Andiamo! | Citalia Magazine Autumn 2021

Ihave loved Italy for as long as I can
remember. Once upon a time I spent
nearly a year in Florence.
I travelled the world with my parents as a child
and have continued the tradition ever since.
I have great experience of travelling on my
own and usually make my own reservations,
but when it comes to Italy I always use Citalia,
and that’s for one simple reason, the type
of personal service I receive from my Citalia
Personal Travel Planner, Linda Kulka.
Linda is efficient, really knowledgeable and
professional, and tailors everything to my
taste and needs, which she understands well.
What’s not to love about Italy?
I love the architecture, food,
history, ambience, people,
and of course the opera -
Teatro La Fenice in Venice
is at the top of my list.
My favourite destination for both work and
pleasure has to be Venice, but I also love
Rome. Taking place in February each year,
the Carnevale in Venice outshines all others
in elegance.
Because my trips include professional
endeavours I tend to travel to Italy alone,
but my husband has travelled with me for
holidays, including Carnevale, Christmas and
New Year.
I am an archaeologist whose field is Greek
prehistory, Minoan and Mycenaean. I included
the island of Vivara in the Bay of Naples
in a pioneering archaeological project I codirected,
on the scientific analysis of pottery
and skeletal material from the Bronze Age,
as the Mycenaeans had visited Vivara. The
project culminated in an exhibition which was
mounted in seven international museums,
one of which was Naples. We had our biggest
audience in Naples, 34,000 in one month,
which was a coup as only Egyptian exhibitions
usually command such custom!
I have spent a considerable amount of time
in Venice, usually visiting two or three times
a year. The most interesting thing I have
ever done in Venice was to train in mosaics
and micro mosaics at Orsoni Venezia 1888
on Cannaregio.
Orsoni is the premier producer
of glass tesserae in the world.
If you haven’t heard of them then
you should, as they make all the
mosaics used for restoration and
upkeep of the Basilica of San Marco.
The company offers mosaic courses and tours
which are absolutely fascinating, both of which
I highly recommend.
I then found myself involved professionally
with a project on the extraordinary wellheads
of Venice, so now my trips to Italy continue
with a work/play balance.
I have stayed at the Hotel Danieli in Venice
since my first visit with my parents when I was
10 years old and even today it reigns supreme.
With the terrace boasting gourmet delicacies
- lunches and dinners - and the best view in
Venice, the Hotel Danieli was my father’s
favourite, and now it is mine.
I have had first-hand experience of the
Venetian phenomenon of Acqua Alta, the high
tide that affects low-lying areas like the Piazza
San Marco. The most unusual one occurred
in May a few years ago when I was dining
with friends on the island of Giudecca. It had
started out as the perfect evening, with pink
geraniums cascading over a balustrade, which
separated me from the lagoon.
As a dedicated shopper, over the years I have
friends in many shops in Venice and Rome,
and top of the list are Missoni, Prada, and the
outstanding Venetian designer Gualti whose
exquisite atelier is between the Rio Terà Canal
and Campo Santa Margherita. I am wearing
one of his creations in the photo.
When it comes to food, my favourite restaurant
in the entire world is Harry’s Bar in Venice. I
usually order fegeto Veneziana (Venetian-style
liver) or osso buco (a braised veal dish from
Lombardy), which is only available on Sunday’s,
and then for dessert, the delectable meringata
(meringue cake).
Gatto Nero has the most memorable seafood
served on the most gorgeous
china, so it just has to be
given a special mention. This
restaurant is on the island of
Burano, which is known for
its painted houses of many,
almost every, colour, and has
great shopping.
I also love ice cream and Giolitti in Rome is my
favourite gelateria, although Florian's in Venice
and Pedrocchi in Padua are close runners-up.
I always order an Aperol spritz,
a cocktail composed of gorgeous
translucent orange Aperol, Prosecco,
and soda, served in the Venetian way
with a slice of orange and
a very large green olive.
There are still many places I wish to visit. On
my next work trip to Venice, I want to extend
my visit to combine Italy’s best gardens with
her lakes, such as Isola Bella in Lake Maggiore.
I also plan to explore Sicily further, visiting
the extraordinary mosaics at Villa Romana del
Casale near the town of Piazza Armerina, the
gourmet restaurants in Ragusa, the Baroque
gem of Noto, and a return visit to Palermo,
to the mosaics in Cappella Palatina and the
church known as La Martorana.
A 3 night holiday in Venice, staying at Hotel Danieli, starts from £1,459 per person. Speak to one of our Personal Travel Planners on 01293 765061
Summer/Autumn 2021
Andiamo!