my jaunts: venice, italy

i bought this postcard while i was there - stunning! it is framed in my office. st. mark's floods each year, and people must either boat across or walk across narrow benches that line the perimeter (see the background)

i bought this postcard while i was there – stunning! it is framed in my office. st. mark’s floods each year, and people must either boat across or walk across narrow benches that line the perimeter (see the background)

i’ve been dreading writing this post, because i  know it will simply not do venice any justice.  but it’s freezing and dreary in dallas today, and all i can think about is sweet, mysterious venice.  you see, venice is absolutely, definitely, hands-down my favorite city i have ever visited.  ever.  a lot of people don’t like venice.  i do not understand these people.  it is magical.  it is like no place you have ever seen before.  and if you can stay long enough to explore more than just the tourist sites, you will understand how people can fall in love with a city.

i just adored the houses on the water with their boats docked outside.

i just adored the houses on the water with their boats docked outside.

the first sight as you exit the train station is a large bridge and bustling canal with enough boats to create a traffic jam (you may also hear a native american band, which has always confused me, but i hear they are still there!).  there are no cars, no mopeds, no bikes.  the architecture is breathtaking – in fact, a simple square window appears only once along the grand canal.  the houses are faded, but each shows signs of former bright colors and detailed exterior frescos.  glancing inside the windows, you can still see the grandeur that was once venice – large chandeliers, carved ceilings, rich dark red and green walls, gold trimmings.

the grand canal on a cloudy day

the grand canal on a cloudy day

venice is filled with art galleries (the shopping is amazing with beautiful glass jewelry and home decor from the nearby island of murano), museums, and exhibits, and is host every other year to the huge biannual art show.  if you love art, plan in advance and do some research to find times to meet artists and attend exhibit openings.  the streets are paved with large gray stones, and rainbow pace (peace) flags hang from many windows.  the roads wind around and change names every few feet, becoming narrower and narrower until you are finally thrust into a huge, square plaza.  even with maps and the best of navigators (i.e. me), you will get lost.  multiple times.  just go with it.

outside of the biannual art show

outside of the biannual art show

though i highly recommend exploring the narrow and dark back roads for hidden restaurants, bars, and cafes, the tourist sites are also worth seeing.  along the grand canal sits st. mark’s square, with the famous harry’s bar, where cipriani invented the bellini (yum).  the piazza is grand, surrounded by st. mark’s basilica (inside, the floor ripples and dips and slides due to the marshy foundation underneath), doge’s palace, the campanile, and expensive restaurants with dueling orchestras.  definitely touristy, but an necessary visit for at least an afternoon/evening (if you’re willing to fork over some cash for the dueling orchestras, try florian’s, and be sure to tour the interior before leaving).  and everything truly is on a boat!  we saw a construction boat equipped with a crain, a fire boat with a hook and ladder, an ambulance docked outside the waterfront ER, a speed police boat, etc.

the exterior of st. mark's basilica - i wish my camera at the time had been better to capture the details

the exterior of st. mark’s basilica – i wish my camera at the time had been better to capture the details

across the grand canal is my favorite venetian site: the peggy guggenheim museum.  housed in her former palazzo, her surrealist collection that she amassed through supporting surrealist artists is breathtaking (let alone the views of the grand canal from her patio).  peggy was a kooky – some may say crazy – personality in venice, and she she ordered in her will that her art was never to leave venice until the day it sinks (which is happening, by the way – go quickly!).

colorful houses and boats in burano, italy, just a quick boat ride away from venice

colorful houses and boats in burano, italy, just a quick boat ride away from venice

for a nice day trip, head to the surrounding islands of murano and burano.  stop first at murano, known for its colorful glass.  you can explore artists’ studios (and watch them in action) and tour the glass museum, which explains the history of venetian glass.  spend the afternoon in burano, known for its lace and colorful houses.  each window box is filled with flowers and each door has a brightly colored boat nearby in the canal.  it remided me of the canal houses in puerto la cruz, venezuela, where i lived for a year in high school.  the lido beach to the south is also worth a stop if you’re there in the heat of the summer months.

who should go: artists, romantics, those looking for a window into the past

what to pack: walking shoes!  for nights out, you may want a wider, stacked heel or wedge to navigate the cobble-stone streets.

where to stay: to save money (venice can be expensive), try staying in the quieter parts of town with less tourist traffic.  we stayed on the south-eastern end of town, and found that we were surrounded by locals, excellent bakeries, and still walking distance to, well, the entire city.

what to read: sognare venezia, photographed by fernando bertuzzi.  this is my favorite book on venice, and captures the essence of the city much more completely and beautifully than college eva.

best advice: if you go the route of a gondola ride, bring a bottle of wine (tip from my friend, erin!)

en route to the biannual art festival in venice

en route to the biannual art festival in venice

ready for my close-up with st. mark's basilica and the campanile behind me

ready for my close-up with st. mark’s basilica and the campanile behind me

 

travel tips: how to make the most of business travel

strolling past the floralis generica (giant silver flower that opens and closes) in buenos aires during a work trip during a break to explore.

strolling past the floralis generica (giant silver flower that opens and closes) in buenos aires during a work trip during a break to explore.

i travel a fair bit for my work; mostly domestic travel, but every now and then i get the opportunity to travel internationally.  since travel is, oh, just my favorite thing to do ever, i always want to take advantage of these trips to see new sites and experience the new place.  but that can be difficult when your primary reason is business, and not pleasure.  to help, i’ve compiled a list of things that will help add some jaunts to your business travel.

  • remember you are there to work.  it’s great that your employer is sending you to france for a week, but they probably aren’t going to like it too much if you show up late each day after staying out too late the night before exploring on your own.  remember that work is your priority when you travel for business, and that you have earned this right.  don’t screw it up by slacking off while you’re there – you may not be invited back.
  • understand your itinerary in advance.  work with your colleagues to understand how your days will be structured.  will you have a break during any days, or perhaps a dinner where you are on your own?  if so, take advantage of that time to explore on your own.  on a recent business trip to verona, we had a two-hour break before dinner.  after catching up with my emails and to-do list first (see #1), i grabbed an umbrella and headed out to explore the old part of the city on my own,  which brings me to my next tip:
a quick jaunt to the river in verona after wrapping up work for the day

a quick jaunt to the river in verona after wrapping up work for the day

  • plan ahead.  understand where you would like to visit should you have the time.  know where the sites are in relation to your hotel or office, so that you are ready for a quick jaunt should the opportunity arise.  i had mapped out the sites i wanted to see using CityMaps2Go before hand (see more on this app here), so i was able to head out immediately and not stop to plan during my precious down time.
a quick photo of verona's castle bridge while walking back from our office to our hotel

a quick photo of verona’s castle bridge while walking back from our office to our hotel

  • use your colleagues.  are you meeting with people based in that area’s office?  ask them for recommendations for excellent restaurants or parts of town.  they know the area best and will be able to point you to the best spots that aren’t necessarily on the tourist radar.  have them join you for meals to point you to the local dishes, and learn about their culture over drinks and dessert.  some of my favorite moments while traveling for work are the relationships i’ve made with colleagues and clients.
trying brazil's famous local feijoada with brazilian coworkers during a work trip to brazil last year

trying brazil’s famous local feijoada with brazilian coworkers during a work trip to brazil last year

  • try to extend your trip.  if able, see if you can add a day or two on the front or back of your trip.  if the flight cost is the same, and you’re willing to pay for the additional nights at the hotel, many employers will not mind.  i was unable to do this for my most recent trip (again, see #1!), but i was able to do this last spring when i visited argentina.  we arrived a day early and explored on our own, and were able to get a good night’s sleep prior to early meetings the following morning.
checking out the brownstones of brooklyn heights during a weekend in nyc following a work training in manhattan the previous friday

checking out the brownstones of brooklyn heights during a weekend in nyc following a work training in manhattan the previous friday

what are some of your business travel tips, or some of your favorite business trip destinations?

technology tuesday: best travel apps

the palazzo maffei in verona, as found via the CityMaps2Go app

the palazzo maffei in verona, as found via the CityMaps2Go app

i never thought i would write about technology with travel, but i enjoyed writing my technology thursday post about favorite travel websites so much, that i just had to continue it.  technology tuesday sounds quite a bit more pleasing to the ear, though, so tuesday it is.

after switching over to the iphone recently (ironically, the new blackberries that i love are not supported by my firm’s ancient email system), i decided to explore a few travel apps for my trip to italy this past week.  after doing a bit of dedicated and diligent research (i googled “best travel apps”), i found three that are ah-mazing and greatly improved my travel experience:

  • tripit – i had heard of this for awhile now (you may have already been using this for years – i’m a little behind the times), and it sounded too good to be true.  the app organizes all of your travel confirmations (e.g hotel, airfare, rental cars, etc.) into one easy-to-read itinerary, complete with all confirmation numbers, departure times, travel agency phone numbers, and more.  it is extremely easy to use, as well: simply email your travel confirmations to the app’s email address, and within 30 seconds your itinerary is uploaded, organized, and ready to go.  a couple of features i really enjoyed included that a) it was free (there is a version you can pay approximately $5 per month for added features, but i found those unnecessary) and b) i could send multiple confirmations for the same trip, and it still organized them together (e.g. i booked my hotel in a separate confirmation, emailed it to tripit, and it seamlessly organized it with my flight and gave me directions from the airport to my hotel.
the easy-to-read itinerary front page, with the more detailed information page. scroll down on both for confirmation numbers, customer service lines, frequent flyer miles, etc.

the easy-to-read itinerary front page, with the more detailed information page. scroll down on both for confirmation numbers, customer service lines, frequent flyer miles, etc.

  • gate guru – this little guy earned major points in my book.  it syncs with your tripit (yes!) and knows from your itinerary which gates/terminals you will be arriving into/departing from.  based on this information (which updates continuously for free, and which is a service that you must pay for on tripit), it lists all the amenities near your particular gate.  if you’ve read my about me page, you know that terminals without mcdonald’s threaten to ruin my airport experience.  gate guru was able to navigate me to the nearest mcdonald’s, airline lounge, atms, restrooms, etc., and gave me the ability to rate and review them, and share them with other users.  it also provides maps of the airport, which came in quite handy trying to navigate the check-in counters in frankfurt.
the gate guru app home page, and more detailed page with amenities in the frankfurt airport

the gate guru app home page, and more detailed page with amenities in the frankfurt airport

  • CityMaps2Go – i tend to shy away from apps that aren’t free, but this one at $2.99 is a complete steal.  i do not have an international phone plan, so when i travel, i’m at the mercy of wifi hot spots or data already saved onto my phone.  CityMaps has maps from all over the world, as well as lists of popular restaurants, tourist attractions, hotels, and more.  further, it syncs with wikipedia to bring you more information on tourist sites.  before my trip to verona, i downloaded the verona map from CityMaps (you only want to download what you need; otherwise they would take up entirely too much room), as well as the wikipedia package for the sites.  i then was able to pin on the maps each of the tourist sites i wanted to see, as well as my hotel, restaurants i had reserved, etc.  when i arrived in verona (without any phone service), i whipped out my phone, grabbed an umbrella (unfortunate day of rain), and jaunted around the cobble-stone streets reading all about the sites without getting lost.  i also tried downloading maplets, a similar app, but found it inferior for international maps.  and since i have phone service in the US, why would I need it for domestic maps?
the downloaded map of verona, pinned with my must-see tourist sites (yellow), my hotel (blue), and a restaurant at which i had reservations (green), along with the wikipedia page for one of the tourist sites (see photo at top of post)

the downloaded map of verona, pinned with my must-see tourist sites (yellow), my hotel (blue), and a restaurant at which i had reservations (green), along with the wikipedia page for one of the tourist sites (see photo at top of post)

do you have any favorite travel apps?  if so, please share!

my favorites: art museums

my friend, kate, and i on the lawn at the getty center a few years back

my friend, kate, and i on the lawn at the getty center a few years back

i’m a bit of an art junkie; i can’t seem to stay away from museums in any city i visit. the more modern, the better, but i appreciate it all. here are some of my favorite museums throughout the world. there is no way to narrow it down to just three, so stay tuned for additions to this list throughout the year. what are your favorites?

  • the menil collection, houston, texas – my friend, amanda, found this museum while we were both visiting my parents after they moved to houston. known for its surrealist art collection (it includes a room with other-worldly gadgets, knick-knacks, masks, etc. owned by the surrealists – a personal fave everytime i visit), this is a must-see for every magritte, dalí, and miró fan. and best of all, it’s free.
  • peggy guggenheim collection, venice, italy – i visited this museum, housed in peggy guggenheim’s former home in venice, while studying abroad in asolo, italy. overlooking the grand canal, the museum includes art peggy collected throughout her avant garde life. i highly recommend the tour, which provides scandalous insights into the life of the collector. sadly, i have no photos from the museum, so please check out this google images link to see how grand the setting is.
  • the getty center, los angeles, california – it’s hard to not fall in love with the getty. overlooking west los angeles, the getty’s unbelievable views are rivaled only by the architecture and bright gardens within the musuem’s campus. i love(d) bringing a picnic to eat on the expansive green lawn, and then taking a tour of the latest photography exhibit. while it does cost to park (discounted after 5pm!), entrance to the museum and exhibits is…you guessed it…free!
the cactus garden at the getty center in los angeles

the cactus garden at the getty center in los angeles

the gardens at the getty center in los angeles

the gardens at the getty center in los angeles

menil collection, houston, texas

my friend, amanda, and me at the menil collection almost 15 (yikes!) years ago. still one of my very favorites, even though my love for permed hair has lapsed.

my favorites: markets

vintage soda bottles at the san telmo antiques market in buenos aires

vintage soda bottles at the san telmo antiques market in buenos aires

i love a good market. i’m not sure if its because i like a good deal, or because i like sifting through old junk in search of a treasure (is the hunt better than the catch?). but one thing is for sure: find me a market, and i’ll be happy as a clam! here are a few of my favorites i’ve visited:

  • san telmo antiques market, buenos aires, argentina – there are many markets in buenos aires (maybe why it’s one of my favorite destinations?), but this one was a real gem. full of old world treasures including old musical instruments, china, jewelry, and postcards, i was hooked. i took home a green soda bottle (see above) for about $20 (before pottery barn made them famous, charging 4x what i paid), and had a comical exchange in my broken spanish where i learned to not use the bottle due to the nozzle being made of lead (good to know – definitely would have given future dinner guests lead poisoning!).
  • san lorenzo central market, florence, italy – ok, this place is overwhelming. bring some cash and some big bags. florence is known for its leather and paper products (i love a good stationery set), and this market delivers loads of both. also throw in olive oil, shawls, and decorative wooden trays, and you’ll see why its so great. pretty sure i purchased a white linen blazer, sequined silver flats, a traditional florence wooden tray, a stationery set for my mother, a leather bag for a friend, the list goes on and on…
  • madrid book market, madrid, spain – slightly under the radar on a quiet street near retiro park, this market houses stall after stall of books. a reader’s paradise, great people-watching, and sure to deliver a nice gift for your favorite bibliophile. most are in spanish, but you can hunt for a few in other languages and find the picture books if you don’t read the language.
madrid book market

madrid book market