We have visited Venice close to 20 times by now, either on our own (Christmas in a rainy, festively illuminated Venice was out of this world lovely and romantic), or as part of our Photography Travel Tours.

Every year we think that we’ve seen it all and then we can’t wait to go back and explore the mysterious lanes and small squares off the touristic ant path. This sinking city of water, palaces, glamour, marble, crumbling charm, and mysterious beauty puts a spell on you (that spell could quickly dissipate if you went there in August when the canals can produce a vicious odor and the mosquitoes nobody ever mentions devour you).

For Magrit who grew up a mere 3-hour train ride from Venice, this island city is almost bred in the bones. Her parents rode a motorcycle with sidecar to Venice on their honeymoon in the 1950s (we can only speculate :-)).

Needless to say, we miss our annual Venice fix but we’re making up for it with a virtual tour to this stunning gem in the Venetian lagoon.

We hope that you will enjoy the slideshow with some of our favorite images, the links to a couple of webcams so that you can spy on Venetians going about their daily life (remember the 9-hour time difference if you live on the west coast) as well as links to local music and recipes. Don’t miss the simple recipe for SPRITZ, the tastiest, most sparkling Venetian summer drink at the bottom. 

Here are 2 links for Venetian Life Webcams.

It was sad for us to see the empty lanes and canals when Italy was under complete quarantine but we’re happy to see more activity again.

Click here to watch a canal from Hotel American and here for the Grand Canal webcam.

Virtual Gondola Ride anyone?

The fixed cost for a standard gondola rides in Venice is 80 euros for a private 25-30 minutes tour and 120 euros at night. Have fun riding for free!

For all of you who love listening to the local music wherever you travel, check out these 2 links.

https://youtu.be/3zvsBpUvnug and https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bKzTopIYp1c

And now for the tasty part: FOOD!

Venice is known for its elegant cuisine and wonderful seafood (at a price!). It’s also known for really crappy and often overpriced tourist fare. 2 typical Venetian dishes are tasty but maybe not to everybody’s liking. The first time we ate Pasta with cuttlefish ink in a charming Trattoria, the tourists at the neighboring table turned a light shade of green.

Linguine al Nero di Seppia (Pasta with cuttlefish black ink).
Click on the photo for the recipe. Don’t ask me where to get squid ink.

If you like liver, Fegato alla Veneziana (Venetian-style Liver & Onions) will be a treat (Jim doesn’t think so).
Again, if you want to try your hand at this, click on the photo above.

The best part: Camapri (or Aperol) Spritz

Spritz is bright and sweet and bubbly and the right amount of bitterness. You can make a spritz cocktail: A with Campari or Aperol (the Aperol Spritz is sweeter and slightly less tart).

Ingredients

3 ounces Prosecco
2 ounces Campari or Aperol
1 ounce club soda
1 slice orange

Instructions

Fill a tumbler with ice cubes. Add Prosecco then Campari or Aperol and club soda. Stir. Serve garnished with an orange slice.

When we can travel again, we’d love to have you join us as we’ll once again be exploring the visual and culinary treats of the magical Serenissima, this “most serene” city.

Jim and Magrit have been photographing professionally and traveling in Europe for the past 20 years. They started Photography Travel Tours in 2011 with the goal of educating and guiding photographers to some of the most beautiful and iconic scenes in Europe. The tours are not just about getting great photographs but also have the side benefits of doing so in wonderful environments. Great food, wine, people, and ambiance. Read more about Jim & Magrit and their wonderful photo tours here: (http://photographytraveltours.com/about/). Slow Travel Tours is an affiliation of small-group tour operators who offer personalized trips in Italy, France and other European countries.