Things I Have Learned In Amsterdam

Posted on April 27, 2016 by jaynezak

“The pleasure we derive from journeys is perhaps dependent more on the mindset with which we travel than on the destination we travel to.”Alain de Botton

There are over one million bikes within the city limits, yet there are only about 700,000 people in Amsterdam.

Stairs in Amsterdam are many and very steep – like ladders. (Rembrandt’s house)

There are 51 well-known museums that are dedicated to varied topics from the history of sex to the use of marijuana to the life of a famous painter. (Stedlijk Museum)

The passageway of the Rijksmuseum has the best acoustics in the city and many professional musicians come there to practice.

The majority of Amsterdam is below sea level. At its lowest point, it is 6.7 metres below sea level. If climate change causes even a small increase in global sea levels, Amsterdam may go under.

The entire city of Amsterdam was built on piles — massive stakes that are driven into the ground. These piles laid the foundation for every building in the city. This means that if you stay at one of the many Amsterdam hotels, you are actually staying on stilts. Over 6,000 piles are used to hold up Central Station. Regular maintenance keeps these piles in load-bearing condition.

The lines at the Anne Frank House rivals the Uffizi and the Louvre. Get tickets online in advance.

Amsterdam Is full of Polyglots. Polyglot is a term used to describe anyone who is fluent in more than two languages. 86 percent of Amsterdam residents are polyglots, speaking English, Dutch and a third language fluently. This makes a trip to Amsterdam an easy experience for English speakers.

Amsterdam residents are the second largest consumers of coffee in the world.

It’s estimated that during the Golden Age (put here between 1580-1670), when Dutch painters were among the best of the world, 5 million paintings were made – surely one of the most amazing Amsterdam facts. Almost every Dutch home had at least one painting. Now we have iPhones to take pictures of paintings. ( self-portrait Rembrandt – Rijksmuseum)

Amsterdam natives are the tallest in the world. According to several different studies, this height is attributed to their DNA and healthy eating habits.

Tulips, tulip fields and flower bulbs are typically Dutch. Yet, tulips do not originate from the Netherlands. The first tulip bulbs were imported from Turkey to the Netherlands, where they proved to grow extremely well on Dutch soil.

Amsterdam knows how to brew a beer. The Netherlands is the world’s biggest exporter of beer. Twice as much beer is exported from the Netherlands than the United States, the second biggest exporter.

Amsterdam Has More Canals Than Venice .

Often called the “Venice of the North,” Amsterdam boasts over 165 canals that compose a comprehensive network throughout the entire city.

Amsterdam has one of the most famous Red Light Districts in the world with window prostitution. There are almost 500 such windows in Amsterdam, next to brothels etc. Most of the girls are Eastern European, Indonesian and Malaysian. Few are Dutch. There is definitely a lot of human trafficking involved in bringing these girls here. There are no photos allowed. ( Belle – statue for prostitutes all over the world)

There are over 200 ‘coffee shops’ in Amsterdam where you are allowed to buy up to five grams of cannabis (marijuana or hash). Since the 1970s, buying of cannabis has been decriminalized. Five grams, by the way, is enough to stay high for several days.

Someone dropped their hash packet when i was having lunch . He didn’t know. I waited and decided to pick it up and return it. That would not have happened in the states.

In 2008, a tobacco smoking ban was introduced in Dutch cafes and restaurants, but you are still allowed to smoke marijuana and hashish in Dutch coffee shops – if only you don’t mix it with regular tobacco… That is bad for you.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Vienna, Austria

Posted on July 20, 2015 by jaynezak

Vienna, Austria.

“See how beautiful Vienna is. Listen to Mozart. Have some cake at one of the lovely old world cafes and try our famous Sachertorte. Go to Schonnbrunn and the Spanish Riding School. Walk past the Belvedere and Albertina museums and see a grand city resplendent in Imperial history and culture. Forget about that unpleasantness. Look how pretty Vienna is.” Vienna Tourist Board

The Austrians do not to want to talk about WWII. They believe that they were victims. Hitler promised them hope for a better future and a release from the Great Depression. He didn’t say he would kill all the Jews and bomb their cities. He made beautiful promises and people believed him. No one wants to talk about that now. Some of my family is from Vienna and other parts of Austria. There is no one left there now but I was curious to see it.

I liked Vienna. It has an urban cool cultural vibe with old world charm. I liked every other dessert I had there better than sachertorte (which to me translates into very dry chocolate cake in English). I much preferred the apfel strudel with mélange coffee. Coffee in Vienna is almost always served with a small glass of water for hydration. Austrian attention to detail put to good use. (sachertorte)

Naschmarkt is the oldest market area in Vienna . It is the place to be on a Saturday morning. There is a big flea market, cool restaurants and organic everything.

My favorite area is Museumplatz with the Modern Art Museum (MOMEK) and Leopold Museum of Austrian Artists (my fav I love Egon Schiele). In the summer people cool off in the pools and hang out on the enzis ( design lounges) in the square. Gustav Klimt’s the Kiss is at the Albertina Museum. The passageways of the MuseumsQuartier are home to changing art installations.

I enjoyed strolling around Vienna’s six and seventh districts on either side of the Mariahilferstrasse. Mariahilferstrasse has the usual European fashion stores but on the sidestreets are the uber trendy design boutiques with young Austrian designers. I’m always a fan of finding these streets when I travel. I love to see what the young designers and artists in a country are doing.

Never buy anything from a person in a period costume ever – particularly in Vienna when they are selling the best classical music concert. I know this because I did it early in my traveling. You get ripped off and you learn.

Vienna is a city of music. It is the city of Beethoven and Mozart. It is where young Adolf Hitler came to study music at 18 years old. If he had been talented, there might have been another story. St. Stephens Church has concerts in the summer and there are websites to check for authentic good music. The best thing to do is go to the Vienna Opera House (Staatsoper) and see any performance there. It is a great way to experience the beautiful architecture and acoustics. They also have tours of the opera house if you can’t get to a performance. There are Sunday morning performances at Augustiner Church with professional opera singers and a full orchestra. Talented young musicians come from all over the world to study at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, which runs an enormous array of concerts and performances around the city to showcase their talents. Consult www.mdw.ac.at for the packed schedule of events, some of which are free.

I would probably pass on Mozart’s house. If you are true fan, you can take the underground for about a half hour and visit his grave. Go to a heuriger and hoist a glass or a mug of fresh young wine (heurig = this year’s) just like Mozart used to do.

Spend some time at St. Stephens Church where mourners came to pay their respects to him in 1791, In 1805, Napoleon used St. Stephen’s doors to post his farewell edict. And it weathered attacks from both German and Russian armies during World War II. Today, this stunning cathedral remains an active house of worship, a national icon and a top tourist attraction.

Schoenbrunn was the official Hapsburg summer residence. Under the supervision of Maria Theresa (the only female Hapsburg ruler), Schoenbrunn evolved into these ornate rooms and vast elaborate gardens. It was not my favorite palace ( I had just come from Russia) But, the world’s oldest zoo the Tiergarten is located on the beautiful grounds.

The Hofburg Imperial Palace serves as the official residence of the President of Austria. It was the Hapsburg’s principal winter residence. From 1438 it was the seat of the kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and after the seat of the Emperor of Austria until 1918.

Würstelstand (sausage stands) are a usual sight on Vienna’s streets, dispensing piping-hot sausages and hot dogs. Among the best stands are the Würstelstand in Hohen Markt and the impressively sleek Bitzinger outpost on Albertinaplatz.

The Sigmund Freud museum is set in the apartment where Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, lived and worked from 1898 until 1938, when he was forced into exile by the Nazis. Freud’s collections, photos and letters are displayed in glass cases.

The Jewish Museum in Vienna (Judisches Museum der Stadt Wien) has two buildings. The main building has exhibits and artifacts from the Jews who lived there before WWll.There has been criticism in the past that not enough has been done to try and find the families of these artifacts. The building in Judenplatz near the Shoah memorial shows the remnants of a fifteenth century temple after the exile of the Jews. This seems to be a pattern. It is odd to see the story of Vienna’s Jews during WWll without any mention of Austria’s part in it. If you have been to other Jewish museums, you can pass on it.

The Third Man Museum is the place to go for all those interested in post war Vienna or film fans. The Third Man”, starring Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles was a British-American production that was filmed in post-war Vienna. It opened in London in 1949 and became a huge box-office success all over the (Western) world and one of the best examples of film noir. It made the simple musician Anton Karas a world star. There is a lot of film and post war memoriablia and the place to learn about post war Vienna.

I think the Viennese coffee house defines Vienna. You can sit for hours with one cup of coffee. In the old city you will find architecturally beautiful coffee houses many originally owned by pre WWll Jews. It is completely normal to sit for hours alone reading the complimentary newspapers or chatting with friends. The word is gemutlichkeit. (coziness, comfortable unhurried) (Cafe Central)

We went to Café Central home to great philosophers, poets and leaders (such as Leo Trotzky, and Sigmund Freud) It’s the perfect place to linger for one more coffee and one more story before continuing your city touring.

Haben Einen Sicheren Flug,

JAZ

Anti – Semitism in Europe – Again?

Posted on February 3, 2015 by jaynezak

Anti – Semitism in Europe – Again?

“At Auschwitz, tell me, where was God?” And the answer: “Where was man?” William Styron

We are all born into some story, with its particular background scenery, that affects our emotional, social and spiritual growth.

My story was anti-Semitism. My grandparents were part of the well documented immigration of eastern European and Russian Jews at the end of the nineteenth century to America. Restrictions and barriers were placed on Jews that made it impossible to have a normal self-sustaining life in their countries. In Russia and Poland, pogroms (physical attacks on the Jews and their villages) happened on a regular basis.

Both my parents were born here and had experienced anti-Semitism growing up. My father was a high-ranking officer in the army (not a job Jews could have at that time) and had fought in two wars. He experienced extreme prejudice during his twenty years in the army. My mother grew up on a farm where they were the only Jewish family in their town. She also had a lot of experience with bigotry and discrimination.

When they had children, they moved into the most Jewish neighborhood they could find so their children wouldn’t have the same experiences. Many holocaust survivors moved there as well. I grew up hearing all the stories.

I was able to read at a very young age and for some reason read the story of Anne Frank when I was nine years old. I looked at the picture of Anne. She had brown hair and brown eyes. I thought that she looked like me and she was Jewish also. I decided in my nine year old wisdom that they could come for me too. I quickly became friends with the only Christian I knew, Frankie, the son of the superintendent of our building. His family could hide me if it happened again.

Children don’t understand prejudice. The world is black and white to them. If someone is mean than you don’t like them. But for someone to not like you and want to kill you because you are Jewish, or Black, Gay or Muslim – that is a hard concept for kids. It has to be taught. As in – if your parents hate them or are afraid of them, then they must be bad. Being hated because I was born into a Jewish family that wasn’t even religious was hard for me as a child to comprehend.

I grew up on the beach and saw a lot of people with numbers on their arms. All the old people who I knew had heavy European accents. For a brief period I thought they counted the older people and when you became old you got an accent. Many of my friends were the children of holocaust survivors. Their lives were shrouded in mystery and darkness.

The holocaust changed so many lives by simply observing just how horrible certain humans can treat each other. It didn’t just scar the survivors but anyone who came in contact with their stories. I grew up in a frightened community. I have always felt how tenuous the world was and that things could end at any moment just as it had for Anne Frank.

As I got older, I became obsessed with reading everything I could about the holocaust. I saw every film and documentary. Someone asked me once “What job I was going to get as the leading authority on the holocaust?’ But I needed answers. How did it happen? Why did people hate us so much? How do people hate for no reason and of course – the nature of evil.

I learned that evil can happen when it is beyond the realm of civilized human consciousness – like planning to kill all the Jews in Europe by gassing and burning them in ovens, flying a plane into the World Trade Center, murdering all the intellectuals or killing or kidnapping children for going to school.

I am watching that evil again. I recently saw a map on CNN listing the number of Jews living in each country in Europe. Was that the same map that Hitler looked at? The last time I saw a map listing the number of Jews in each country in Europe it was in a holocaust book showing the number of dead Jews from each country.

So there are no lessons to be learned from the past. The people committing atrocities don’t think of themselves as evil. They commit these acts in the name of righteousness or religion. As someone who loves stories, I wanted restoration and redemption in my story. But instead the monsters of my childhood turn out to be human beings in the present.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Memories of Greece

Posted on February 25, 2013 by jaynezak

“When you set out on your journey to Ithaca, pray that the road is long, full of adventure and full of knowledge.” — Constantine

Memories of Greece

Greece is the most special place for me. When I was eighteen, I did the Europe tour with my friends and Greece was the country I connected with. I went back any summer that I could afford to after that until I was married. I never carried a camera when I was I young. I thought it made me look like a tourist. I was there again recently as well. I’ve never written anything about it. I thought I would start off by listing a jumble of memories old and new and see what happens. Maybe it will jog your memory of your travels.

Athens Landing in Athens first time at three in the morning with nowhere to go , meeting some new friends and sleeping at their apt in Kolonaki, Acropolis – when you could still walk around everywhere., Olympic Airlines, baklava , private cars with handmade taxi signs, something is always on strike in Athens, cats, Thodorakis concert at the outdoor amphitheatre on Mt Lycabettus, getting lost on the way down, Delphi on the hottest day ever, amazing feta cheese, drachmas, Nine Muses in Glifada, the Archaological Museum, trying to get the soldiers guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier to talk to us or laugh (you have no idea how many years I did this), sleeping every afternoon because everything closes from 12-5, watching the tourists throw plates in the restaurants in the Plaka, lamburgers, Cat Stevens, bouzouki places , more cats, worry beads, Voulagmeni, Monastiraki Flea Market, Parko restaurant , best hair dry ever, Port of Piraeus – no better feeling than taking the hydrofoil (flying dolphin) or ferry to any Greek Island. Happy.

Santorini – sunset over a volcano, black sand beaches, red sand beach, tavernas on the beach, How many bikinis can I wear in a summer? Walking up and down a mountain every day and night from the house we were staying at in heels, fresh bread with butter and honey and kafe megalo , a few hours later having fresh-baked tiropita (fried buttered phylo dough stuffed with cheese and egg) , Akrotiri ( famous Minoan ruins) , throwing up in front of the tour buses (all my drinking stories end up like this), dancing all night at the two discos on the island, eating fried sardines with bones in them for lunch in Megalohori after wine tasting at the vineyards , motorbiking everywhere, fishing early in the morning and bringing the fish to a restaurant to cook for us in Oia, coffee in town watching the tourists come up to Thira from the cruise boats on the donkeys, tired of eating lamb every day, ( Greek islands had only Greek food back then. It was pre cell phones.) Amazing.

Mykonos – Every day in Mykonos with Eva and George, Nine Muses, Remezzo, , Pierros, more friends from Athens , staying out all night , Paradise Beach , Super Paradise Beach, sitting in the town with our new drag queen friends and entertaining the cruise boats, shopping in the cool boutiques, (I needed new clothes by then) , tube tops, retsina and ouzo –yasas, 2am (the summer of the curfew), Mykonos Harbor, Beatles “Don’t say goodnight”, Love.

Paros – White rocky beaches , peace after the craziness of Mykonos, fresh fish, Greek salad and tzaziki, planning our future., swimming in the clear blue sea, movie theatre (outside), how tan can I actually get? Romantic.

Thessaloniki – Riding horses on the beach at George’s beach house outside of Salonika, walking on the beach to get anywhere, (town, clubs restaurants), going to market and getting fresh food every day, playing house, Greek music festival (Opa!), sailing every day, boats are a lot of work, more new friends, Greek coffee or Nescafe, drinking retsina on the beach,(tastes like turpentine) ouzo shots, more Greek words, promises. Spectacular.

Helkidiki – Jewish holidays at temple with Mendy’s family, the women sit upstairs, the service is in Greek and Hebrew –I am completely lost, picking lemons off a tree and smelling them when I fainted from fasting, , watching a Greek funeral as they marched through the streets to transport the casket from the home to the church and then to the grave site. I see a friend and join wearing short shorts and wedges. One of the old women ( always in black) gives me her shawl to wrap around me.. She alternates between crying and pointing out where everyone in the procession lives. I am strangely moved by this old woman and this whole experience. My friends are stunned to see me walk by in a funeral procession. They join. Surprising.

Spetses – mosquitos –It is the green island, we kill them with perfume, Reading Nikos Kazantzakis on a beach , Avgolemono soup for a cold( egg lemon chicken soup), horse and carriages, boat races, , Greek and British tourists, Peaceful both times.

Hydra – First time in Hydra – no cars only donkeys, rocks instead of beaches, second time in Hydra – many bars and clubbing, third time in Hydra – I finally have the money to shop –cute stores!. Very Different.

Aegina – We fall asleep and our bicycle boat ends up in the open sea . We are rescued by a yacht. We dont attach the rope well (we are city girls) and we turn over. My friends lose all their money. I don’t because my sportsac bag turns out to be waterproof and floats and I hang on. (why do we have all our money on the beach? There are no atms then and we are young and apparently stupid) I drift close enough to the yacht to get on. My friends end up in a small fishing boat with several octopi. They look really angry at me – I am drinking water and they don’t have any. I am in shock. I almost drowned, For the rest of the summer Mendy tells the story in broken Greek and English to someone every day. ‘We did not know the sea,” she begins. second time in Aegina –I don’t go in the water. I know that sea. Scary.

Samos – Having fresh caught Calamari, that had hung on a clothes line, waking up to drunk Germans throwing up every night outside, playing with Eva’s family on the beach, ferry to Kusadasi Turkey , taken away by the police upon re-entering Samos because they thought I was smuggling drugs ( I was really seasick and nauseous and I needed a coke, I forgot to go through customs first and walked into the store which was before customs. –. Eva spends a long time telling them I am another stupid American and they let me go. Dumb.

Naxos – taking a ferry in Greece after not being there for so long, Walking on the most beautiful soft sand beach in Naxos, grilled fresh caught calamari as much as possible., beautiful villas, beautiful sunsets, old friends. Wonderful.

Poros – Walking down to the town, back on a hydrofoil in Piraeus, No Americans, Having an amazing Greek salad with Eva on Poros 25 years later and realizing that it never tasted as good in the US, watching Greek families on the beach ( It was a Greek vacation area) Greek yogurt, boat to concert in outdoor theatre., dinners with Eva’s family, rocky beaches, clean water, gold bracelets, kids running all over, another summer and I am in Greece. Lesson learned.

Memories last longer than photographs.

Calo taxiti and fly safe,

JAZ

Things I Have Learned In Croatia

Posted on September 5, 2012 by jaynezak

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

Things I Have Learned In Croatia

At the entrance to the Rector’s Palace in Dubrovnik, there is a sign from the middle ages that says, “keep your personal affairs outside, attend to public business only. “

When entering a jazz concert at the Rector’s Palace, during the Summer Festival, you are handed a program and a moist towelette. (which you will need because there is no air conditioning or windows. You will also be putting cold water on your face during the intermission. ) But it will be worth it, the musicians were great.

At the Dominican church in Dubrovnik the columns are filled in halfway up. This is so you can’t see the ankles of the women as they walked up the stairs.

In the old city in Dubrovnik, you will find War Photo Limited. It is a museum devoted to war photojournalism. The exhibitions are different conflicts throughout the world. The lesson is that war is bad no matter what side you are on. It is very well done and graphic- not good for children.

American Express is not as welcome in Croatia as American tourists.

Bosnia Herzekovina is a good place to buy cheap liquor, cigarettes, bootleg movies and drugs.

Croatians refer to communism as the time of the Yugoslavia.

If you like oysters, you must go and see the oyster beds and have lunch in Ston. Even if you don’t like oysters (me), you should go. If you like wine tasting, you can do that on the way.

If you need to get money from a bank in Dubrovnik any American passport will do.

Croatians are very proud that they have five star hotels. They mention it all the time. ” You want room service? No problem, this is five star hotel. You need towels? No problem, this is five star hotel.”

This is not us.

The old city of Dubrovik and Diocletian’s Palace are both UNESCO protected sites. In the 1991 battle for independence, the old city of Dubrovnik was in flames. The UN did not go in and protect it. We aren’t really sure what UNESCO protected site means.

Georgio Armani has a black yacht.

Walking the walls around the old city in Dubrovnik is good way to look into people’s backyards and see their plants and hanging laundry.

If you are walking the walls of the old city, and it is summer, try not to be behind a hairy sweaty man with his shirt off, where it gets very narrow and crowded.

The Adriatic Sea is twice as salty as the Pacific which is why the fish tastes so much better. They have been soaking in brine for their entire life.

The stone used to build Diocletian’s Palace in 300AD and the stone for the White House both came from the island of Brac. Diocletian used thousands of Christian slaves, Im not sure what religion the slaves that built the White House were.

Diocletian’s palace, located in Split was built in the fourth century. It is the most complete Roman ruins of a palace in existence today. . It is not a museum . Three thousand people live and work on the grounds and there are many shops and restaurants. It is best seen when not besieged by cruise ships ( the bane of summer travel for me)

Apparently no dogs are allowed in the Palace.

The Meridian Lav in Split is Eastern Europe’s Grand Wailea/Club Med. ( and don’t ever mention Borat here –they don’t think it is funny)

A table with a view of the sea in Split is a whole different thing.

Everywhere in Croatia is a photo opportunity. Here we are waiting for the car ferry to Hvar.

Bubba Gumps is spring break in Hvar.

I cant get enough of Hvar harbor -a view from the room.

Hvar is the number one grower of high quality lavender. Yes, I brought back a lot of lavender oil.

One of the most beautiful days I have ever had was to rent a boat and go out around Hvar with my daughter . The beaches are rocky but the water is so blue and clean that you don’t mind cutting up your feet. ( They sell Crocs everywhere –now I know why)

It is great to eat seafood in a restaurant in Cavtat when the owner is walking in wearing a bathing suit and carrying the fish. It is not so great to do the meet and greet with the fish beforehand.

My favorite foods are grilled octopus and squid. I was so happy to have it every day in Dubrovnik, Hvar and Split. After a while everything becomes like chicken.

According to my kids, when I am speaking to someone who’s second language is English, English becomes my second language as well.

On a serious note Dubrovnik and Hvar could be among the most beautiful places in the world and we had a great time. It has some of the best seafood I have ever eaten. Croatia is one of my most favorite places and I can’t wait to go back. (Hvar, Dubrovnik)

Ugodan let

JAZ

Things I’ve Learned In Venice

Posted on July 20, 2012 by jaynezak

“ If you read a lot, nothing is as good as you’ve imagined it. Venice is! – Venice is better. “ Fran Liebowitz

Things I’ve Learned in Venice

Venetians hate Napoleon because he stole from them the very treasures that Venice had previously stolen from Constantinople. The French hate that the Venetians have two museums (Palazzo Grassi and the Dogana) devoted to French modern art.

The pigeons in Venice have special protection because of their popularity with the tourists. No self respecting Venetian over the age of two would pay any attention to a pigeon.

There are two Venices – the actual one and the reflection in the water. Which is real and which is the illusion?

Directions in Venice may involve going” through a sestiere, past the scuola, down the fondamenta or the riva to the rama to the rio tera, to the calle, rughetta or salizzada and under the soltoportego”.( good to travel with map people)

Peggy Guggenheim has a room in her museum devoted to her daughter’s art. (don’t we all?)

An important Venetian holiday is held on the third week in July. It is the Feast of the Redentore commemorating the end of the plague that killed fifty thousand people including Titian. The fireworks display is so extensive and significant that the re-election of the mayor is contingent on their quality ( sort of like us picking a governor based on his movies) I have to add that they were the most incredible fireworks of our lives –I hope that mayor got re-elected.

If you find yourself in Venice on a vaporetto going out into the open sea, don’t worry, it will come back into the city……. eventually.

Vaporettos (water buses) in Venice are on the honor system. Many stops do not have kiosks to buy tickets which makes it hard to be honorable.

St. Mark, (patron saint of Venice) had his body “rescued” from his grave in Alexandria. Venetian fishermen covered the relic in pork to repulse the Muslim inspectors. There are mosaics that tell this story in the Basilica. If it was today, it would be covered in pork belly-something I see on every menu.

There is always reconstruction and renovation going on in Venice. The city slogan is “com’era dovera “ ( as it was and where it was)

The Biennale ( Worldwide Art Exhibition) in Venice is filled with the same pretentious art people one finds anywhere else. The difference is that in the summer, they bring their kids. You can hear in several different languages, what was that? When are we leaving?

The Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) connects the Doges palace to the Prigioni (prisons). The name comes from the fact that the prisoners used to sigh as they saw Venice from the tiny windows on their way to the prison. “I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs; a palace and a prison on each hand.” Lord Byron

There is always a small choice of musical concerts in Venice. They all play Vivaldi.

Napoleon called St Marks Square ‘the finest drawing room in Europe.’ In the summer it is filled with tourists, pigeons, musicians and waiters. Try to see it late at night or early in the morning .

Volare is a song I never expected to be woken up to in the morning or hear 100 times a day.

The Rialto Bridge was built in just three years between 1588-91. It replaced the wooden bridge built in the twelfth century. The architect was Antonio Da Ponte. He beat out Michelangelo and Palladio for the contract. His name means Anthony of the Bridge . I cant help thinking he went into the competition with an edge.

Venice has no sewer system. Household waste flows into the canals and is washed out into the sea twice a day with the tides.(in case you were thinking of tasting the water or swimming )

There are many mask shops in Venice but only a few are traditional mask makers. Remember if its cheap, its fake. La Bottega Dei Mascareri is a traditional mask making studio near the Rialto Bridge.

They say the best way to explore Venice is to get lost among the endless narrow streets and bridges. I don’t think that is the best way to explore Venice with my daughter. But no matter how good at directions you think you are, you will get lost in Venice.

Bauer Il Palazzo Hotel is one of Leonardo Di Caprio’s favorite hotels. (and mine also!)

Don’t touch the produce in Venice. In fact it is considered offensive to touch fruits and vegetables in the markets all over Italy.

The Bellini was invented by Guiseppi Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar. It is fresh white peach juice mixed with Prosecco. (sparkling wine). Its pink color reminded him of the color of the toga of a saint in a painting by Giovanni Bellini. It is named for the artist.

Gondolas are operated by highly skilled oarsmen. Only 3 gondolier licenses are issued annually after extensive training and a written exam. There are only 400 licensed Gondolieri operating in Venice today and 350 gondolas. (I wonder if anyone else had to take it three times)

Almost everyone in Venice belonged to a scuola in the fifteenth and sixteenth century. They were like fraternities formed around occupations or immigrant groups .The scuole were self governing and helped their members integrate into society or with their problems. They became important artistic patrons. The themes were usually the lives and miracles of the Saints. Caravaggio was a favorite painter of the scuole. It is worth it to go and see the art in some of the scuole around Venice..

Venetian food is simple, fresh and delicious. There are no food jokes here. Seafood, small birds, liver, fresh fruits and vegetables and local grains are the staples. Some traditional dishes are risi e bisi (risotto with peas) eaten by the Doge on St Marks Day, pasta e fagioli ( pasta with beans a hearty peasant dish), dried cod, cuttlefish cooked in squid ink and sardines with onions. They are not known for pizza, but eating pizza in Italy is always a good thing.

Ciao, Fly Safe,

JAZ

Rick Steves -Love Him or Hate Him?

Posted on July 11, 2012 by jaynezak

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.” Mark Twain

I have this hate love affair with Rick Steves. Rick Steves is the host of Rick Steves Europe on American Public Television and Public Radio. He has published many guide books. On the surface , we have nothing in common.

Rick travels around Europe with a backpack or carry on luggage (which never looks very heavy). He wears relaxed comfortable clothing and sensible footwear. He motors through countrysides finding quaint inns and farmhouses to stay in. He is always looking at something old. He goes to places that we have been to or would like to go to –nothing outrageous or dangerous. If he is shopping , it is in some outdoor market or picturesque shop. He is always using a lot of hand motions to show that he is buying it for himself to eat now. There is nothing that Rick Steves ever buys that I would want. He has perfectly behaved children who eat Sacher Tortes in the Bavarian countryside and don’t get hopped up on sugar. Sometimes they stay with a Czech sitter at the hotel while Rick and his wife go to a medical spa in Karlovy Vary. Rick is the everyman of traveling.

So what is his appeal for me? He makes us feel safe and comfortable in a place we have never been. If Rick has been there or met them, we will be ok.

That is how I ended up having an amazing vacation in Croatia with my kids. I had been trying to go to Croatia for two years. Both my tour and my cruise had been cancelled. I decided to use the internet for the first time to find a tour guide. I found Petar Vlasik . I went to look at his references and there it was –recommended by Rick Steves. I immediately emailed Petar and he immediately emailed back. I had a good feeling and ….Rick Steves liked him. We planned to go to a few places in Croatia – Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split and Cavtat as well as some side trips. . Petar was an amazing charming, knowledgeable, helpful cool guy to organize our trip and take us around . The trip was perfect. We have a friend in Croatia. I highly recommend Petar to all of you when you go to Croatia (and you must). http://www.dubrovnikrivieratours.com Would I have done this without Rick Steves? ( I do now – that is another blog) I like to think I have good intuition but Rick Steves definitely helped.

Which is how I came to watch his shows . We aren’t as different as I would like to think. I realized that I love to travel as much as he does. I love meeting the people in new places as much as he does. I love the old churches and ruins as much as I love the modern buildings and contemporary art. I admire him for making a successful career out of his passion. I love his enthusiasm over a tiny hand made flute or an old French cheese. I feel exactly the same way when I find the perfect bracelet or walk into an amazing five star hotel.

Fly Safe

JAZ

Travel Well, Fly Safe

Travel

Category Archives: Europe

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Things I Have Learned In Croatia

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Rick Steves -Love Him or Hate Him?