How To Enjoy The Best Of Venice

Have you ever dreamed of going to Venice? Is the city of canals and singing gondoliers on your travel list? Or maybe you have a trip booked and are heading there this year?

One of my dearest friends is getting ready to take her first trip to Venice. I wanted to make sure she didn't miss anything so I started making her a list of things to see and do in this most magnificent city. The list grew and grew, and then more people wanted to see it, so in the end I turned it into a blogpost so everyone can share the love I feel for this glorious city on the water.
Buon viaggio Dani!

Venice is so moody in the rain

Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs 

in one go.

                                                                           Truman Capote

Venice, September 2014

Nothing but nothing prepares you for that first overwhelming glimpse of Venice. 
To quote Marlena de Blasi ~ you just don't know where to put your eyes.

exploring the canals in Venice, 2012.

The visual impact of this waterbound city is staggering. No matter how many pictures you have seen, or how well you think you know her, that first moment takes your breath away. 
Every. Single. Time.

Everywhere you put your eyes you find magic. I love Venice.

Shortly thereafter the sounds, smells and tastes weave their way into your consciousness, and once again she has you under her moody, sultry spell. 

She is complex, exceedingly beautiful, mysterious, and perhaps the most unique city on earth.

Venice is also the perfect place to travel alone. It is one of the safest cities to walk around at night, in fact violent crime is virtually unknown here.

you feel safe walking around Venice, day or night.

But Venice can also be the ultimate tourist trap if you don't know what you're doing.
With fleets of cruise ships not only mauling the lagoon and blighting the horizon, but disgorging thousands of tourists for their kodak half day Venetian experience, you can easily find yourself in a mall-crush, overpriced, kitchy, waterlogged tourist hell.

Between 13 and 14 million people visit Venice each year, of which 80% are in the city for 8 hours or less, and 90% of whom head directly to Piazza San Marco. The average cruise ship tour is 3 hours long and includes a 30 minute gondola ride along with photo ops outside of the main attractions at Piazza San Marco, imiting the tourists' experience of Venice to a postcard image.

As such the area in and around San Marco is full of vendors selling junky souvenirs made in China, and overpriced food.
To sit at a cafe in the piazza and drink a coffee you will pay around 15 to 20 euros - 12 euros to be seated and up to 8 euros for a coffee.

Step away from the madding crowds and you can have the streets to yourself...

5 minutes walk from St Marks Square Venice becomes your own. She is beautiful in the rain.
Corinna B's World Glam Italia Tour 2014

And yet if you venture 5 minutes in any direction from the Piazza san Marco you will find a whole new world. One where you can grab coffee for 1 euro, one populated by very few tourists. This is the magic Venice that you need to explore and become well aquainted with.

But you cannot go to Venice and not see Piazza San Marco. Plan to get it out of the way quickly, and then move on. There is so much more to see and do in this spectacular city.

Of pigeons and weddings... Piazza San Marco 2014, Corinna B's World Glam Italia Tour

I would die if a pigeon landed on me!
#notafan.
Others love it though

Get to Piazza San Marco early. 
You have to experience Piazza San Marco, the Basilica San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale (Doges Palace). The problem is if you are there with the teeming masses you won't really get to experience it either. ***
The key is to get there early. Or late. I always think before 9am (be there at 8am if you can!) and after 5 when the tourists aren't around in such force. 
Walking through the Piazza San Marco when there's no one round is just pure magic. I love it when the restaurants that line the piazza are just setting up for the day's business, or when the blue hour hits and the crowds are thinning and you can meander along and soak it all in.

While at Piazza San Marco you need to visit the Basilica San Marco. This is the spiritual heart of Venice as well as being one of the world's finest medieval buildings.
The present Basilica (the 3rd to be built on this site) was built between 1063 and 1094.
The dimly lit interior can be completely daunting. Built in the shape of the Greek cross, it's five sections are topped with 11th century domes. The walls and the domes are covered in mosaics. 4000sq m/ 430, 500 sq ft of mosaic work, completed over a span of 600 years. The golds alone will stop you in your tracks. 
Do your best to get there before the crowds.

Mosaics inside the Basilica San Marco, Venice
Corinna B's World Glam Italia Tour 2014

The mosaics inside the Basilica San Marco will take your breath away.
Image from the Corinna B's World Glam Italia Tour 2014

The Campanile sits opposite the Basilica. On a clear day you can see for forever from the top of the Campanile, and get a fantastic feel for Venice, but on a hazy day your view is restricted, and perhaps not worth the climb.
Either way, if you are planning a trip to the top make sure you are there before 9am to avoid the tourist madness (and endlessly long lines).

I saw these lovers getting shelter from the rain outside the Doges palace, and decided lovers, long dresses and rain are perfect in Venice

"Perhaps no one ever gets to know Venice as much as they remember her, recall her from an episode in some other dream.
Venice is all our fantasies."
~ Di Blasi

Take an audio tour of the Doge's Palace/Palazzo Ducale, one of the most astoundingly oppulent palaces in all of Europe. For centuries Venice was the heart of world trade, and the wealthiest city in the world. As such the home of it's leader (The Doge) and it's government had to have an awe inspiring impact on all who came here.
You get to see more of this palace than most palaces in Europe. Walk up the golden staircase to the Doge's apartments, meander along the unbelievably ornate hallways each of which is more lavish the the last, and try to catch your breath as you gaze up at Tintoretto's The Triumph Of Venice on the ceiling of the Sala del Senato. 

The Triumph Of Venice, Senate Room of the Doge's Palace, venice

Beyond this you will see the armory, the court rooms and across the Bridge Of Sighs (Ponte dei Sodpiri) to the prison and torture chambers.
Note: there is an amazing 75 minute secret itinerary tour of the palace which gives you insight into the inner workings of this secretive government, which is well worth taking. the tour english takes place at 10.30 in the morning, and you need to book in advance

Okay, now that thats done, lets go exploring.

The following comprise a list of great things to do and see, in no specific order.

Make sure you check out all the links I have put into this giant post. There are entire posts on each of my favorite places in Venice embedded in this main story. There is some fabulous information, and so many things you absolutely do not want to miss!

View from a bridge, Venice 2012

Get Your Bearings:
First let's understand Venice. Venice is a series of 117 islands linked by a network of canals and bridges, broken up into 6 neighborhoods or sestieri.Cannaregio, Castello, San Marco, Santa Croce and San Polo, Dorsoduro and Guidecca, and the Lagoon Islands.
Buy a map or bring a guide book to help you navigate your way through the siestri so that you don't miss any of the magic.
The artery from the Rialto in San Polo to Piazza San Marco is by far the busiest, and in my opinion, the part that you spend the least time.
At the bottom of this post I have links to my blogposts on my favorite sestiero, 
The Dorsoduro, trips to The Lagoon Islands, The wonderful palaces of Ca D'Oro and Ca Rezzonico.

Everywhere you look there is something magical! Get away from the main tourist areas and go explore Venice.

Get Lost In Venice
Everybody does. And getting lost in Venice as you meander along the smaller canals and cross endless little bridges is just one of the loveliest experiences you can have. Whether she is bathing you in sunshine or dousing you in rain she is spectacular at every turn, and those moments of being lost within her leave you feeling like you've found your own private, very magical Venice.

I get lost in Venice all the time. And that's when I find the very best things.
Somewhere in Venice, 2013

The city is quite small, so you can't really get that lost. I have found that my greatest discoveries in all of Italy, as well as in Venice, have happened when I have somehow become lost.

What To Eat
Venice is a city of seafood. Inspite of the lagoon getting churned up by unending cruise ship traffic, it still is full of fish, as well as all the seafood gleaned from the surrounding area in the Adriatic.
A walk through the Rialto Market (in San Polo - you can't miss it!) will show you a dazzling variety of seafood, some you've probably never seen or tasted before. Local restauranteurs shop here, so you are previewing what you will be eating later in the day. You will also find an unbelievable array of spices in the mercado ,having made their way here centuries ago dating back to the spice trade. ** Spices from asia and northern africa accessed the rest of the world via the world trade center, Venice.**
Make sure you try fritto misto, a mixture of deep fried squid, octopus and prawns. Unlike the heavy, oily deep fried seafood you're used to, Venetian chefs are superbly light handed, creating a divine misto that doesn't weigh you down.

Venetians are also celebrated for their cakes and pastries. Step up to the bar in a coffee shop, order a caffe (espresso to non italians) and enjoy a baicoli or a busolai, little local light biscuit/cookies.

Venetian pastries and cookies

One of the most fun ways to enjoy eating in Venice is to go bacari hopping.
A bacaro is a bar. Stop in for the local drink, prosecco, and pair it with a tapas like snack known as cicheti. These are little finger foods, perfect with a light drink. If you are like me, a total lightweight when it comes to drinking, you can order un'ombra (a shadow) or smaller taste of wine. I find that by stopping here and there for cicheti I wind up eating far less than if I'm stopping for full meals. Plus it's much more fun, especially in the early evenings when all the locals are out and about, stopping to socialize on their way home. 

Another thing you will see is people sipping on sunset colored drinks, normally red or orange. These are the famous Venetian spritz. White wine with a splash of campari (the red) or my favorite, with Aperol (the orange). The loveliest way to end the day and welcome the early evening is to sit outside a bacaro with a spritz and some snacks and watch the world go by. Avoid Piazza San Marco (as it will cost the same as your car payment!) instead head into the other neighborhoods, such as Cannaregio, and join the locals. The people watching is much more fun here! Read more about it in my post on Ca' D'Oro (linked here)

Spritz Aperol and people watching in Cannaregio at the end of the day

Nightlife
Surprisingly Venice is quiet at night. The bulk of the tourists are only here during the day for a few hours so the streets empty out quickly. Locals head home and all is quiet. 
If you are looking for some evening fun head to Campo Santa Margherita in the lovely Dorsoduro. This town square is full of bars and restaurants, and is also populated by students from the nearby university. This is where everyone goes, and it is fun! Read more about Campo Santa Margherita and the beautiful Dorsoduro in this separate blogpost (linked here). 
The Dorsoduro is my favorite part of Venice and I have some great information on it for you.
The other great area for nightlife in Venice is the Rialto. The daytime market clears out and the fun bar scene takes it's place.

Santa Maria della Salute seen from the vaporetto in 2012.
 I can look at her 100 times in a day, and she will still take my breath away every time.

Buy a day pass or multi day pass for the Vaporetto. These ferry-like water buses are going to be your main mode of transport. Be wary of water taxis - they are super expensive.

Things you see from the vaporetto ~ Venice 2012

Make Your Own Vaporetto Tour Of The Grand Canal
I love to take a little vaporetto tour along the Grand Canal later in the day, starting at the train station and working backwards towards San Marco. I start at the train station because everyone else is heading in the opposite direction, going home from work, heading back to the cruise ships or heading out of town on the train after a day visit. They get to be in the human crush, I on the other hand, get a non obstructed view either from the front of the boat or in a window seat. With a guide book in hand, or Rick Steves' fantastic podcast (I really recommend this) learn the stories behind the palaces that line the Grand Canal.

view from the vaporetto on the grand canal in Venice, 2012

I have frequently had the wonderful luck of finding myself seated next to a retired local who has given me a running commentary on what we are seeing, and has told me glorious stories of the history behind various palazzi along the way. Stories I have never seen in guide books. Which of course just adds another layer of magic to the experience!

Ca' D'Oro

Magnificent Ca D'Oro in Venice

Venice is full of incredible palazzi (palaces). They line up along the Grand Canal in all their glory. Actually they are everywhere, but there is something so magnificent about seeing them along the banks of the Grand Canal. I sincerely recommend reading up on some of them before you arrive, and taking the time to go visit them.
One of my personal favorites is the Ca' D'Oro in Cannaregio. I go visit Ca' D'Oro (the golden house) every time I am in Venice, and because I have so much to tell you about it, I have written it's own blogpost linked here. Make sure you take the time to read this separate post as it is full of great information, and tells you a little about Cannaregio too!


The Blue Hour

If I could give you Venice for a single hour, it would be this hour

~ De Blasi

While on your little home made private tour of the Grand Canal keep an eye out for where you would like to be for the blue hour. The blue hour is this magic time just after sunset when natural light and artificial light mix together creating a dramatic effect that turns the world blue. Venice is one of the most amazing places in the world to photograph the blue hour - the network of canals and the spectacularly beautiful buildings make it ridiculously photogenic. Blue hour only really lasts about 20-30 minutes so you want to plan out where you would like to shoot it, and allow yourself time to get there.
Check out photographer Jeff Bell's blogpost on the blue hour in Venice (click here) his images will inspire you! This is one of Jeff's blue hour photos below:

Blue hour in Venice captured by photographer Jeff Bell.
Check out his blogpost linked above.

Walk At Night
I listened to a podcast recently where the gentleman talked about getting up and walking around Venice at 3am. At that time the streets are empty, the fog is rolling in, bathing her in mystery, and you can stroll unimpeded, feel the city, photograph everything with no one in your way. I'm not sure that I would necessarily get up at 3, but I do adore Venice by night. Remember there is almost no violent crime, so you feel safe as well as somewhat self indulgent, walking around having this incredible place all to yourself. Sometimes during the day the crush of the tourist crowd blocks your ability to feel Venice and her history. By night when she is all yours you can literally feel the past seeping from her walls. If you have studied up on some of the history behind the various palazzi you can almost hear the lavish 18th century parties going on inside. Or maybe thats just the prosecco talking... 

My love of Venice comprises far too much information to put in a single blogpost, so I expanded different parts of this blogpost into their own little stories.
Read more about the lovely Dorsoduro here
Read more about the Lagoon Islands here
Read more about Ca D'Oro here

If you are like me and have a love affair with Venice, (or think you might have one if you go there), you must read 1000 Days In Venice by Marlena Di Blasi. 

If you have enjoyed this post and it's sub-posts, please share it on your social media, and with any friends who may be interested in traveling to Venice.
You can follow me on Instagram here @Corinnamakeup
I have an Italy travel board on pinterest here
and I am on facebook here 
Most of these photos are my own, from my various trips to Venice over the years. Please do not use them without my written permission.

Ciao! xo

Traveling To Venice ~ The Lagoon Islands

If you have a few days in Venice 

take the time to explore the northern lagoon islands for a completely different Venetian experience.

Murano via charmingitaly.com

"That a silk robed, clove scented princess named Venice could be sprung from a swamp was a mad fancy..."
~ Marlena di Blasi

Start with a trip to the glass blowing island of Murano.
Don't take a "free" boat trip from the city center - these are paid for by the glass factories and you will be under significant pressure to buy glass. Also this is often a one way free ticket so you may have to find your own way home.
Instead take a vaporetto across, bypass the Colonna and Faro stops, and get off at either Museo or Venier.

Murano has been the home of Venetian glass blowing since1291. when the wooden buildings of central Venice were considered to be at too great of a fire risk so the furnaces were moved across the water. The population of 5000 swells by day with glass factory workers coming over from the mainland. In a centuries old tradition apprentices learn flamework, twisting and blowing from master craftsmen. 

Take in a glass blowing demonstration in Murano
image courtesy of missglamdan.com

Take a factory tour and watch a glass blowing demonstration and find out more about the history of Venetian glass at the Museo dell' Arte Vetraria.

Make sure you allow yourself time to walk around Murano's town center and get a feel for this wonderful place. Explore it's canal system (including it's own Grand Canal), the floating market, and the mosaic floor of the 12th century Basilica dei Santi Maria e Donato. Another must see is the parish church San Pietro Martire with its two beautiful Giovanni Bellini paintings.

Murano is lovely to stroll around. If you are buying glass avoid the cheapie tourist glass - it's unlikely to have been made here. Choose a reputable showroom and get the real thing.

Burano

From Murano take a vaporetto to Burano, the lace island.

Beautiful Burano
image courtesy of www.trekearth.com

For centuries Burano has thrived as a fishing community. While the men would be out at sea fishing their women would stay home making lace. The men would paint their house bright shades of blue or red or gold so that they could spot their home from the sea when they were fishing. Consequently the island is a riot of color with canals full of fishing boats and nets.

Burano
image courtesy of www.gnixus.wordpress.com

Lace making started here in the 15th century. The Burano-point and the Venetian-point evolved and the lace grew in demand all over Europe. A lace school was established in 1870 to keep the lace making skills passing on to younger generations. It still exists, you can go there to see lace being made, and it also houses the lace museum.

Burano is conntected to the smaller neighboring island of Mazzorbo by a bridge. Its lovely to stroll around, and from the  bridge you have a wonderful view of Venice.

A word to the wise: Burano lace is very expensive. You can find it in the more expensive stores on the island. The endless stalls and vendors on the streets selling cheap lace import it all from China, so it's not legit.

Torcello

Torcello, the ancient mother of Venice
image courtesy of www.locandacipriani.com

"Across the marshes (...) and with their reeds bent by the heavy north wind, he saw the squared tower of the church at                                                Torcello and the high campanile of Burano beyond it. "
                                   (Ernest Hemingway "Across the River and into the Trees")

Quiet, sparcely populated Torcello is Venice's oldest continously populated region, was Venice's earliest settlement, settled in the 5th century and at one point in the 1300s housing a population of more than  20 000. 

In the 1200s the lagoon around Torcello slowly became a swamp, attracting malaria carrying mosquitos. As the Rialto area developed Torcello's inhabitants fled to Venice leaving behind an 11th century church, a great basilica, palaces and houses that decayed, and canals that silted up. Today there is only one muddy canal running from the pontile to the piazza.

The Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta was first built in 638 and is famous for it's remarkable mosaics which date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. 

The spectacular mosaic of Mary in the apse of Basilica Santa Maria Assunta, Torcello

The superbly detailed Last Judgement on the back wall is well worth visiting. (Make sure you check out the devils pushing the damned into hell.) 

While you are there go next door to the 11th century Byzantine church Santa Fosca, and also go sit in the (strangely comfortable) "Attila's Throne" concrete chair in the piazza. Legend dates it to the 5th century leader of the Huns, and it is said to be good luck to sit in it.

Attila's Throne, Torcello.

Check out my other travel posts about Venice here
Read aboout the Dorsoduro here
Read about Ca' d' Oro here

If you have enjoyed this blogpost, please share it on your social media! I would love to hear about your Venice travels in the comment section.

Venice ~ Ca' D'Oro

One of my dearest friends is getting ready to go on her first ever trip to Italy. 
I wanted to share with her some of the wealth of information I have on Italy, from years of traveling there and from being completely in love with the country. I started writing down ideas and notes for her so that she wouldn't forget any of it, and then other people started asking for copies. 
In the end I decided to put some of my notes into blogposts so that I can hopefully share the magic of Italy with more people.
This post is part of a larger story on Venice. If you landed here independently of that post, click here to read it - you'll find some great tips for traveling in and experiencing the absolute magnificence of beautiful Venice.

Ca' D'Oro

the exquisite Ca' D'Oro, Venice

Everytime I'm in Venice I end up making my way to the fabulous Ca' D'Oro in Cannaregio.
Literally translated it means house of gold.

The Grand Canal is lined with spectacular buildings, each with an intriguing story, and to me, this is one of the best.
Ca' d' Oro is one of the canal's most flamboyant examples of Venetian Gothic. In 1420, during an era when Venice was the trade capital of the world, perhaps the richest city in the world, merchant Marino Contarini commissioned the renovation of this grand palazzo, with it's pinnacles, marble and gothic tracery, influenced by the Doge's Palace. (as only the Doge could have a "palace" the other palazzi or palaces are referred to as a casa, or house, which is then abbreviated to Ca')
The home's original name is Santa Sophia, and came to him via marriage.
Renovation is thought to have started around 1421 and completed around 1431. In an egoist display of affluence the facade was decorated with the most expensive pigments available - ultramarine, vermillion and gold leaf.
When the sun would hit the facade there would be an explosion of gold radiating across the canal.
If you look at Ca' D'Oro from the opposite bank (near the Rialto) you can only imagine how sensational this must have been!

Contadini died in 1441, after which St Sophia/Ca' D'Oro began slipping into decline.
Stripped of it's golden facade the palazzo changed hands many times, eventually becoming semi derelict.

Ca' D'Oro, via www.trekearth.com

It's worst moment came at the hands of a Russian in 1847. Prince Troubetskoy bought the house for his mistress Maria Taglioni, and then promptly ripped off the marble facade, tore out the open staircase, sold the original wellhead, and otherwise desecrated this incredible property.
Art critic John Ruskin watched in horror, and tried to sketch as much of it as possible before it was too late.
Rescue came in the form of Baron Franchetti, an avid art collector, who bought and restored the property, including the staircase and the well, and then filled it with his treasures.
In 1916 he donated it to the state, full of his collections of paintings, sculptures, rare coins, and now it is an art museum.

View of the facade of Ca'D'Oro from the Vaporetto stop

From the ground floor you can look inside and see how these palazzi functioned. The bottom level was used for warehousing, but also had a lovely courtyard from which the staircase lead to the 2nd and 3rd floors where the living happened.

The well in the courtyard at Ca'D'oro

Mosaic floors and tiled walls in the courtyard of Ca' D'Oro. These floors get flooded every year.

Both of these upper floors have covered loggias from which you can get a wonderful view of the canal.
If you go in the morning you can watch the daily business of the canal's delivery traffic - remember everything gets from point A to point B in Venice by boat.
With 90% of the tourist traffic staying in the vicinity of Piazza san Marco, you can walk freely and unimpeded through Ca D'Oro, at times having a private viewing of the incredible art collection.
The mosaic floors are noteworthy, and art buffs should make a point of visiting the painting of San Sebastian by Andrea Mantegna, which was painted toward the end of the artist's life.

Andrea Mantegna's Saint Sebastian, Ca' D'Oro, Venice

Walk up the alleyway beside Ca' D'Oro you will arrive at Strada Nuova, a charming street full of restaurants and bars, (a great place to stop for a spritz and some cicheti on your way to the train station if you are just spending the day in Venice).

Read about exploring Venice here
Read about the amazing Dorsoduro here
Read about exploring the Lagoon Islands here




If you have enjoyed this post, please give me some feedback in the comments section below, and also share it on your social media.

Traveling To Venice ~ The Dorsoduro

Venice ~ Dorsoduro

When my thoughts wander to Venice, which they do regularly, they go straight to my favorite of the sestieri (neighborhoods), the beautiful Dorsoduro.

view of the Dorsoduro, Venice

To me this is Venice's most gorgeous neighborhood, resplendent with historic buildings, amazing churches, picturesque little squares and canals. Walking around in the Dorsoduro you get the concept of what Venice is really all about. It is just the most wonderful experience, so incredibly beautiful, and compared to the manic tourist explosion surrounding Piazza San Marco just across the grand Canal, it feels relatively tourist free. Or at least tourist tolerable.

There are two major art attractions in the Dorsoduro, the Galleria dell'Accademia and the Collezione Peggy Guggenheim, each well worth visiting. Perhaps my favorite place to visit is the  spectacular Santa Maria Della Salute, the gleaming white baroque church standing watch over the entrance to the grand canal. As many times as I've visited Santa Maria Della Salute, it has never failed to take my breath away.

 

Beautiful Santa Maria della Salute stands guard over the Grand Canal in Venice

While enjoying the Dorsoduro take time to visit Ca' Rezzonico. 

Ca' Rezzonico, Dorsoduro Venice

This house is now a "house museum" , originally built in 1667 for the Bon family. When their money ran out the property was taken over by newly rich banking family, the Rezzonicos somewhere around 1758. At that time the building was two separate homes in complete disrepair. The Rezzonicos bankrolled a glorious restoration that included Tiepolo frescoes and Flemish tapestries - the mind bendingly ostentatious palazzo gives you a peek into the lavish life of upper class 18th century Venice.

Restored again in the 1990's Ca' Rezzonico is known as "the museum of 18th century Venice",  famous for it's interior decor. From the ground floor the graceful staircase sweeps you up to the piano nobile with its huge ballroom, so ornate it literally stops you in your tracks. 

The ballroom at Ca Rezzonico, Dorsoduro Venice 

 The chandeliers! The ceilings! There is a moment when you stand in this incredible ballroom when you finally begin to understand the vastness of the wealth and power that was centered in Venice for centuries. And it is just overwhelming.

The ballroom at Ca Rezzonico, Dorsoduro Venice 

Meandering through the staterooms you have to remind yourself that this wasn't a royal palace, instead a private home.

The opulence doesn't stop there - two more floors hold artworks including Tiepolos and the only Canaletto's in Venice.

Before you leave make sure you visit the lovely courtyard garden.

Another must see in the Dorsoduro is Campo Santa Margherita. 

Campo Santa Margherita, Dorsoduro Venice

Campo Santa Margherita, Dorsoduro Venice

This is the neighborhood's main square, and may be the liveliest in Venice. By day busy with shoppers, locals, families, the daily market, interesting shops, bars and restaurants, it is a lovely place to sit on tree shaded benches and watch local life happen. By night this is the social center of the city. While most of Venice goes quiet, Campo Santa Margherita is where the nightlife happens, populated by students from the nearby university, and all the bright young things from every part of the city. The bars and restaurants are fun, and it is most definitely a great night out.

Make sure you check out my other posts in this series on Venice:
Read about The Lagoon Islands here
Read about Ca' d 'Oro here
Read about Traveling in Venice here

If you have enjoyed this blogpost, please share it on your social media! I would love to hear about your Venice travels in the comment section.

How To Brighten Winter Weary Faces Without Bronzer

 Beauty High.com asked me what I thought about using bronzer to brighten winter skin.
I gave them an emphatic no! Bronzer is to make you look like you've been out and about in the sunshine, to give you a golden summery glow, but on a winter skin it can look orange and streaky.
There are some great alternatives to using bronzer in the article below, and lots of quotes from me.
Check it out:

How To Brighten Winter Weary Faces Without Bronzer


 

We all want to keep that summer glow, but once winter hits, it’s in with the cold and out with the glow! Bronzer is great, but it’s also incredibly over-used. Bronzer’s role is to mimic the look of a mid-summer’s sun-kissed complexion, something that will look kind of ridiculous in the snow against pale winter skin. Luckily, there are plenty of tricks to incorporate into your cold-weather beauty routine that will help brighten your skin without the use of bronzer. There are lots of other awesome options out there—here are a few to try today.

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize:
Staying hydrated is super important. “Many don’t know this, but moisturizing keeps your tan sealed in much longer than if you don’t!” says Rosa Fasolo, owner and makeup artist at RF BEAUTY ARTISTRY. Once that tan is long gone, keeping up with a simple regimen is key. Exfoliating once a week to keep your skin bright, clear, and to leave dead skin behind is important. Moisturizing is even more important in order to keep that fresh face look. Using a tinted moisturizer is great as well to give you just the right amount of glow, says Fasolo.

Concealer:
Dab concealer all the way from the inner corner of the eye, downward on the trough line under the eyes. Then, blend the concealer with small dabs, all the way down into the cheek area. This technique will give better coverage than just applying concealer only directly under the eyes, says Marian Rothschild, AICI FLC, certified personal image consultant and author of Look Good Now and Always.

Foundation:
Stay away from crushed mineral foundations—they make skin look dead and dry. Instead, opt for a silicone-based foundation like Makeup Forever HD or Face Atelier Ultra Foundation. Both of these will make the skin glow and look alive, says makeup artist Corinna Cooke. Make sure you choose a shade that matches your winter color, not the shade you may use in the summer. A foundation that is too dark will make your skin look muddy.

MORE: How to Tell When Good Beauty Products Go Bad

Highlight:
Using a sheer highlighter will help light catch your skin in the winter months, literally brightening up your face. Adding a golden champagne highlighter from the temples to the tops of your cheekbones will give you a natural-looking glow for fair and medium skin, says Grace Mahoney, owner of Blushing Brides. For darker skin, use a pearlescent bronze shade for the same effect.

Blush:
Swap out those bronze, gold, or orange tones from summer for rosy pink blushes. Apply blush to the apple of your cheeks to get a bit of sun-kissed color, says Fasolo.

Say No to Bronzer:
For those who think “bronzing” is the simple way to brighten, the look is often unnatural against winter skin and will actually detract from your glow if you don’t exfoliate, says Lyn Tackett of Genesis Studio Spa. Bronzing powder will collect on excess skin cells and make your skin look even drier.

Eyes:
Keep eyeshadow sheer and choose a shade opposite your eye color on the color wheel. This will brighten the eye and make your color spark. Pale eyes look great with pink and peachy tones, while every color looks great with a soft berry tone, explains Cooke. Add a little shimmer just on the eyelid itself, not all over the eye. Curl the lashes to wake the eye up and use several coats of a luscious, glossy mascara.

Lips:Use a bold, bright color on your lips, like a punchy fuchsia. Fuchsia is bright and fun and lights the face up. It also makes the teeth look whiter and will make pale eyes totally spark, bright, and alive, says Cooke.