Coke is It -- In Venice

ANSA.it brings us the news that Venice is not selling out -- even as it agrees to a "partnership" with Coca-Cola
» 2009-02-23 14:13
Coca- Cola not 'buying' Venice
Mayor says partnership with drinks giant 'indispensable'
"(ANSA) - Venice, February 23 - Coca-Cola is not ''buying'' Venice, its city council said Monday, reacting to polemics over a planned million-dollar partnership between the drinks giant and the lagoon city.

Italian daily La Stampa reported Monday that the city was ''selling itself'' to Coca-Cola in a 2.1 million-dollar deal that will involve ''vending machines in every corner of the city'', including St Mark's Square, where tourists are forbidden from picnicking under strict council rules on urban decorum.

But Maurizio Calligaro, the council's chief of staff, said the 60 vending machines would not be placed on public soil, let alone near landmarks such as St Mark's.

''Fifteen distributors will be placed on the principal vaporetti landing stages, the others will be inside council car parks and in the limited traffic zone of the mainland. Where's the invasion?'' Calligaro said.

He also stressed that the vending machines would not bear the Coca-Cola logo, quashing rumours that the brand name would be plastered all over the city.

Venice Mayor Massimo Cacciari, who has long bemoaned a lack of state funds for the upkeep of city monuments and churches, said he was ''astounded'' by the polemics over the deal, adding that it was no different from others adopted in the past.

''This is a financial strategy that today is simply indispensable for safeguarding our monuments and artistic heritage and is in line with culture ministry guidelines,'' Cacciari said.

''It follows a strategy we've adopted with other equally prestigious collaborators - Lancia for the restoration of the Ducal Palace, Swatch for the Biblioteca Marciana, Replay for Ca' Rezzonico and Bulgari for the Scala d'Oro''.

The mayor added that the idea that Venice could be safeguarded ''by philanthropy alone'' was unrealistic.

''These idealists who protest against strategies such as (the Coca Cola deal), which by now have been adopted in all the cities of the world, should have the good taste to indicate an alternative, or, even better, provide for the needs of the city from their own pockets,'' he said.

Cacciari last month warned that Venice's monuments and churches risked falling into ruin because too much state aid is being directed into a controversial project to protect the lagoon city from sinking.

The experimental 4.3 billion-euro Moses scheme is scheduled to come into action in 2014 and involves moveable flood barriers that rise from the seabed to block the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea when high tides are forecast.

A longstanding opponent of the costly scheme, Cacciari has warned that there are no guarantees that it will work."


This photo shows one of my preferred drinks in Venice.

AMEX Gone From Venice

According to the excellent newsletter/blog/travel service, Dream of Italy:

American Express has closed its offices in Venice's Piazza San Marco and near the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, but blame the closings on high rents rather than fewer travelers.

I took the photo in 2007. It's one of the thousands of photos I have of San Marco! Be sure to click on the photo to see it in its full digital glory. I'm always amazed--it makes me feel like I'm standing in San Marco. If you can't be there in person, be there in digital...

Cheap Eats Near San Marco

From ANSA news:

Venice 'pilgrim restaurant' opens
New eatery driving prices down around St Mark's
(ANSA) - Venice, January 30 - A new 'restaurant for pilgrims' is driving Venice prices down by offering cheap, quality lunches to visitors to St Mark's Basilica.

The eatery, which advertises three-course lunches for a tidy 13 euros ($17), has yet to open but has already caused a flutter around the famously pricey square.

Three days before it threw its doors open to the public on Monday, reporters had already spotted ''new, competitive'' menus on sandwich boards in the area.

The La Basilica restaurant is run by a local catering company, SGS, on behalf of the St Mark's Procurators, the board that manages the famed Byzantine cathedral.

Since the Procurators are a non-profit outfit, SGS has been able to come up with a large menu for the lowest of costs, catering firm chief chief Augusto Piscella said.

''I was amazed,'' he said at the restaurant's unveiling Thursday night.

''Since all we have to do is break even, we can afford a choice of eight first courses, seven second courses and six side-dishes''.

''The Procurators' aim is to give a medium-high class meal to all those who visit the Basilica, expressing the Venetian Church's desire to welcome people''.

I took the photo in November 2008. It's not the best photo, but it was a nice November day and we had been sitting in San Marco, drinking expensive coffee and watching the crowds--worth the price of admission!

Book Venice Online -- Discounts, Too

Venice to start online bookings
Tourism will be more sustainable, officials say
(ANSA) - Venice, January 21 - Venice is set to open an online booking service that will give tourists discounts if they plan their holidays in advance.

The system will help keep flows into the often overrun lagoon city manageable, officials say.

From Sunday, February 1, visitors will be able to book tickets at the Correr Museum and the Ducal Palace as well as city-edge parking space and bus and vaporetto rides.

At the website, www.veniceconnected.com, they'll be able to choose from 'green' days (city virtually empty), 'blue' days (medium full) and 'red' days (crowded), Deputy Mayor Michele Vianello told a press conference.

''This is a major step in making tourism in Venice more sustainable,'' he said, calling the colour coded system ''a thermometer of sustainability''.

''Tourists will be able to create their own holiday package including hotels, public services and tickets for museums and other events. And they can pay for this at one time after which they will be given an entry password''.

The city council will also throw in a free ticket to the city's famed casino and a free wi-fi connection along with its three-day packages.

On green days, a typical three-day package for two people will cost 209.30 euros online compared to 247 if paid after arrival - a saving of 31.70 euros.

Blue packages offer savings of 31.10 euros while three red days will cost 20.10 less online, Vianello said. The new system has allowed the city to ditch plans to impose entry quotas or charge high-season entry fees, Vianello said.

For now only two city-owned museums are included but talks are going ahead to add the city's array of state-run sites as well as its churches, led by St Mark's Basilica. In the wake of recent hotel wellies-and-all discounts to lure back tourists put off by pictures of St Mark's under water, the city is also putting up a video entitled Venice, A Livable City Even With Acqua Alta.


I took the photo in May 2007. Unfortunately, the statues are gone,but the feelings remain.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Venice Kiss-In greats the New Year Let us know if you participate!

VENICE, Italy, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Venice, Italy, is reinforcing its image as a city of romance by holding a mass "kiss-in" Wednesday night to welcome the new year.

City officials are hoping this year's kiss-in will surpass last year's version, in which an estimated 60,000 people locked lips at midnight to earn Venice an international prize for best New Year's event, ANSA, the Italian news agency, reported Monday.

Couples are expected to gather about 10 p.m. under the square's bell tower and practice their kissing before the main event at midnight when fireworks will light up the sky, ANSA reported.

The event in St. Mark's Square will be preceded with detailed lessons about how to perfect a kiss, the news agency said.

Last chance for olio nuovo - "new" olive oil

This is not a Venice post, but a warning that you have a chance to order olio nuovo or "new" olive oil. If you've never tasted just-crushed olive oil, you missed one of the world's best taste treats. Now that my order has been placed, I don't mind telling the rest of you to get your order into Casa de Case. Order your olive oil now! I've been ordering this olive oil for years--and I can't wait to try this year's crush.

Here's the best way to enjoy olio nuovo: bake or buy a good loaf of bread. Toast one or a dozen slices. Sprinkle a great sea salt on each slice. Drizzle olio nuovo on each slice. Enjoy with a strong cafe, blood orange juice, prosecco, or whatever you prefer for a morning beverage!

Acqua Alta Brings Hotel Bargins

High water. Hotel discounts. Free boots. Maybe you should get to Venice before the floods go down. This is from ANSA.it. I took the photo during a November 2002 acqua alta.

Venice offers 'high- water package'
Free thigh boots, discounts after flood of cancellations
(ANSA) - Venice, December 2 - Venice hotels responded to a raft of flood-induced cancellations Tuesday by unveiling a 'high-water package' including discounts and a free pair of fishermen-style thigh boots.

''After all, tourists seem to like having their picture taken while wading around,'' said the head of the local hoteliers' association, Franco Maschiello.

Maschiello said his association had had ''1,000 cancellations today alone'' and took issue with the ''alarmist'' coverage of the high tide in the media, ''which appeared to give the impression the city was sinking''.

He pointed out that the acqua alta (high tide) - the fourth-highest in the city's history - had ''only reached its maximum point in certain zones''.

Perspective on Today's Floods

Today's acqua alta is second only to the November 1966 flood. Check out this YouTube video from 1966 to gain some perspective on the amount of destruction the high waters cause.

I have been distressed by some videos of tourists splashing in San Marco like it's a water park amusement. This is not a game. WE NEED TO SAVE VENICE NOW.

Deepest acqua alta in 22 years -- Mayor tells people to stay out

The story is from ANSA.it. I took the photos in October 2002. The first is behind the Rialto stalls; the second is shows San Marco under water.
(ANSA) - Venice, December 1 - Venice was swamped Monday by one of the highest tides in its history.

St Mark's square was submerged under almost a metre of water and the rest of the historic centre was swimming too, with many pontoon bridges floating off to leave residents stranded in their homes.

The only Venetians getting about were those equipped with thigh-high boots of the kind fishermen wear.

Many elderly people had to be carried to safety, and the bottom floors of homes and shops started operating their bailout pumps.

City Mayor Massimo Cacciari advised local people to stay at home and anyone thinking of coming to Venice to ''think again''.

To cap things off, the city was hit by a transport strike which prompted Veneto Governor Giancarlo Galan to say sarcastically: ''I'd like to give them (the strikers) a medal for their sense of responsibility''.

Pushed by relentless winds, the sea level rose to 156 centimetres above normal - the highest 'acqua alta' (high water) since 1.58m in 1986 and 1.66m in December 1979.

The record 'acqua alta' was in the great flood of 1966, at 1.94m. Levels of 100-130 cm above sea level are fairly common in the lagoon city and Venice is well-equipped to cope with its rafts of pontoon walkways.

But anything much above 140cm risks swamping the city and washing the walkways away.

The high-water threat has been increasing in recent years as heavier rains have hit northern Italy, weather experts say.

Scientists have conceived various ways of warding off the waters since the catastrophic 1966 flood, and a system of moveable flood barriers called MOSE is being installed after years of polemics.

Experts say there are three main reasons for high water in the city: the rising floor in the lagoon caused by incoming silt; the undermining of the islands by the extraction of methane gas in the sea off Venice; and the overall increase in sea levels caused by global warming.

Weird Venise/St. Martin's Day

I was checking my site visits and came across the Google French translation, Weird Venise. Those clever Google guys--who knew I had a French blog!

In honor of the upcoming St. Martin's Day (November 11), I'm posting a photo I took two years ago (on St. Martin's Day). These are very popular cakes, made only for this special Venetian holiday. I'm not sure who St. Martin was (I know someone will enlighten me), but it's a great holiday in Venice. (Tip: click on the photo to see the enlarged version)

On the day I took this photo of the special cakes, we followed a group of young school children and three delightful nuns through the calles of Dorsoduro. The children--and the nuns--stopped outside the shops and enthusiastically banged wooden spoons against pots and pot covers. The shopkeeper would give a few coins to the kids and the procession moved onto the next shop.

Venetian children run through the city, banging pots and pans with wooden spoons. It is traditional to reward the children by giving them a few coins. Special cakes depicting St Martin are baked in celebration.

Two years later, I'm still sorry I didn't take a photo of children...

Obama Pizza

As a follow-up to yesterday's post about Italy watching the U.S. elections, here's a bit more information on the Obama Pizza. (Thanks to René Seindal from Venice Kayak for sending me a link to Turismo in Italia's website where this photo came from.)


ANSA.it says:

Neapolitans meanwhile had an extra reason to celebrate Obama's win as the Italy For Obama committee handed out special free pizza.

"It's a half-Neapolitan and half-American pizza, with the classic Margherita sharing the plate with hot dogs and fries," explained Naples provincial councillor and committee promoter Francesco Borrelli.

"It's a nice way of declaring our solidarity with Barack Obama, the protagonist of a historic event," he said.

Italy Watches U.S. Voting

This has nothing to do with Venice, but I thought it was interesting--thanks to ANSA.it for the story. I took the photo in May 2003.

» 2008-11-03 19:01
Italy gears up for US vote
Italians treat election almost as their own

(ANSA) - Rome, November 3 - Italy is gearing up for Tuesday's presidential elections in the United States almost as if it was a national election here complete with all-night TV coverage and rallies for the candidates.

Results will be broadcast live on the state RAI networks, the private Mediaset channels owned by Premier Silvio Berlusconi, the independent La7 and channels on the Sky satellite platform, which hosts several American networks as Britain's BBC and the Arabic al Jazeera network, which also has a channel in English.

Because of the six-hour time difference, no results of the race between Democrat Barack Omaba and Republican John McCain are not expected in Italy until after midnight (23:00GMT).

However, Italian viewers can watch a full array of related programming including talks shows with Italian pundits and American guests, news specials and films with a US election theme.

These include Michael Moore documentary on George W. Bush's presidency Fahrenheit 9/11 and the made-for-TV film Recount on Bush's victory in 2000 with the contested vote count in Florida, which stars two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacy and which won an Emmy award.

Another film scheduled for Tuesday night is Death of a President which was produced by Britain's Channel Four and is a fantasy-documentary about the assassination of President Bush which sparked a lot of controversy but which won an American Emmy award as well as the critics' prize at the Toronto Film Festival in 2007.

Italians waiting for the election results can also watch Hollywood superstar Robert Redford as a candidate for the US Senate with presidential ambitions in Michael Ritchie's 1972 film The Candidate.

Americans in Rome of both parties will be gathering at the luxurious Parco dei Principi Hotel near Via Veneto to watch the elections results.

The Democrats Abroad organization, convinced of an Omaba victory, have also organized a rally at a restaurant at the Termini railroad station and are reported to have asked city authorities for permission to stage a victory parade on Saturday from the American embassy on via Veneto to the Colosseum.

The Democrats have been the most active in campaigning for Obama who won the primary elections in Italy by a landslide.

Among Italian politicians the African-American senator from Illinois has the full support of the center left. And he has even won over several members of the center right government, leading other conservatives to accuse them of "jumping on the bandwagon" of the front-runner in the US vote.

The Italian government and the American embassy have both stated at length that relations between the two countries will remain "excellent" no matter who wins Tuesday's vote.

In a talk show in Sunday, Italian Foreign minister Franco Frattini said that "there will be no surprises" for Italy from the American elections.

The US, he observed, ''is and will remain our primary international ally''.

US Ambassador Ronald Spogli will host an election night event at the Excelsior Hotel for some 2,000 invited guests including American and Italian businessmen and politicians from the center right and left.

Italy's center-left Partito Democratico (PD) is organising its own election night rally with the participation of party secretary Walter Veltoni, the former Rome mayor who wrote the introduction to the Italian edition to one of Obama's books.

The event will be broadcast live by the PD's satellite channel YouDem as well as on its website.

Election night events are also being organised at the leading American military bases in Italy and at the campuses of many US universities which have branches here.

In Naples, the American consulate is organising an open air event while pizza makers, certain of his victory, have already come up with an Obama pizza to be served up Tuesday night.
==================
So, if you live in the US, be sure to vote. If you live in Naples, try an Obama pizza and let us know what you think about it.

Feeling Lucky???

If you're in Italy, you might want to buy a few lotto tickets. This is from ANSA.it....

Italian jackpot nears world record
Betters line up for crack at 100- million- euro win
(ANSA) - Rome, October 23 - At a whopping 100 million euros, the jackpot for Italy's popular SuperEnalotto game is close to becoming the fifth biggest lotto win in the world ever.

The advantage of the Italian game over others, especially those in the US, is that SuperEnalotto pays out the full prize immediately while the US game gives winners the pot in instalments or pays a single, reduced prize.

SuperEnalotto winners also receive interest on their winnings from the time they redeem their slips to when they receive full payment, which usually takes two months. The chance of becoming a millionaire has driven millions of Italians and foreigners to place bets and the number of slips played for Saturday's draw broke the 100-million threshold for the first time ever.

SuperEnalotto's jackpot has been building since its last top prize was won on April 26, when 40.6 million euros were won.

In order to win SuperEnalotto betters must choose the correct six numbers drawn from one to 90. Draws are held three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Good luck!


UPDATE (also from ANSA.it)
ANSA) - Catania, October 24 - The whole of Catania was still celebrating Friday morning after a night of cavalcades of cars and cascades of sparkling wine greeted someone's Superenalotto jackpot killing of more than 100 million euros, the biggest Italian lotto win ever.

Despite calls to emerge from anonymity and a plea from a leukemia sufferer, the winner will almost certainly stay undercover.

All that is known is that he or she placed their bet at a tobacco shop not far from the city centre which has been besieged with calls.

Ca' Cerchieri Garden

In the comments section for yesterday's post about renting an apartment in Ca' Cerchieri, Tom from Toronto wrote that he's stayed in the same building and had a great view of the private garden. Here's a photo of the garden that I took in May 2003. More about Venice's secret gardens later this week.

Venice Highlights: My Apartment

I'm back from my trip to Venice; a trip that was of my best. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to re-live that trip and write about some of the highlights.

The first has to be my apartment. I am a big believer in renting apartments when I go to a city--it's a great way to live in a neighborhood, have more space than a hotel room and give you an opportunity to learn a different part of a favorite city.

The first two times, I stayed in hotels (the pre-renovation Monaco & Grand Canal and the Hotel Rialto). Both were wonderful and I had a great time--but then I discovered renting and Views On Venice. I've been a fan ever since. I haven't counted the number of their apartments I've stayed in, but each one has been great.

This time, we stayed in Ca' Cerchieri 3 in Dorsoduro. It's on the Grand Canal, it's very comfortable and it has amazing views. This is a photo I took from the living room on a foggy morning. (I'm sure I'll put up some other photos later.) Having such a wonderful base added to our enjoyment of the week. I know I'll be staying there again. (Grazie, Filippo and everyone else at Views on Venice!) If you're looking for a reason to go to Venice, look at the special offer for November to mid-December. If I had the time, I'd be booking it myself....

I wish I could say the same for the water taxi driver who, despite directions, deposited us at the wrong palazzo! Thank goodness some residents of the wrong palazzo unlocked the gates or we'd still be standing on the dock! If you're going to pay the price for the water taxi, be sure he's going to the right place! (yes, I know there are cheaper ways to get from the airport to Venice, but I had my reasons.)

Strike Today

Did you have trouble with the vaporetti today? According to ANSA.it there was a massive strike in Italy today. It even effected Venice: "'Vaporetti' water buses in Venice were also down to a reduced service, with around 48% of operators adhering to the strike." Not fun. But it must have been nice on the Grand Canal.

Keep the Tips Coming!

I'm off to Venice tomorrow, but don't stop the tips! I'll try to check in while and I'm gone and see what you're suggesting.

Thanks to everyone who's suggested something. I may not be able to try them all, but I'll do as many as I can. My main mission this trip is to get to all of the Chorus pass churches.

Ciao!

Got Any Tips

So, I'm finally getting to Venice this year. I've never felt so out of touch with my favorite city--I can't wait to get back.

A question: is there any place I should visit, any restaurant I should visit, any shops I should spent my euros in? Who's been to Venice lately? What is on your "not to be missed" list? Who knows, you might even win something!

Aqua Alta in San Marco

Anyone been to Venice lately? I've been watching the webcams because in a few weeks, I'll finally make my 2008 trip to La Serenissima -- and I've been seeing a lot of acqua alta in San Marco, as shown in this photo.

Anyone know what's going on?

No Respect for the New Bridge

The new bridge continues to cause controversy. I'll be heading back to Venice in October -- and I'm looking forward to seeing the new bridge.(The following story comes from ANSA.it). Here's a photo I took of the construction in March 2006

Fuss over new Venice bridge
Costs out of control, opposition councillor says
(ANSA) - Venice, August 7 - A right-wing councillor this week accused Venice city council of ''thoughtlessness'' over a new high-tech bridge on the Grand Canal due to open next month.

Raffaele Speranzon, National Alliance whip in the lagoon city's council, said the cost of the project had spiralled out of control due to planning errors, while there would be no disabled access to the bridge when it opens.

''When the bridge was first planned in 1996, it was to have cost four million euros. So far, the city has spent 12.5 million euros, but legal disputes with the construction company over planning errors could cost a further 11 million,'' he said.

''All these errors were born from the thoughtlessness with which the council has managed the project - thoughtlessness that is quite evident from the fact that the bridge, when it is inaugurated, will not be accessible to the disabled and is therefore outside the law,'' he added.

But the city's public works chief, Mara Rumiz, dismissed Speranzon's claims.

''The bridge has cost around 10 million euros,'' she said. ''Speranzon's figures have no basis in reality because one can't include (cost overruns that haven't been determined). We'll see after the litigation is settled,'' she said.

''The bridge is all but finished and will be ready in a month, but it will take a couple of months to install the automatic lift for those who have mobility problems,'' she added.

Once opened, the bridge will link Venice's railway station with Piazzale Roma, a car, bus and ferry terminal on the opposite side of the Grand Canal.

Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the sleek arc of steel accessed by a flight of glass steps spans 94 metres from one bank to the other.

The bridge will be the fourth over the lagoon city's Grand Canal and the city's first new bridge in 70 years.

But the project has been dogged by controversy and delays from the start, which have put back the planned inauguration date of June 2005.

The bridge was installed two years late last summer amid fears that the canal banks wouldn't be able to hold it up properly.

Speranzon said a ''mistake'' had also been made over the choice of steel used for the bridge, which meant ''20 tonnes had to be chucked away''.

In February Mayor Massimo Cacciari had to dismiss fears that the bridge might be shaky after a local newspaper quoted project chief Roberto Casarin as saying it had moved ''about a centimetre'' in a load-bearing trial.

Other alterations to the original plan included the decision to add stairs, in order to make the structure more visible to tourists, and to use two kinds of stone instead of one.

Calatrava's other trademark buildings include the 2004 Athens Olympic stadium, an auditorium and sealife centre in his native Valencia, and the Milwaukee Museum of Fine Arts.