The Grandeur of Venetian Palaces

The best way to see the wealth of sumptuous palaces in Venice is by water, says Sara Scarpa Images by Iain Reid  The Grand Canal, Venice’s main artery, is where the most illustrious Venetian noble families lived and where the most prestigious palaces still stand. These palazzi have been the homes of artists, writers, musicians, […]

Visiting Venice post lockdown

Venetian Sara Scarpa takes a look at the city’s cultural re-emergence after the long Covid-19 lockdown and considers what the future holds… Photos by Sara Scarpa unless otherwise stated   Stopping for a spritz at the foot of Rialto Bridge; Enjoy Respect Venezia is the slogan of the city’s awareness campaign for sustainable tourism; the […]

How to do a foodie tour of Venice

Sara Scarpa shares her tips for taking in Venice’s gastronomic highlights like a local, and finding the very best places to eat and drink in the city… Photos by Iain Reid In her article Giro d’ombre: a cicchetti and wine tour of Venice Sara Scarpa shares the Venetian version of the pub crawl with us. This […]

Where to eat in Venice

Sara Scarpa loves the tradition of the Venetian pub crawl, and here she shares some of her favourite venues for great wine and authentic cicchetti… Photos by Iain Reid Antica Osteria Ruga Rialto (left) Located off the same main calle, just a few metres along on the way to San Polo, this is an historical osteria […]

Giro d’ombre: a cicchetti and wine tour of Venice

The Giro d’ombre is the Venetian equivalent of a pub crawl. Needless to say, this being Italy, there is plenty of food to enjoy along the way. Venice native Sara Scarpa is your guide… Photos by Iain Reid   We were standing at the bar enjoying a plate filled with some baccalà mantecato (dried salt […]

Five reasons to visit Padua

Lorenza Bacino goes beyond the city’s obvious attractions to discover five things to see and do in Padua that will make any visit extra-special… Photos by Lorenza Bacino unless otherwise stated Padua is often overlooked by travellers in favour of the more famous Veneto cities of Venice and Verona, yet this pretty city between Venice […]