La dolce vita without the crowds - Venice: the perfect pre-Christmas treat Print E-mail
Written by Mary Turner, 2008   
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Whether you're window shopping or Christmas shopping, a winter break in Venice or Rome is a treat to savour, says Mary Turner Perhaps it was re-reading Donna Leon's detective books set in Venice, but last December I had a sudden urge to go there again. And when I read in Blood from a Stone that Venice has its own Christmas market, I decided to combine my trip with some Christmas shopping.

A budget flight from Liverpool, a hotel booked on the Internet (winter travel brings cheaper fares and hotel rates) and within a week I was on my way.

Although I was tired and it was dark when the coach from Treviso airport pulled into Piazzale Roma (the only place for cars and coaches in Venice), I decided to walk to my hotel.

Venice is small and you can walk from one end to the other in under an hour. Despite being an avid reader of the crime fiction set there, I had no worries about walking alone at night as Venice is one of Europe's safest cities.

Even in the dark, Venice is stunning and my footsteps slowed as I relaxed into my surroundings. The illuminated buildings and their glimmering reflections along the Grand Canal were entrancing and easily outdid the street decorations.

The narrow streets were filled with people making their way home from work, some stopping for food at market stalls, others buying gifts.

The next day I embarked on my own shopping trip. I headed for the Christmas market in Campo Santo Stefano, which is close to the tourist hotspot of St Marks and a short walk from the Accademia Bridge.

The large square was busy and very different from the last time I'd seen it. Large tents were stacked high with produce from Italy's regions and there were rows of 'alpine-hut' stalls filled with hand-made goods from Venice. Dozens of decorated Christmas trees completed the festive scene.

At each tent, I was encouraged to try something. I tasted cheeses and olives galore, declined the ham and sausages (I don't eat meat), tried the crispy wafer-thin bread from Sardinia, admired the olive oil and sundried tomatoes from Campaniam, enjoyed biscuits from Sicily and bought some panetone (Italian Christmas cake).

I envied and admired the Italians for preserving their traditions and regional produce.

The market is open from 10.30am until 7.30pm but even if you shop early, go back when it's dark. In the evening, under the Christmas lights, there's a party atmosphere. A band played, mulled wine was being served and people sat at tables or stood around in groups chatting and laughing.

Venetian specialities

But there's more to shopping in Venice than the Christmas market. Designer shops abound in the streets around St Marks and all over the city there are dozens of shops selling beautiful, hand-made Venetian paper and stationery, colourful masks and the famous Murano glass. None of this comes cheap but it is worth paying extra for the real thing.

Another must from Venice is a beautiful Fortuny pleated scarf - they come in an incredible array of colours. Fortuny, famed for his fabulous fabrics, lived and worked in Venice for most of his life. The Fortuny museum is near St Marks in Campo San Beneto. (Check before you go as it is not open regularly while restoration is taking place.)

The following day I caught the vaporetto (the water bus) to the island of Murano, which is the best place to buy glass. There I visited a glass-making factory and was spoilt for choice in the showrooms selling their products. From there I went on to Burano the island known for its lace and colourful houses.

I spent the next couple of days walking round the city, browsing in shops, visiting workshops where they make the carnival masks, sight-seeing and, when I got tired, resting in one of the many cafés. I even treated myself to tea in the famous Caffé Florian in St Mark's Square (ruinously expensive but the experience was worth it!).

After my short break, I returned home refreshed and ready for the Christmas season. Venice, with its absence of cars, had proved a real treat - no dodging traffic, no petrol fumes and no parking nightmares. I can see myself returning for another pre-Christmas treat, only next time I'll take a much larger suitcase.

Roman holiday

I don't take summer holidays - I prefer to escape the winter gloom - so in the third week in January I returned to Italy, this time to Rome, for my birthday. It's my favourite city (though Venice comes close) and there's nowhere else I'd rather be on my special day.

Rome is spectacular at any time but I prefer it in winter. It can be cold, and one memorable year it briefly snowed, but the Roman skies are usually bright and in January it stays light much longer than it does in the UK, a boon for those of us who find the short days of a British winter depressing.

The best thing about Rome in winter is the absence of crowds, especially at the major tourist centres. Visiting the Forum and Colosseum proved a more relaxed experience than at any other time of year and there was even room to pose for photographs on the Spanish Steps.

Getting close to the Trevi fountain was easy, so this time I didn't have to throw my coin over the heads of a large crowd.

Even in winter St Peter's gets crowded at the weekend, especially on Sundays, but in midweek I was able to go through the airport-type security at the entrance to the Basilica without a single person in front of me.

Inside, I enjoyed the rare treat of getting close enough to admire Michelangelo's Pieta without being jostled or disturbed by the flashing cameras of hordes of tourists.

Though it was good to get into St Peter's so easily, the highlight of Rome in winter for me is the life-size nativity scene in the centre of St Peter's Square.

While due reverence is paid to the central scene with the Christ child and his mother (as you'd expect from the centre of world Catholicism), it's the attention paid to the surrounding detail that I find so amazing.

Each year this detail changes slightly, but it always reflects ordinary life at the time of the Nativity.

People, animals and plants are all faithfully depicted: a couple of olive trees grow near the stable, chickens peck at the ground and a woman serves customers at the inn. Further along an old man watches his goats while a couple of men play their musical instruments.

You won't miss out on this scene if you go after Christmas as it's still on view in the third week in January.

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