get off the tourist route and even off the map to seek out the city’s nooks and crannies, her hidden waterways and odd corners. Along with native Venetian Mauro Stoppa, our host and skipper, I will take you there, fork in hand. Now you can […more…]

Jun 302016
 
Tour Unknown Venice with Me: Sign Up for Our May, 2017 Culinary Cruise!

Almost in the very middle of this little sea, enclosed between the water and the sky, lies Venice, a fairy vision, risen as if by miracle out of the water that surrounds it and like green shining ribbons, cuts through its beautiful body. So wrote Giulio Lorenzetti, in his famous 1926 guidebook, Venice and its Lagoon: A Historical and Artistic Guide (updated in 1994 and still the most authoritative source). Yet there it is, the ancient “Serenissima,” a glittering city decorated with gold, arising out of the lagoon, firm and fixed. We can barely grasp how architects could have imagined its plan and […more…]

Dec 192014
 
Still Time Left for Making the Fruitcake You Can Love!

True English fruitcake—sumptuous, evocative, intoxicating— is something you can love. Here is a recipe dedicated to you for Christmas—especially to my friends who think they hate fruitcake. It’s a revelation: continue reading here for the recipe and story.

Oct 082014
 
There's Good News in the World, Too: Gelato Explosion!

In my recent article for Zester Daily, I wrote about the gelato explosion. One thing is for sure, gelato is on the move from its Italian home base as more and more entrepreneurs set up shop all over the world using Italy’s state-of-the-art equipment, designed for small-batch, artisan production. Following up on my last post about Rimini, here’s the scoop about why I was in that famous beach resort last month. No, it wasn’t to sunbathe or take in the nightclubs. It was to join the World Gelato Tour which, after circling the globe and picking finalists along the way—including […more…]