If one wishes to feel like a guest in the house of an aristocratic Venetian rather than an anonymous tourist in a chain hotel, then a stay at the Pensione Accademia in Venice is a must. Formerly a patrician family residence, the seventeenth century Villa Marageve, or Villa of Wonders, became the Russian Embassy between the World Wars before establishing itself as an hotel in the 1950s. We have now known it for over forty years.
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| water front entrance to the Pensione Accademia where we first stayed some forty years ago |
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| the main entrance to the Hotel Accademia which continues, to this day, to be called Pensione |
Quietly positioned at the end of the Fondamenta Bollani, its leafy garden, a treasure in itself in Venice, is flanked by two small canals which flow busily on into the Grand Canal. Old fashioned and elegant, the 29 rooms are well appointed and comfortable and the most delicious of breakfasts are served outdoors in the summer months under vast sun umbrellas in the Pensione's courtyard.
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| front facade of the Pensione Accademia - our room is to be seen top right, shutters closed |
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| the view from our open window overlooking the garden and towards the Grand Canal |
It is hard to believe when one is enjoying the secluded peace of the Wisteria covered arbour in the Pensione Accademia garden that one is literally moments away from the bustling Accademia Bridge, the seething masses of St. Mark's Square, the crowded Vaporetto, and the heaving shops selling Carnival masks, Murano glass, Burano lace and 'I Love Venice' hats. And yet, in this green oasis, one is transported back to days of the Grand Tour when the delights of this most magical of cities could be savoured at a more refined and gentler pace.
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| the piano nobile, bathed in sunshine, situated on the first floor of the Pensione Accademia |
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| looking down onto the front garden of the Pensione, the arbour seen in the top left corner |
'No Fish, No Sundays' are the watchwords of Ristorante La Bitta, one of our favourite places to eat in Venice. Defiantly, and rather strangely we think, carniverous, and moderately priced, this unassuming restaurant delivers flavour in every course of its limited menu. Directed by the formidable Debora, a small flotilla of black-clad waiters navigate the narrow aisles with precision and panache. The daily menu, 'Antipasti, Primi and Secondi Piatti', appears on a miniature artist's easel. Stewed rabbit, carpaccio of beef, proscuitto with melon, chicken with lemon and basil, and veal with a mixed pepper sauce were all delicious. And the 'dolci' pannacotta with caramel sauce, tiramisu, and pear cake with hot chocolate sauce did not disappoint.
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| tucked away in a narrow side street, Ristorante La Bitta is one of our favourite eating places |
Proximity to one's dining neighbours at La Bitta makes overhearing conversations unavoidably intriguing. Italian gossip left us largely in the dark but a discussion on the relative merits of psychotherapy and a debate about whether or not to inform parents about a secret engagement did amuse and add interest.
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| it would be very easy to walk straight past La Bitta, hidden away as it is off the tourist trail |
On one particular late night, we were asked by a young couple at the next table if we could recommend a bar as they were planning on 'going on'. We replied that we knew of one run by a certain 'Harry', but were unsure if it was still as good as it had once been, and as we remembered it some forty years ago....
It is always good to get personal recommendations, and both the Pensione Accademia and La Bitta, look and sound charming. So many times I have ended up in hotels that could have been in any city in any country, because they were so bland and soulless.
ReplyDeleteWe particularly enjoy staying at the Accademia, Tracey, as it remains a very individual and personal hotel and is, as it happens, wonderfully centrally situated. We too hate those places which are, as you describe, 'bland and soulless'.
DeleteLa Bitta does indeed look so unassuming from the outside that I guess I wouldn't go in without it being recommended by someone whose opinion I'd trust in such matters.
ReplyDeleteThe pensione looks fabulous - if the piano nobile is anything to go by, the individual rooms must be sheer delight, making one torn between the desire to walk around Venice and to stay in.
Yes, we can readily appreciate what you say here, Meike, but La Bitta really is an exceedingly good, unpretentious restaurant although we should like it even more if it served fish!
DeleteThe rooms at the Accademia are very well furnished, many with antiques.
Hello dear Lance & Jane, Venice is one of my most favorite cities in Italy. This hotel looks wonderful and so does the restaurant La Bitta. Interesting name, too, la bitta, a post on a boat to tie a rope. Love photos. xo
ReplyDeleteWe are so delighted that you too love Venice, Barbara, which, very happily for us, is within relatively easy and tempting reach of Budapest.
DeleteI adore Venice. Terrific pictures and recommendations. What a lovely hotel!!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that you too love Venice, Jennifer. It is one of our favourite European cities and the Accademia always works for us as an excellent base.
DeleteDear Jane and Lance, I have always longed to go to Venice but promised myself I would only do so if I could stay in a place as beautiful as the city- I think you have found it! Jane xx
ReplyDeleteWe really do hope, Jane, that one day your travels will take you to Venice which is, as of course you will know, one of the most beautiful and interesting cities. And the art works, in church and gallery, are out of this world. We think too that you would enjoy the Pensione Accademia.
DeleteHello Jane, Lance!! What an intriguing and magical journey you took us on! Venice is such an enchanting place, and to know where to go is a must! :) Glad to hear you two caught some good gossip, this is such a bonus for a good evening! ;)
ReplyDeleteHugs,
You are so right, Kasia, when you refer to Venice as an 'enchanting' place. We have long been under her spell!
DeleteSo much of the fun of dining out is, of course, to take in all the surroundings and that does, we have to admit, include the other people and, occasionally, their conversations.
Dear Jane and Lance - 'A Room with a View' then Pensione Accademia surpasses. The light filtering through the piano nobile reveals a magical interior. Ristorante La Bitta - a name to note with thanks. According to 'he who knows all', Michael Winner, Harry's Bar is still the tops.
ReplyDeleteActually, Rosemary, the Pensione Accadamia always puts us in mind of Forster's description and the view from our room, looking towards the Grand Canal, is very enticing.
DeleteWe think that you would enjoy La Bitta as it is really quite simple but very good food. As for 'Harry's Bar', well if Michael Winner says 'tops', then it must surely be so although, we suspect, a little on the expensive side.
Venice is one of the places on the European leg of our retirement tour. We haven't quite reached it yet, but I have made a note of your recommendation. We like to stay somewhere a bit different and this fits the bill very nicely.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
We really do hope, Gaynor, that when the time comes you are able to fit in Venice. The Pensione Accademia is exceedingly comfortable, very central and not over priced.
DeleteIt makes me one to hop on a plane and go now it looks wonderful and so full of history. Its amazing to see the buildings so close to the water to. Thank you so very much for all your kind and continued support to me and for all your lovely comments especialy your last one. Blogland is a wonderful place. Take lots of care both of you. dee x
ReplyDeleteWe are so touched with your comment, Dee. We shall so miss you and really do hope that when times are different for you, we shall see you back posting your adventures once more.
DeleteAnd one day, just hop on that aeroplane and see Venice for yourself!
Just the kind of accommodation I love best: definitely not of the "big hotel chain" variety. It's no wonder you have been such loyal guests, over the 40 years of patronage. Staying somewhere quirky and unique just etches the memory of a holiday/stay so much more in one's mind, I think.
ReplyDeleteWe really do try to avoid big, impersonal hotels wherever we go, Virginia, for in our experience they are all so much the same that one could be staying anywhere. We never fail but to enjoy our time at the Pensione Accademia which, of course, we now know quite well!!
DeleteYou should write a sort of travel memoir-cum-guide book..you stay at such smashing places. Fab hotel - looks very elegant. I'd be like a bull in a china shop in there and likely do something terribly gauche and embarrass the pants off The Husband.
ReplyDeleteI'd really like to visit Italy one day - funny that I lived so close to it but never actually went there. Silly, really, but heyho, life can be like that. When I do get there, Venice is on the MUST SEE list. As is Tuscany. Oh what the heck I'd need a looooong holiday to see everything on my list.
The Pensione Accademia is, as you say, elegant but, we assure you, Wendz, there is nothing stuffy about it at all and the staff are all, without exception, hugely kind and very helpful.
DeleteItaly is the most wonderful country, in our view, and we are so fortunate that it is in relatively easy reach of Hungary and so we are able to go quite often.
I have an architectural obsession with columns and, since your bohemian place has a few, I am already charmed :)). I must be honest and confess that Venice doesn't take my breath away, I find it a bit gloomy, nevertheless your photos render it a lot more romantic than I had remembered it. But again I must observe how much more to my taste I find Budapest, for instance. Have a great time Jane and Lance. I am curious what will your choice in Venetian masks be :)>
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed, Petronela, a charming place with or without the columns!! We have often thought that we can use them ourselves.
DeleteVenice can most certainly be a melancholic place, something which many writers in the past have observed. But, we feel, it is interesting to consider that we choose to live in Budapest, being perhaps that little bit more 'edgy' which rather suits us,
Now, as for the mask....!!!
Oh Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteWhat an oasis of an hotel......I'm making a note of it for our next visit and, of course, La Bitta .....our kind of restaurant. I remember eating in a very expensive restaurant right in the centre of Venice and the food was mediocre and the service was terrible but, all of the out of the way restaurants were wonderful with the most delicious food and were usually run by really friendly families who were always kind and so accomodating. It is one of our rules that we try to always eat in these type of restaurants.
.....and, we have had a drink in 'Harry's Bar' after having taken out a small mortgage to pay for it !!!! haha
More Venice posts please J & L. XXXX
Jacke, we really do think that you would love the Pensione Accademia which has, as we see it, all the advantages of a larger hotel but with none of the disadvantages.
DeleteDo make a note of La Bitta which we go to regularly although we do sometimes regret the 'No Fish'! The food is plentiful, very well cooked and moderately priced. We always have a bottle of the house wine [which, sad to say, we nearly always finish] but the house rule is that one is only charged for what one drinks!!
A long time since we were in Harry's Bar. Too old to get a mortgage!!
Ahh when I do go again I know where to stay and where to eat. A good thing my husband doesn't like fish, La Bitta sounds like his sort of ristorante.
ReplyDeleteWe really can recommend, La Bitta, Susan to you and for anyone not wanting to eat fish, then it is ideal. But take note, no credit cards either!
DeleteDear Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteyou are very generous to give away such an inspiring address of a "Pensione" that seems to be sheer luxury - and the restaurant sounds also so inviting!
Imagine: you come from your hotel room, lets say no. 27 - you step on the terrace for breakfast - and there we sit: 'followers' from all over the world! Waiting politely that you took your breakfast in peace - but then we want to chat with you - as we do here - and I'm sure we'll al enjoy it! Thank you for sharing! Britta
We cannot imagine, Britta, anything more delightful than stepping out of our room in Venice to meet up with 'Followers from all over the world' providing, of course, that you were part of the group!! What extraordinary fun we should all have. Are these the seeds of a real Blog Party one day somewhere?!!
DeleteCongratulations for finding some decent food in Venice. We stayed at the Palazzo Zenobio - a strange mixture of OTT Rococo decor, and plain, functional rooms (apart from the one Casanova used to use). As you probably know, it is owned and run by Armenian monks - I wonder how they got their hands on it.
ReplyDeleteSomething of an experience, we imagine. But, like the Pensione Accademia, the Palazzo Zenobio does, we understand, benefit from a garden - always a good thing during a hot, Venetian summer.
DeleteTrust you, dear Jane and Lance, to find accommodation and eateries that are elegant, authentic and unusual. You must return to Harry's Bar soon - 40 years is too long an absence for people who fit so well into its merrily esoteric mix of social butterflies.
ReplyDeleteActually, dear Mise, in reality we are far more akin to moths, drawn to the bright lights and then suffering the consequences!
DeleteYour wonderful Pensione recommendation looks "just right". Reading through the comments has made me realise why perhaps we have not visited Venice. The touristic aspect. Exorbitant pricing, crowds, the Disney effect. The Venice in my head I fear would set me up for a disappointment. I did however like the idea of a winter Venice, empty and foggy. I do not want a gondola ride or a 10 Euro coffee. I want to smell the past.
ReplyDeleteWe will go there one day, maybe in a January.
Di
xxxxxxx
We cannot pretend otherwise, Dianne, that Venice is hugely expensive and we do not understand anyone in his or her right mind paying €10-50 for a cappuccino in St. Mark's Square. Like you, we should not wish to be seen dead in a gondola!
DeleteBut there is another side to Venice and one which we love. Perhaps you should try it in the middle of winter when it would appear wonderfully melancholic.
How wonderful of you to share this fabulous recommendation.
ReplyDeleteI would love to spend a week there......just have to find the right travelling companion! x
The Pensione Accademia really does make an excellent base for seeing Venice, Penny, and the very good breakfasts do actually set one up for the day. And then, in the afternoon, there is a complimentary drink. All very civilised.
DeleteI devoured every word and examined every detail in each fine photo. Is it true that the waters of the canals are polluted to an extent that the waters are now eroding the lower portions of the buildings?
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful city with a fascinating history.
On a lighter note, your post coincided with the movie "The Italian Job" being broadcast this evening on local television.
We rather think that overall the waters are far less polluted than in the past. Much of the problem lies with the high tides which can cause extensive flooding with resultant damage. A concern must also be the amount of water displaced by the numerous cruise ships docking in Venice.
DeleteIt is years since we saw 'The Italian Job' - Michael Caine possibly at his best.
I like the idea of restaurants with restricted menus - what they turn out is usually excellent. Thanks for the recommendations.
ReplyDeleteSo do we. We always feel that there is a much greater chance of food being cooked to order. A long menu we find very off putting.
DeleteThat last sentence put a funny little twist to the space between my throat and my chest. I didn't expect it.
ReplyDeleteThese images are like something out of a dream. I know it's Venice, but for some reason, the first image on the water also leapt out at me in surprise. The shot of the piano 'bathed in sunlight' seemed at once ordinary and beatific -- didn't know that was possible until now.
We had red pears in our salad for dinner, last night, and they were tender and not at all bitter -- but not overly sweet. You have me wondering about pear cake, now!
Venice never ceases to surprise us too, Suze, and is always capable of throwing up the unexpected, usually to one's delight. Certainly a city which has about it a magical quality.
DeleteRed pears in a salad sounds wonderful and something to be copied. The pear cake was truly historic but we have no idea how it was made.
I would just like to visit Italy.... one European Country I haven't been to, maybe one day!! Jackie.
ReplyDeleteWe really do hope, Jackie, that one day you will have the opportunity not only to visit Venice but also other places in Italy which is, in our view, the most wonderful of countries.
DeleteThank you so much for your comment; we shall hope to 'see' you again.
Thankyou for sharing your Venetian secrets of 40 years with us. :)
ReplyDeleteAlas, Lindy Lou, forty years makes us seem terribly ancient. We should like to think that we discovered Venice at a very early age!!
DeletePensione Accademia looks like a real find and I'm sure to put into my personal trip advisor .
ReplyDeleteAs for Harrys bar the last time I was there about 8 years ago it was living up to it's reputation of being very lively and full of interesting beings and of course the Bellini's were as good and expensive as ever!
We think that the Pensione Accademia would be your kind of place, Sue, and the garden, not done at all as you or we would have it, is a lovely place in which to relax and watch the comings and goings on the Grand Canal.
DeleteWe cannot imagine what the Bellinis at Harry's Bar now cost. The Accademia served us them in the garden at not an unreasonable cost.
Well, of course with one of the names being Villa of Wonders, I would immediately approve but how I wish you could have seen my eyes opening wider and wider as I looked from one photo to the next! And how I would love to have been squished in next to you both at Le Bitta--now that is exactly my type of place. Actually, did I ever tell you about the time that my Mom and I took a taxi out to a restaurant that we had heard about in New Orleans? The taxi dropped us off in a questionable neighborhood in front of what appeared to be an unmarked shack. It turned out to be Ugleisich's and it was one of the most delicious lunches of my life!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the dreaming, I will get to Venice one day!!
Lots of Love from Arles,
Heather
Of course you will get to Venice one day, Heather, and what fun it would be to meet up there. Yes, we are certain that you would approve of La Bitta - simple but excellent food at, by Venice standards, very reasonable prices.
DeleteWhat a wonderful tale of arriving at Ugleisich's for lunch. And no wonder that it remains in your memory. And we send love from a hot Budapest where a storm threatens.
This hotel is beautiful, perfect. It is just the sort of hotel that I would stay at and what I picture in my mind when I read novels that take place in Venice.
ReplyDeleteI greatly appreciate that you share your photographs and experiences. They are so unique and wonderful, thank you very much!
The hotel is totally unpretentious but very comfortable and with exceedingly pleasant staff, Joy.
DeleteNot only is it a great pleasure to share, but we sincerely appreciate all our readers, such as yourself, who are kind enough to take an interest.
Just when I was wondering what the name meant you told me, Villa of Wonders, I love it and can just imagine all the wonders to behold there, lovely photos and views of the buildings and canals.
ReplyDeleteYes it really is a romantic sounding name, Linda, and we too wonder about all that has taken place there over the centuries.
DeleteSo many people must come to you for recommendations on where to travel and where to stay on vacations. You visit and stay at the loveliest of places.
ReplyDeleteArleen, it really is a matter of chance as is so often the case with all these kinds of things. However, once we have found somewhere we like, be it a restaurant, hotel or even a particular shop, we tend to return as often as we are able.
DeleteThank you all very much for this continuation of your Venetial journal. Like Lost in Provence, I was very taken with the notion of being able to stay at a Villa of Wonders. The Russian angle surely added another intriguing layer to memories to this building's soul.
ReplyDeleteYour own return visits have surely also added to that soul!
I have now made a note of the Accademia and Le Bitta. Perhaps I will eventually walk through their doors myself.
Continued best wishes to you all.
We should, Frances, very much like to know what the Villa Maravege looked like during its time as a Russian Embassy, particularly as it would, very largely, have been during the Stalin years. But we do agree that all of these things form the very character of a building and do, in the long term, create atmosphere.
DeleteWe very much hope that one day you will be able to experience it all for yourself.
The world is a smaller place with blogs and people sharing their stories. I would certainly try your recommendations in a heartbeat. We visited my family who live outside of Venice in Mestre about 15 years ago but we were only there for a few days and Jason and I were quite unwell at the time...I wish we had stayed longer to explore Venice more. xx
ReplyDeleteMestre is, of course, a very good base from which to explore Venice and we are only sorry to learn that when you were both there you were unwell. Perhaps there will be another occasion in the future?
DeleteYes, the Blogosphere really does bring people together. Isn't it wonderful?!!
Oh bellissimo....what a beautiful post you have written. Yes, Venice is crowded, touristy etc...but it's still possible to have those magical experiences and escape the crowds....there will always be a small, quiet square where one can find that Italian ambiance. And St Mark's first thing in the morning (before the crowds have arrived) is breathtaking. Have you tried the little wine bar Vino Vino (it's wonderful too). It's near the theatre in the Rialto area. Merci beaucoup Jane and Lance...you now have another follower.
ReplyDeleteThis is so very generous of you. But, as you so rightly say, it really is possible with a little thought to remove oneself from the crowds and to have the charm and magic of some quiet backwater or little known church entirely to oneself.
DeleteNo, we do not know of Vino Vino but will certainly look it up and try it next time. Thank you for the recommendation and, indeed, thank you for becoming a Follower. Both are appreciated.
Well now I am even more determined to have my trip to Venice. I will make a note of your recommendations. The views are lovely and to be able to enjoy them whilst still being within reach of the main 'attractions' is remarkable. It's difficult to avoid evesdropping isn't it and the Italians do not speak quietly (we have an Italian neighbour) but here in Lanzarote the Spanish are their equals in volume and body language.
ReplyDeleteLet us hope that you will, before too long, be able to visit Venice, Marilyn. And yes, the Pensione Accademia is ideally placed for all of the main sights, and the lesser ones too.
DeleteListening in to the conversations of others is, we are ashamed to say, sometimes most absorbing and great fun. One has to avoid the temptation to keep looking!
Just the sort of hotel I should like.....and the restaurant too.
ReplyDeleteShortage of money when young kept me away from the tourist traps - and taught me to find a good place to eat at sensible prices, like Bitte, though I should like to find a fish serving equivalent!
Superb photographs....
Things do not necessarily have to be the most expensive, or indeed to cost a lot at all, to be enjoyed. Like you, we favour finding places to eat which are well off the beaten track and where excellent food, mainly served to local people, may be had for relatively little money.
DeleteI would love the Pensione Accademia--it's just the right size, with an abundance of charm. The garden and the arbor are beautiful. I see myself there with coffee and book, daydreaming...
ReplyDeleteYour Venice posts have moved it up on my travel wish list!
We think, Jen, that the Pensione Accademia would be exactly your kind of place. Indeed, we can instantly visualise you in the arbour, notebook to hand, closely observing all that is going on around you.
DeleteMeanwhile when we are there, the 'whale' bag is invaluable for the map and guide books!
Dear Jane and Lance, how you fascinate me with your intriguing finds each time! Such a lovely place to live and be the quintessential Venetian, and your words make it sound like the perfect summer dream.
ReplyDeleteAnd the list of gorgeous food, more so being an ardent tiramisu fan, just carries the dream a notch further.
Venice is, as you may so readily imagine, Suman, so filled with delights it is almost impossible to know where to start. And this year, for no particular reason, our visit there was simply perfect.
DeleteThe tiramisu was, believe us, amongst the very best we have tasted!
Wrong city, I know, but you have certainly had a room with a view.
ReplyDeleteAxxx
We did, we did!! How we galvanised ourselves to leave the room at all is quite beyond us!!
DeleteI must save this to savor at the end of this busy day---much to do for a little "lawn tea" this weekend.
ReplyDeleteWould there be a chance of your sending a one-line to my e-mail?---I have not the installation to use yours going out.
rachel-dd@sbcglobal.net
Oh Rachel, we do wish that we lived closer to experience a 'lawn tea' at first hand. Your cooking always looks so delicious and you clearly spend a lot of time making it all special for your guests. perhaps one day?
DeleteWe are delighted to have your email address and shall be in touch. We are not entirely sure what it is you require but it will be good to be in touch in the'real' world!!
Greetings! We are never disappointed when we read your posts, while reading your lines, one feels standing next to you on a terrace, or enjoying pear cake with hot chocolate sauce in the chair next to you. This is the magic of your words! Your posts are an addiction now :) a good one that we don't want to be cured off through any medication or nicotine patch :)
ReplyDeleteThere would only be something better than reading the lines and that would be experiencing these things alongside you for we are quite sure that we should have great fun together!As for our words being a magic potion, well, we are sure that we create as many headaches as we cure!!!We have always subscribed to the red wine medication ourselves!!!!
DeleteYou are always so very kind and generous in your comments and we really do appreciate it.
I do not do flattery believe me, I say this very sincerely that I love your blog and am great admirer. I am sure we will be able to meet some day, and it will be fun.
DeleteWe are greatly touched, and this is said in all sincerity. There are those who we have met through the Blogosphere who we should dearly like to meet in real life. You are one such.
DeleteI was delighted to read these last two posts, as Venice us a place that we would like to visit, but where do we start? Personal recommendation is so much better than any guide book!
ReplyDeleteWith a comfortable place to stay and a good place to eat, we think that one is well on the way to a successful visit anywhere. As you say, personal recommendation counts for much more than a guide book and we were first introduced to the Pensione Accademia forty years ago by a friend. It has never failed to match our expectation on any subsequent stay there so that is saying a lot we feel.
DeleteIn Venice, inexpensive restaurants are thin on the ground and those which are and which serve delicious food reliably night after night are certainly to be treasured.
Dearest Jane and Lance
ReplyDeleteThis morning's post is transporting me away to Venice. Your hotel and the location is perfect.Being in the action yet with some privacy. What a coincidence, we too have dined at La Bitta - we have been following each others footsteps around Venice. I love your loyalty to the hotel and places you love. We thought we were the only ones who travelled like this. As our friends say "you are creatures of habit"
I am confident the owners/managers put out the red carpet on your return. If it were America, there would be a bill board outside saying "The Hattatts Are Here- autographs will be signed at high noon"
Thanks for a delightful post - I will be back to re-read it again and again
Helen xx
How exciting to think that we could have been sitting at the very same table as you at La Bitta. What a small, small world this is! Now, all we need to manage for pure perfection is for us all to be there at the same time.
DeleteYes, we are most definitely creatures of habit. We like to support people and places whose services we have appreciated and we love the warmth of familiarity that revisiting old haunts brings. Sadly, over the years, there are many changes and one is sometimes disappointed but we have shared today two of our favourite places in Venice which have delighted us with their consistency over the years. Not an easy feat!
We smiled at your mentioning of a bill board and could just picture the scene....in reality, we should absolutely hate it!!!Incognito is a watchword for us!
This reminds me of my favorite San Antonio Texas place..the Menger...late 1800s..wonderful!
ReplyDeleteAs we had never heard of 'The Menger' hotel, we simply had to look it up before writing our reply. What a gloriously elegant place to stay. No wonder it has remained in your mind as a favourite!
DeleteWhat a delightful place to stay, I'd be up at first light gazing out of that window for hours.
ReplyDeleteWe did exactly that! The sound of the boats plying up and down the canal was an added joy. And, if this were not enough, one could lie down on the day-bed and see it all....!!!!
DeleteWowwwww beautiful darling.....love from me...xxx...
ReplyDeleteDarling Ria, thank you!
DeleteExcept for a few must-see sights, I like more than anything to get off the beaten path, to attractions which are less crowded, and usually more authentic and more charming--just the kinds of places you have discovered and made your own in Venice.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the Pensione Accademia has been glorified and restored, I can imagine houses like this having once been the setting for Henry James' The Aspern Papers, and I imagine that in Venice one can still seek out such atmospheric, decayed and unrestored palazzi.
--Road to Parnassus
Yes, Pensione Accademia would, we think, have probably been just the kind of place that Henry James might well have chosen for his many stays in Venice. Discrete and yet centrally placed, it offers a quiet elegance and an opportunity to reflect on the Venice that is so beguiling and utterly fascinating.
DeleteIt is also amazing how even the 'must see sights' can almost be deserted if one chooses one's timings with care. On an evening in August to be able to stroll around St Mark's Square without any crowds at all was just a matter of choosing the right moment. And then, as Henry James himself found, the view across the lagoon to San Giorgio Maggiore has just got to be one of the wonders of the world. Perfectly lovely!
What a super recommendation for when I next manage to get to Venice --have never really had a 'special' place there.
ReplyDeleteThe room on the piano nobile was extra splendid.
Ah, Henry James and Thomas Mann --such a very literary city -- and Byron and Shelley as Julian and Maddalo riding out on the Lido.
Daughter is off to Florence for the w/e, so thoughts are turning to Italy.
America is seeming pretty dire right now with poison politics and a culture of meanness gaining traction in some sectors.
If it wasn't for the grandchildren, we would leave immediately for somewhere faintly more civilized. Hm.........
It is indeed such a literary city. We remember in years past seeking out the grave of Ezra Pound who lies in a shady grove on the cemetery island. Quite why we wanted to see his last resting place we now no longer can recall!!
DeleteHow splendid that your daughter flies to Florence this weekend, and what a pity that you cannot join her.
The States for us remains endlessly fascinating as a country and we do hope some day to visit. Indeed your posts, and those of Frances, are an addiction and a lure and it is certainly to New York that we should come. But we are, we know, at heart Europeans and will always be somewhat in awe of all things American.
We have a splendid secret dumpy hotel in Florence within 100ft of the Bargello.
DeleteHave known it for 40 years. Hotel Cristina via della Condotta 4.
Room number 4 is VAST and has an odd bit of fresco....cheap and no stars but think of all the extra money one saves for eating out.....
Frances is a dear friend and most talented.
Such a lovely place to stay I bet you had many evening's looking out from your balcony with a glass of wine, I hope you both have a marvellous time. Tracy
ReplyDeleteYou have guessed correctly, Tracy. Even better was to wake in the morning with the light flooding in and to hear the sound of water lapping against the walls. Magical.
DeleteOh Jane and Lance, if ever I find myself in Venice (when I win the Lottery for instance) I will definitely be staying at his hotel. What a treasure!
ReplyDeleteWell, I would expect nothing less from you two world travelers. :)
Love your photos too. They make me feel as I'm there...almost. Thanks again for sharing your special and very interesting lives with us.
Perhaps when you know that Katherine Hepburn, when making her 1955 film, Summertime', stayed at the Pensione Accademia, it will have even more of an appeal for you, Yvette? Yes, it is a treasure and the staff are wonderful. Each time we leave we think about when we can next return!
DeleteWhat a charming hotel. The view from your window is pure Venice. Venice is the city of a thousand faces, Everyone sees the same city but each person discovers their own, personal Venice. I have fallen in love with many Italian cities but the hold that Venice has on me goes beyond anything I have ever experienced anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteThe view from the bedroom window was indeed charming. And, what we could not capture in words were the wonderful sounds of boats on the side canals that would herald the beginning of the working day. To be replaced later by the gentle swish of gondolas as they drifted past the wisteria clad terrace in the hotel garden.
DeleteClearly, Loree, Venice has stolen your heart as much as she has ours. Are we the last of the great romantics we wonder?
A Room With A View, how beautiful indeed.
ReplyDeleteI love my one and only trip to Venice. It does engulf one and you can never forget it.
As for Ristorante La Bitta, sometime you find a wonderful place on your own but it helps when someone can recommend one that you might just pass by.
Lovely photo and post today.
cheers, parsnip
Well, at least you have one visit to Venice, Gayle, to always remember it by. Whatever, we are sure that you will never forget it. It does, as you say, totally steal one's soul!
DeleteWe happened to 'fall across' this restaurant on a previous visit and have returned and returned ever since. It is usually a good sign to follow the locals and this is what we did.
Dear Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteThis 'pensione' looks as if it comes straight out of Room with a view. It's the sort of place we enjoy staying at too. What a lovely front garden it has. Imagine sitting there in the evening and see the sun go down....so very romantic! Well you never know...perhaps one day :-)
Enjoy your evening!
Madelief x
The thought of all four of us sitting in the Pensione Accademia garden, sipping Bellinis, watching the sun go down and listening to the gentle swish of gondolas passing by is truly the stuff of dreams. And, we sincerely hope that one day such a dream could come true!!
DeleteYour new stall venture sounds so exciting and we know that it will be hugely successful. Your china is irresistible...what a tea party that is going to be!!
La Bitta sounds excellent. I especially liked the overhearing of conversations beacuse 'people watching' is half the fun of restaurants.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Mark, people watching and listening in are favourite occupations of ours in restaurants. It certainly adds to the fun at La Bitta and the food is delicious too!
DeleteI found Pensione Accademia and La Bitta on the Google map to get an additional sense of your Venice adventure.
ReplyDeleteAh, stalking us now, LX!!! You will have seen that they are both quite close to each other....perfect in our view for just a short walk after dinner with only a very small chance of getting lost on the way!
DeleteNo.
DeleteOh, we do hope that we did not offend. We are really pleased that you took the time and trouble to look it all up. Perhaps we shall all meet up there one day, now you know the way. That would be good.
DeleteWhat a wonderful place to stay in Venice with memories of days gone by. Lovely to have a view on to the Grand Canal too.
ReplyDeleteSarah x
Having a garden and views of the Grand Canal without actually being on it are two important features of the Pensione in our opinion. It is rather like being guests in someone's house and that we really enjoy.
DeleteHello Jane and Lance:
ReplyDeleteI note that many of your commentors are filing away your recommendations, as I am, too. What I so much enjoy about your travel postings is that you make an effort to get off the beaten track, which I believe is the best way to really SEE and experience a desitination.
We too 'file' away recommendations for places to see and stay from other peoples' blogs,personal recommendations we go with every time over guide books which can be out of date and generally disappointing.
DeleteHowever, whether one stays in a palace or an attic and whether one eats in a fabulous restaurant or a snack bar, Venice can never disappoint.
Venice is on my list of places to visit but in the meantime the experience must be vicarious. Lovely writing and photographs. To return and revisit after 40 years and find it so settled, still, is grand.
ReplyDeleteOne of the great pleasures of the Blogosphere we find is to travel vicariously all around the world and to discover so many hidden treasures. We are so pleased that you have enjoyed Venice and hope that you may visit this most magical of cities for yourself one day.
DeleteThank you for your comment and we hope to welcome you back one day!
I'm sitting here in San Francisco, enjoying the afternoon sunshine across the bay from my friend's home high on a hillside. Tomorrow we'll be flying out to Australia. All very exciting but must say I'm thinking more of my visit to Venice in Oct. after looking at your lovely pics of the hotel, restaurant and canal, and of course reading the words that bring it all to life. I feel somewhat awkward that I will be boarding one of those dastardly cruise ships in Venice now I hear they are damaging the beautiful Venetian buildings! I beg forgiveness! I cannot cancel because the trip is a gift, but future cruises will be scrutinized carefully. This Kimberley (W. OZ) small expedition ship cruise only permits a certain number of tourists annually, to preserve the Aboriginal rock art etc., and photographing certain burial grounds is not permitted at all. On the same ship last year to the sub-Antarctic Islands, only 500 persons annually are allowed, this ensures preservation of these delicate islands' pristine habitats, the penguins, sea lions, and amazing flora etc., so I'm comfortable with this mode of travel.
ReplyDeleteI think we are in a big hotel in Venice, and as I'm a non-meat eater won't be trying La Bitta, but hopefully I'll still enjoy Venice in many, many ways...........and perhaps I'll get to visit another time later and can do it 'your way'!!!!
Happy week to you both - Mary
But what a delight, Mary, to be sitting with a friend in San Francisco, yet another city we long to visit. And how exciting that, perhaps even as we write this, you are already en route for Australia.
DeleteAs for your trip to Venice in October, do not give the cruise ships, or indeed anything connected with them, a second thought for nothing must be allowed to mar your entire holiday which sounds to us to be absolutely wonderful. And it all reads to us as being very environmentally aware - we just wish that we too were passengers.
We are completely certain that you will love Venice. Do see the main sights for they are exceptional and then, if you have time, wander away down some of the small, lesser known streets to discover many hidden delights.
A safe return!!
It's been too long since Venice... thank you for these lovely reminders!
ReplyDeleteThen you must return, as soon as you have the opportunity!
DeleteHello Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteApologies, I realise that you have both been anxiously waiting for a comment from this rather shy and unassuming chap.
And thus, my marvellous friends, your wait is over. Did I hear a collective sigh of relief? What a majestic place in such a wondrous location, Pensione Accademia, is. Your observations and your accompanying photos of your visit to Venice, I greatly appreciate.
Of course, despite my obvious shyness, upon my planned trip to Venice, there will be a parade in my honour. Maybe I can discreetly go there without the frenzied media following me about.
Kind wishes, your starstruck fan, Gary!
It has, of course, Gary, been a very anxious time but now that you are here we can, at least for the moment, put such worries behind. As for your proposed trip to Venice, we have no doubt that the Doge will be reinstated in your honour and thus you will by pass the teeming crowds.
DeleteHi Jane and Lance, when I get to travel to Europe I want to see all the villages and small towns. The cities are awesome as I am truly a city girl at heart but I think seeing the smaller places will give me a better opportunity to meet the people.
ReplyDeleteI love your post as usual, so amazing with all the pictures:)
It is always great fun and most interesting to find one's way to the smaller, less visited places, Launna, to obtain a real feel of a country.
DeleteWe are so pleased that you like the post. Thank you.
Dear Jane and Lance ~
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for sharing more of your Venice trip. I'd love to visit Venich again....but not during the busy summer. Will definitely look into a stay at the Pensione Accademia. Very charming, old world and beautiful.
Cheers,
Loi
Yes, you are right, Loi, the Pensione Accademia does have a charm about it, something which appeals to us enormously. We are sure that it would suit you well when next in Venice.
DeleteIt must be so comfortable to go back to a place you have known and loved for so long..a familiar neighbourhood really.
ReplyDeleteWe do rather like the familiar, Carol, and it is always good to return somewhere and to be remembered. We think most people like this.
DeleteMy Dearest Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteOnce again I have come late to the ball, or, having just enjoyed this latest posting from your always entertaining and informative recounting of travels, I appear to have arrived right on time. My use of attending a ball analogy seems most appropriate since you have swept us along on a waltz of words and pictures.
It comes as no surprise that my favorite “International Couple of Mystery” would find suitable lodging accommodations in a former Russian Embassy, hidden steps away from the pulsing throngs of multi cultural tourist, in a city steeped in it’s own mystery. Dare I imagine you checking in the black trench coats and fedoras? No, scratch that. I see our Jane in Chanel on the arm of Lance in Armani.
The Pensione Accademia looks to be the most restful of places for the soul, but at the same time exciting to the senses. And who would not wish to have one (or more) of the chandeliers in the piano nobile. But I am sure the garden is the star of the show. La Bitta must be a true gastronomic jewel to garner such high praise. And to be privy to the conversations of other, well there is no better floor show than the tattling of tongues of strangers. The sheer pageantry of the coming and goings of the patronage must be wonderful.
Well Jane and Lance I again seem to be babbling on so I will end this comment with a question. So did you guys buy a “I Love Venice” hat? Maybe two?
Gary
To receive a comment from you, Gary, is one of the great pleasures of the Blogosphere, of life itself, and so we are, very naturally, delighted to read this. Indeed, only the other day we did remark to each other on the absence of posts from Fox Paw Lodge and assumed that you have, in fact, been rather busy.
DeleteWhat a very generous picture of us you paint here, Gary, which whilst it might not be totally accurate is, nonetheless, most appealing. We will work hard to live up to your very exacting standards!
We enjoy our stays at the Pensione Accademia not least for the garden which, to have one in Venice, is not at all common. It is an excellent place from which to 'spy' on all the comings and goings on the Grand Canal.
No need to answer the question, Gary. Only one, and it is being kept as a gift for when we finally, as we will, meet up! You'll love it!!
What a view! I love boutique hotels, I think they hold such character. The dining sounded simple and incredible, isn't it fun "listening in" on other's conversations? It's as good as people watching!
ReplyDeleteWe do so agree about smaller hotels which we like for, as you say, their 'character' and individuality. And La Bitta is certainly an interesting restaurant serving good food.
DeleteHello, Jane and Lance. I’m particular about desserts. The ‘dolci’ pannacotta with caramel sauce, tiramisu,and pear cake with hot chocolate sauce... sounds moreish, my restaurant in Venice will be definitely Restaurant La Bitta. As for a hotel, I trust your recommendation. I’d like to spend time as long as possible to enjoy the back-in-time feel, or the good and old days of Venice, feeling the time passing slowly.
ReplyDeleteYoko
Although we do not often eat puddings, Yoko, on occasions such as eating at La Bitta, or other favourite restaurants, we do allow ourselves to indulge and really enjoy them for they become a special treat.
DeleteSpending a long time in one place, or returning often, is certainly a way to get to know somewhere thoroughly.
I love how Gary referred to you as the "International Couple of Mystery" ... indeed I too have wondered about such things and may even have arrived at the following conclusion:
ReplyDeleteSpooks? MI5? OO7? ... Hmmm - don't worry. Your secret is safe with me :-)
We really hope so. Having maintained a cover for all these years, we should hate it to be blown now by a chance remark!
DeleteEnchanting Dear Jane and Lance! Venice through your eyes is even more delightful than I imagined. Funny how the city was originally built to escape invaders and conquerers of one sort or another and now Venetians must escape from tourists. What a charming hotel. You certainly know the right places to visit. Stewed rabbit . . . sounds perfect . . . I will be sure to let the rascals in my garden know what their future might hold. Love your photos and always a delight to read your inspiring text. Dare I hope for more on this most unique of all cities in our world?
ReplyDeleteThe stewed rabbit was indeed delicious, Carol, and we smiled when we thought of the furry pests running wild at Flower Hill Farm. However, perhaps others may feel differently if they own them as pets!!
DeleteVenice has over the centuries always attracted the 'tourist' or 'traveller' of one sort or another and will, we are sure, continue to do so as it is unique in so very many ways. Just one more post and then we are done!
I've only been twice in Venice, and I still hold vivid memories of both times. But there will be a third and now it must be at your Pensione Accademia with lunches at your Ristorante La Bitta. It would be an honour to follow in your tradition, as it is to be a follower of your extraordinary blog full of delicacies of body and mind.
ReplyDeleteWe are delighted to think that you might 'follow in our footsteps' at the Pensione and Ristorante. We sincerely hope that you will be pleased with both and suggest Autumn or Spring as positively the best times to see things and escape the worst of the tourist invasion.
DeleteYour comment is most kind and generous. As our very first Follower, you hold a special place in our hearts!
What a lovely hotel to stay and (mostly ) what a restaurant!!! The menu sounds like something R and I would love to try... Years ago when we were travelling more often, we had a list of the best restaurants we had visited. It included everything from Sally Lunn's in Bath to a souvlaki place in Monastiraki, Athens... It was a bit of a fun really. Sharing our thoughts about the place and -and maybe more important, the feeling it gave us.
ReplyDeleteAnd if that feeling stays with one, as I can see, your visit to several places in Venice did,
then it is definitely a place to re-visit : )
What a brilliant idea to keep note of restaurants on one's travels that one has really enjoyed. Sadly, they tend to change hands all too frequently we find and then things are rarely the same any more. Sally Lunn's is, we believe, still wonderful for Afternoon Tea although it is some years now since we have personally visited.
DeleteWe regard our blog as a personal notebook to record memorable events and places and find it such fun to look back and reminisce.
How very beautiful, Jane and Lance. You travel slowly, it would seem, the best way to absorb 'otherness'.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite a record, your forty years, made all the more meaningful by a continuing association with favoured places.
Venice, I understand, has a tempo or atmosphere or feeling unlike anywhere else. Do you feel changed, being there, different to your normal selves? ( Or maybe you feel more like yourselves. )
We do try to travel slowly, Faisal, in order to absorb as much as we can of the culture and the life of the places we regard ourselves as very fortunate to be able to visit. Indeed, nothing pleases us more than to revisit time and again in order to delve deeper and understand more.
DeleteVenice does have a unique atmosphere. Haunting, beguiling, melancholic, glorious, triumphant, sad, moving....so many adjectives to describe this magical city. And yes, it does enter one's soul and changes one for ever if one allows it to do so!
My dear Jane and Lance, Thank you so much for your recommendation of this beautiful hotel in Venice. I feel as if I've been transported to the world of decadance and elegance from the old world (both qualities seem to be extinct these days). I could imagine Gustav von Aschenbach, the character from Thomas Mann would walk into this lavishly decorated drawing room at any minute. You have an acute sense of observation (I think it is often the observer inside of us makes us become the writer). A scrap of conversation that was overheard at La Bitta was revealed with crystallized insight and humour. Your style is sui generis; there are no comparisons.
ReplyDeleteWe really do feel, dear ASD, that the Pensione Accademia would be exactly your kind of place. It really does resonate of the world of Henry James, E.M. Forster, and of course Thomas Mann, as well as countless others. And in the forty or so years we have known it, it has changed very little and is today run by the sons of the original owners. A good sign too, or so we think, is that many of the staff are the same, year after year.
DeleteAs always you are so very generous about our posts. Your interest, enthusiasm and support are valued more than we can say.
Oh my goodness! I see so many comments, and no surprise either as Venice is such a dreamy evocative place. This looks a must see place to stay also. Thank you for sharing, it's added to our list. Minerva x
ReplyDeleteWe do so agree with your description of Venice as a 'dreamy evocative' place which is why, we imagine, it appeals to so many and attracts such large number of visitors. And if you have the chance to visit, think about winter when it is particularly magical.
DeleteHello Jane and Lance, The Pensione Accademia sounds like a marvellous place, a haven of peace and old world charm. However, I think I would have to settle for two puddings at the Ristorante La Bitta, but as they all sound delicious I wouldn't find that a problem. Thank you for transporting me through time and space to another world!
ReplyDeleteWhat appeals to us so much about the Pensione Accademia is that it does have that 'old world charm' which you describe here. As for the puddings at La Bitta, definitely room needs to be kept for them!
DeleteThe land of Kentucky Fried Chicken and roads perpetually under construction pales in comparison. Can you imagine that? I will raise a chicken gizzard in your honor for always showing us such a lovely view of the world.
ReplyDelete'The land of Kentucky Fried Chicken' is certainly, from all that we understand, very different. But who are we to judge? But at least in Venice, whatever the problems, they are not of road repairs!!
DeleteThank you both for sharing such a delightful place with all of us! The restaurant menu had me sighing with delight and a tinge of envy! ;~) But, I especially loved this:
ReplyDeleteWe replied that we knew of one run by a certain 'Harry', but were unsure if it was still as good as it had once been, and as we remembered it some forty years ago....
You two are a delight! xoxoxox
This is so very, very kind of you.
DeleteOne of the great joys of the Blogosphere for us is the way in which one comes into contact with so many different people, each one with something intriguing, fascinating and interesting to say. And often, of course, funny. Our lives are enriched by all of this.
Once, when adrift in the wilds of Wales on a Sunday afternoon with nothing to eat, a phone call to my father about something else entirely (from a red telephone box, I'm going back a bit here) elicited the information that we'd find a corner shop always open (this at a time when the whole of Wales closed on Sundays) in a village a few miles away. It was. And we subsequently enjoyed a splendid picnic of soda bread and Caerphilly cheese and plums. Only later did he tell us that his information had been at least thirty years old. So I'd hazard a guess that your young couple had a fabulous evening in Harry's bar!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful story, Annie. We certainly can remember the time when one could travel the length and breadth of Wales on a Sunday with nothing, beyond the 'Chapel', open anywhere. But your picnic sounds splendid.
DeleteAh, those red telephone boxes....!!
Oh Jane and Lance, you took me back so beautifully to one of the greatest cities in Europe.
ReplyDeleteAnd you have certainly visited some wonderful places this year!
Red
We are so pleased that you too consider Venice to be one of the 'greatest' cities in Europe. Certainly, for our part, we can never spend too much time there.
DeleteYes, we have been very fortunate in our travels this year. Next month we are planning a short sojourn in Brighton - so long since we were there.
Kellemes hétvégét.
I can certainly see why you have developed a relationship with this stately Pensione....what a wonderful find. If you are going to book at a chain hotel...You may just as well stay in town and book a room out of the freeway!
ReplyDeleteWe are rather of the view that when one finds somewhere agreeable to stay on one's travels, then it is best to stick with it. Which is what we have done with the Pensione Accademia.
DeleteWow, that looks spectacular. Unfortunately the closest I've been to Venice is the Venetian, hehe.
ReplyDeletePerhaps one day you will have the opportunity, Lisa, to see Venice for yourself. It is truly a remarkable city.
DeleteI think, with 154 comments, it's all been said by now, but this looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteBut we are always really appreciative of people taking the time and trouble to comment, Susan, which, in a sense, makes it all the more worthwhile.
DeleteOf all the places you've taken us...I believe this might be the one I'd most like to stay!! Did someone say Tiramisu??
ReplyDeleteI've never had rabbit...
I love the water!
The Pensione Accademia is most definitely a very pleasant and comfortable place in which to stay, Phyllis, not least for the garden facing directly down towards the Grand Canal.
DeleteRabbit we do actually much enjoy - not so dissimilar to chicken in taste.
Hello Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteWhat a stunning hotel you stayed in, quite the little gem. No wonder you have frequented it for some forty years now. The view is also quite spectacular, and all in all it is exactly the sort of place that we might stay, should we be fortunate enough to visit Venice (it WILL happen one day!). 'La Bitta' looks and sounds just about perfect, and I don't think that there was an item on the menu that didn't make my mouth water...especially the prosciutto (a favourite of mine). Thank you...fascinating!
You really must find the time and make an opportunity to visit Venice, Gary, and the Pensione Accademia we see very much as your and Amanda's kind of place although the garden could, in truth, do with some of your expertise!
DeleteAnd when you are in Venice, then La Bitta is a must!
That poem is a song.......a Dutch song so i translate it .....today it is 8 years that my brother died....this post is for him......love from me...xxx...
ReplyDeleteWe are so very sorry, Ria, to learn that this is the anniversary of the death of your brother. The poem is very lovely and a beautiful way in which to remember him.
DeleteWhat a beautiful place! Such atmosphere!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog, I love having people come by who enjoy a little bit of lunacy.
We are so pleased to welcome you as our latest Follower, Kellie. We had such fun reading your posts and shall look forward to a continuing dialogue.
DeleteIf you have yet to visit Venice, Kellie, then we can certainly recommend it. A life-changing experience in our view.
Jane and Lance, your unerring ability to find the perfect places to stay and to eat, wherever you are, never fails to amaze me. Both the Pensione and the restaurant look wonderfully tempting. :-)
ReplyDeleteAs is the case for most things in life, it is a question of trial and error. Or, rather, many trials and countless errors and then, hey presto, the jackpot!
DeleteThe trouble with restaurants, however, is that they change so often and they are rarely as good when someone else is in the kitchen. Long may the chef reign at La Bitta!
Oh my dear friends, you have stolen my heart with this post. This is how Venice should be enjoyed and absorbed, in private little courtyards and the secet places known to the two of you for many years. I have marked this post as my reference for the next trip to Venice for places not to be shared with the throngs of tourists.
ReplyDeleteYou two must have only been young children on that first visit forty years ago.
Bises,
Genie
This is exceedingly kind and generous of you, Genie. What we have done in Venice is to discover over time a few of its hidden delights which are, sadly, so often overlooked. But this does not compare at all with all of the treasures and unusual, if not totally unexpected, sights of Paris which daily, through 'Paris and Beyond', you quietly bring to our attention. Such joy.
DeleteWould that we had been that young!! Alas not so!!
Well my dears, I see that when in Venice we are almost neighbours! I, too, stay in a small pensionne (that refers to itself as a hotel) which can be found down a narrow "calle" ending in a private courtyard. I could not imagine staying anywhere else in this magical city I adore.
ReplyDeleteYour extraordinary post has captured what I feel and dream about Venezia, and I thank you for this superb post.
How extraordinary is that, Joanna. But we are not at all surprised to know that you too prefer a smallish pensione [that calls itself an hotel!] rather than some large, impersonal affair which, to be in, could actually be in any city anywhere.
DeleteVenice, despite the large number of tourists who almost succeed in swamping all of the better known sights, will always be for us one of our best loved cities in Europe. We are so glad that you feel the same way.
How absolutely wonderful. Your taste in cities, hotels, restaurants continues to stun and amaze me. All I can do to silence the envy in my heart is to imagine the two of you clad in beautiful garments of black or white, topped off with a 'I love Venice' hat.
ReplyDeleteI simply love the way you do things, so very un-English as it would be the mode of today, except possibly amongst a very few old-style travellers. Today all is either 'life-style' with the attendant bling or fish and chips in Marbella or some other mass market holiday venue.
Now, how did you guess about the 'I Love Venice' hat? We could only bring ourselves to buy one [the price of souvenirs these days is positively eye-watering]and so spent much of our time arguing about who should wear it. The other had to make do with a Panama or a white cotton sun hat. Life, as we all know, is just not fair on occasions!
DeleteLifestyle [we really despise the word and much prefer it to be hyphenated as you have it]is a watchword for all that is tawdry in our view these days. What it really means is how to be famous [or, better still, be a celebrity]without talent or work. Yes, often we feel that we do belong in a different era......!!!!
Hi Jane and Lance. I love Venice and have visited several times. Thankyou for sharing it with us. Thankyou also for becoming my latest follower and your lovely comments. I have just become your follower too. I thought I had already and couldn't understand why I could never see your posts. Anyway it'll be nice getting to know you.
ReplyDeletePatricia x
We are delighted that you have signed up as our latest Follower, Patricia. We are so enjoying your posts and hope that you will continue to enjoy what we write too.
DeleteWe are so pleased that you love Venice too and continue to go back there. Once bitten, it is, don't you find, incredibly difficult to pull oneself away? This is a place which really does capture one's heart and soul we think.
We look forward to our continuing dialogue in future posts. Happy weekend!
We were sitting in a very similar restaurant years ago and were listening to a large group of diners at the next table. We kept up somewhat with their conversations in French, German, English, Yiddish and Hebrew, and Joe recognised enough of their Hungarian and Czech to follow a few words. But then they launched into Russian and Italian, and we were both lost.
ReplyDeleteThere is something truly magic about Venice and about cosmopolitanism.
It is indeed utterly fascinating to 'listen in' on the lives of others which, of course, a restaurant so often affords the opportunity of so doing. And it is particularly useful if one can cover a range of languages. We should be all right with the Russian but would not get anywhere with Yiddish and Hebrew!
DeleteMy Russian language skills stop at food (pirozhki, bliny, kasha, borsht, pierogi, smetana, kartoffel). If I learned to make a dish at my mother's side, I still use the Russian word. If I learned to cook it since leaving my parents' home, I use English or something else. The only thing I am good for is ordering in a restaurant :)
DeleteHello Jane and Lance ~ Reading your past posts is so much better than any tour guide. Here, I can savor your beautifully described vignettes of cuisine, restful leafy shade, art, history and tantalizing snippets of conversation. All the things that make travel such a rich experience.
ReplyDeleteThis is so kind of you, Carol, but cannot in any way be true! But we do count ourselves as most fortunate to have the opportunity to travel and to experience so many very different things.
DeleteHappy Weekend, dear Jane and Lance!
ReplyDeleteVilla of Wonders indeed... a little jewel in a most sparkling treasure box of cities...
And the eatery sounds perfect...you describe everything with such beauty...I am keeping my fingers crossed that you really would consider writing a travel memoir someday..
Are you saving Harry's for next time? (And have you had a Bellini there?...I just had to ask ;)
I thank you so much for coming by to see a day at the fair!
It's always a joy for me to read your kind messages...
and yes...the little girl won first place :)
I migliori auguri,
- Irina
Kellemes hétvégét, Irina!
DeleteVenice is rather like one of those Russian dolls which one takes apart only to find another, perhaps even more beautiful and wonderful, underneath. And so it goes on, but in the case of Venice one never reaches that final jewel - always more to be seen.
We thought that the fair looked to be splendid and are so happy for that little girl with her fish.
I wonder did you find Harry's !!! "knock three times and whisper low" delightful. It reads like trying to find " Hernado's hideaway ".. Reading your wonderful time in Venice and the beautiful pensione Academia. La Bitte and your superb photos. I felt that I was travelling along with you both, in beautiful Venice.
ReplyDeleteThe view from your window of the canal and the arbour.. I can imagine all those inviting shops. It must have been sheer delight for you both to see some of the old glorious palaces and places after 40 years.
You capture me with your narrative of it all.
Dear Jane and Lance..wishing you both a wonderful weekend. please forgive my delay in commenting..
val
We are so pleased that you have enjoyed this 'visit' with us to Venice, Val, a city which we keep returning to and which, happily, is within relatively easy reach of Budapest on the overnight bus, since the train has stopped running!!
DeleteThe view from the bedroom window is spectacular, and it is wonderful to wake in the morning to the sound of water lapping on the sides of the canal. And, please, dear Val, no apologies for anything are required and what is more, you are not under any obligation!
Having seen this post it is even more of a reason for me to want to go to Venice. Lovely photos and the restaurant sounds lovely. Meanwhile I will enjoy seeing Venice through your eyes. Thanks for a lovely post. Diane
ReplyDeleteIt is a very alluring city, Diane, which is possibly why we continue to return time after time and why we always seem to discover something new and previously unseen.
DeleteLovely places!
ReplyDeleteAnd so many of them in Venice, Rose, that it would take a lifetime to see and visit them all.
DeleteOh, and congrats on 500 followers!
ReplyDeleteHi there.....once again you have showered us with lovely photos and a wonderful story to match. I, so love traveling along with you as you tour all the beautiful countries "across the pond".
ReplyDeletexo
Jo
Alas, not to don ascot and chapeau tomorrow---the downstairs (semi-below-ground) absolutely FLOODED in the huge storm of last night---Three Inches in a couple of hours. At midnight, Chris and I were still standing on our heads with two little shop vacs, as I madly vacuumed water, and he swapped reservoirs at breakneck pace, hardly managing to empty one before I had filled the other. What a MESS.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Caro and I decided the groceries will keep, the cloths and silver and china can sit right here comfortably covered on the dining table, and none of the main cooking had been done, so we manned the phones and cancelled with everyone.
Several friends will be "back in town" later in the month anyway, and the only non-cancellable item was the lovely bakery box of "Individual Iced Cakes," which we picked up, sampled already, and intend to have for dessert after our burgers in a bit. It was most likely a childhood dream to have two dozen of these all to myself, anyway.
So sorry to cancel on you, but at this rate, I'll have time to post the whole menu before party time.
rachel
Well, courtesy of La Hattats I believe I have now found the place to stay (and also eat) when I have the great good fortune to find myself in Venice once again. Marvelous post, and a delightful discovery! Reggie
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