Lost in Venice, Found in Venice

Buongiorno – Welcome to Italy!

Getting lost in the labyrinth streets of Venice and the hundreds of bridges that connect the stretches of canals is the best way to discover the imposing beauty of this mysterious city of water. To many tourists, getting lost in Venice is part of the experience and it’s only in Venice where your frustration of getting lost quickly fades to fascination. This world-renowned romantic city is ornamented with the most amazing architectures – magnificent churches and palaces, lively squares, interesting shops and pastel colored houses.

My vivid memory of Venice was a brief visit in 1996 with my best friend. Just like any tourist visiting Venice, riding the exquisitely decorated red velvet gondola was the highlight of that trip. And if it wasn’t only expensive for us to add the cost to have the gondolier sing for us, we could have enjoyed the ride to its fullest. During this recent visit, it was the romantic thriller film ‘Tourist’ with Johnny Depp and Angelina that inspired and brought me back to the romantic touch of this beautiful city.  This time, however, my visit was strictly for work. I was looking forward to working with an ex colleague as well as close friend, Fiona.

Friday, 29 April, I had a very early start to the day with a 6:30 am bus transfer to the Barcelona International Airport to catch my flight to Venice. After an hour and 45 minutes flight, I made it to Italy safe and sound. ‘Valparetto’ (water bus) is the cheapest way to get to Venice from Marco Polo International Airport. I opted to take ‘Alilaguna’ boat (water bus) as it stops directly to Hilton Molino Stucky, the conference venue.  It’s interesting to know that this 380-room hotel located on Giudecca Island, used to be a flourmill and granary. The hotel is perfectly situated to watch the series of cruise ships go by everyday along Giudecca Canal from the comfort of your window.

Sunday, 1 May, was the first day of the conference. The conference has drawn over 300 enthusiastic delegates to the city.  Impact Events, a Melbourne based company, organized the conference. I am so privileged to assist Impact Events in organizing the conference. Impact Events holds a strong track record of success in event planning and organizing. The company has consistently exhibited guaranteed impact and brought memorable experience to conference goers.

Among the highlights of this conference include: a welcome private reception at the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, a museum that holds most of the Italian contemporary art collection; a private tour to the most visited monument of Venice – St Mark’s Basilica, to witness a private organ recital; and the Gala Dinner Masked Ball at the internationally renowned Hotel Excelsior, located in Lido Island. The island attracts international artists and visitors from all over the world to witness the annual prestigious Venice Film Festival.

Part of the conference perk was an afternoon city tour of Venice. The tour includes a visit to the ancient historical heart of Venice where you can find the three iconic landmarks of Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square), the central square of Venice and one that I consider the most impressive central square in Europe. The first landmark that we visited was the insanely stunning St. Mark’s Basilica – one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture. Then we went to the Doge’s Palace, which also has a unique architectural style. Our last stop was at the Campanile di San Marco  (Bell Tower of St Mark).  The tower has five bells and each had a specific purpose. The largest rang at the start and end of the workday, one rang at midday, another rang to convene members to council meetings, a fourth to proclaim a session of the Senate, and the last to announce executions.

It was a usual busy day in the streets of Venice. However, whether you are at the front or back of the group, you can clearly hear the voice of the tour guide. The tour gadget, an individualized audiovisual, was also very helpful to help us get the facts of the places we visited.  The professionally guided tour was the best way to get acquainted with the rich history and culture of Venice.

One of the popular optional tours provided to the delegates was a visit to the Lagoon Islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.  I was fortunate to join with the group. The tour started with a visit to the home of the world-famous Murano Glass in the Island of Murano.  Following the demonstration was a private glass shopping tour. Everyone had the opportunity to purchase a piece or two of the finest products of Murano.

The boat continued to sail along the lagoon that connects to the charming fishing village of Burano, an island famous for its lace-making industry. Burano, also known as the mini Venice, has its streets and canals lined by multi-colored houses.

Last stop was in Torcello, a quaint and cheerful island that is loved by Venetians. From the wharf, we had a nice and calm walk to three of the island’s main attractions: the ancient Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, a wonderful mosaic church and known to be Venice first cathedral.  Next to the Cathedral are the lovely and small church, the Church of Fosca, and the Museum of Torcello, which narrates the story of the Island over the centuries.

When there was no scheduled activity in the evening, we took the opportunity to restaurant hop and have the real experience of savoring the finest Italian cuisines and local red wine. It was through this experience that I was able to defy the myth that eating out in Venice is expensive. There are a number of restaurants to choose from that are inexpensive and can definitely satisfy your palate.  All you need is to patiently shop around. It’s always a great idea to check if your choice of restaurant is open as most of them are close one day a week. It is also advisable to make a reservation especially during the busy time of the year.

True enough, I was able to prove that pasta in Italy is consistently prepared to perfection. Well-deserve to be the pasta world capital! The freshly made sauce is the secret to the pastas’ delectable taste.

There are also a variety of mouth-watering seafood dishes to choose from. And of course, there is no true pizza experience but in Italy. The pizzas here are the best I have ever tasted and all the ingredients were really fresh. Magnifico!

And if you have that sweet tooth, ‘tiramisu’ would be the best choice. It explains all why this iconic dish has become the symbol of Italian desserts. And tiramisu is often homemade in many restaurants, which is a big bonus.

Impact Events has raised the bar as evident by the positive feedback that I received from the delegates. From the finest chosen hotel and glamorous Gala dinner venues, to the exquisite and private evening events, including the perfectly selected optional tours was the winning formula to a successful event. To top this all, it was the staff of Impact Events who worked tirelessly and intensely long hours that made the conference a great success. Kudos to the awesome staff!

Stay tuned for my next article as Impact Events continues to rock as they host another memorable conference in Austria!

© 2012 by Michelle Riel, retains sole copyright to her contributions to all the contents of this site.