Italy Italia
You may have the universe if I may have Italy. -Giuseppe Verdi
Best of Venice
Best bacaro Marca (Rialto market)
Best enoteca La Mascareta (Campo Santa Maria Formosa)
Best osteria Portego (Campo Santa Marina)
Best pizzeria Kalia (Campo Santa Maria Formosa)
Live from Italy
In February-May 2008, I was on the ground in Italy - based in Venice, but traveling the country, eating pasta, drinking wine and speaking la lingua. Read my Travel Blog from Italy.
Il Carnivale!
We arrived in Venice just in time to catch the last few days of Carnevale, the pre-Lenten festival that culminates in martedi grasso, or Fat Tuesday. This festival foretell the onset of Lent, the 40 days of fasting and prayer that precede Easter in the Catholic church year. As such, the carnival is known for drinking, dancing and other indulgences that should be sworn off in the following days. Historically, crowd-pleasing activities ranged from operatic performances to bull-baiting and firing dogs from cannons. In Victorian Venice, the highlight was the masquerade ball. Click here to see my photos.
Top Ten Things to Miss about Life in Venice
After four months of living la dolce vita in Venice, I compiled this list of the things I will miss the most. Read More...
Mara Vorhees is a writer and photographer who blogs about food, music and adventure around the world.She has written guidebooks about Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Morocco, New England and Russia for Lonely Planet. Click here to read more about Mara.
Mask Maker, Mask Maker
Venice saw my debut on the big screen (well, depending how big your computer screen is). This is where I made my highly entertaining and informative, albeit unsuccessful, audition video for a new travel television show.