by David McGuffin | Jun 12, 2008 | Uncategorized
It is 5:30 on a Monday afternoon. While writing this entry I wanted to experience life on the Lido di Veneto. I am in a cafe/bar where it appears to be the local hangout spot. Sitting next to the canal and under an umbrella, I’ve got it made with lots of chips and a glass of vino. Ten feet away from my table is the walkway and bike path. It’s not a sidewalk, because everything here is a sidewalk. Remember… no cars. The bike path is defined by two white lines running parallel on the cobblestone. Beyond that is the “bar” supporting a weathered red and white striped awning inviting all who respond to enter and enjoy!
Ummmm…I can’t wait!
-David
by David McGuffin | Jun 12, 2008 | Uncategorized
With the Lido experiences mentioned in my last post you’d think I would never want to visit the island again! So later, when I began to take charge of my own tours, I tended to stay in hotels located in Venice proper, even though they were twice the price. Consequently, since the inception of “David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe”, I have insisted on Venice hotels. This always provided my groups with a hotel within 40 minutes walking distance of Piazza San Marco and a close distance to the sights and ambiance of Venice. It all worked well for a few years. But then, the prices started to rise with the strong euro and weak dollar.
For the last two years I put my groups in hotels on the Lido of Venice. Before doing this I visited the area myself, walked most of the island, and checked out lots of hotels. I’ve found some really good places that offer good three star hotel quality at affordable rates.
Don’t get me wrong, if you’ve got the money staying in Venice is charming and a great experience. But, you’ve got to know where to stay. Some friends stayed at the Hotel Bauer (a traditional 5-star property) last year and were treated rudely, got a mediocre room, and were faced with sixty euro per day wi-fi fees! Plus, customer service was non-existent.
So I’ve decided the dollar to comfort value of the Lido outweighs the slight inconvenience of staying on the Lido. Actually, I rather like the Lido. If you know the vaporetti schedule, the Piazza San Marco is only a fifteen minute boat ride away! That beats walking for thirty minutes from a Venice hotel!
The Lido has great possibilities. I’ll tell you what I like about it in my next post. For now, ciao from the Lido di Venezia!
-David
by David McGuffin | Jun 12, 2008 | Uncategorized
My first few trips to Venice were spent on the Lido. As a young teacher, I enlisted a group of my students to travel with me to Europe, and I relied on a big educational tour company to do all the planning and guiding. This was great because I had no experience in Europe other than the three weeks i had spent there as a college student.
The hotels on the Lido were good enough, but we only had time to sleep and then we were off to ride a boat to Venice to see the sights. I can, however, remember one morning when we did have time to walk down for a look at the Adriatic Sea before getting on the bus to go to Florence. I remembered thinking it would be nice just spend a day here relaxing on the beach. But no, not on a student trip! There was way too much sights and itinerary to pack in.
My first student trip in 1997 found me traveling from Switzerland to Venice, then to Nice, and finally to Geneva. It was a lot of miles in just a few days! But I think on day three of the tour we arrived in Venice Lido. My group was mostly girls with just two guys. Anyway, Charlotte (my wife) and I got talked into taking the kids to a disco on the Lido. We found out later that this disco was strictly designed for students of this tour company and it invited in local boys from the Lido to interact with the mostly young teenage female crowd. You can only imagine the panic Charlotte and I had when faced with this situation!
So you have heard a little of my first experiences on the Lido of Venice. Why would I want to go back?! I will tell you more in my next post.
David
by David McGuffin | Jun 12, 2008 | Uncategorized
Staying on the Lido is like becoming a part of the neighborhood. Our hotel is in a residential neighborhood with absolutely no vehicular traffic. Although there are cars on the island, most people travel by bike or by foot. Plus, my hotel neighborhood is so peaceful and quiet. Recently when my group came in from a wild night of vino and shutting down the Piazza San Marco, the lobby clerk had to say “shhhhh” to us all!
However, I’ve found that the best part of staying on the Lido is the neighborhood atmosphere, the shops, and the family atmosphere. The shops, restaurants, and bars are only three blocks away from the hotel neighborhood. If you really need a cafe or vino, the nearest bar is just up the block on a small canal with all the hometown feeling you’d ever need. Have I even mentioned the beach?! As a tourist, who would ever think of spending a day at the beach in Venice? But it does have possibilities. Only five blocks away lies nice sandy beaches, cabanas, chairs, umbrellas, and the Adriatic. It’s definately worth an extra day in Venice to rest and relax on the sandy beaches!
More later,
David
