The one thing you must bring when you're heading to Venice...
What's the most important thing to know before visiting Venice, Italy? Here's my take...
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TRAVEL HACK: Stop Booking Your Vacations With Those Online Guys Like Expedia, Booking and Priceline.
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Taormina, anyone? If you're thinking about traveling, I can help! I'm a Certified Travel Curator. I'll take your trip to the next-level!
Barcelona, anyone? Need help planning a trip? I can can help!
The Piazza del Duomo is one of the most breathtaking "town squares" in all of Europe...
(scroll to comments for more on this stunning center of Florentine life)
It's one of the biggest draws in Florence, Italy. So what is it that has locals, tourists, businesspeople, students and kids lining up, sometimes for hours every day during lunchtime? Watch this video to find out.
Celebrating my girl Emily's birthday at one of Huntington, NY's hottest restaurants, PRIME. This waterside stunner is one of several locations featured in my upcoming Tour of Huntington video.
VENICE, ITALY: How to Get from Marco Polo Airport to Venice
If you're flying into Venice, don't think you're going to exit baggage claim and be right in the middle of the action. Watch this video to find out why - plus, which mode of transport to Venice I love taking from Marco Polo airport.
PEEK BEHIND THE DOORS OF A TYPICAL VENETIAN FLAT
One of the best ways to truly experience a European city or village is by living like a local on your vacation. Hotels are great, but staying in a flat or house is a great way to feel the authentic Euro vibes. In this video, I'll give you a peek into a typical Venetian flat. This particular unit was located in a busy section of the island, called San Marco. Although the kitchen and bathrooms are tiny, wait til you see the rest of the place!
Info on AirBnB in comments section.
COOL THINGS: PARIS AND THE BASTILLEE
Today, Paris's Place de la Bastille is a popular spot for public events, but between the 14th and 18th centuries in Paris, this busy thoroughfare was home to one of the most notorious prisons in Europe.
Initially, The Bastille was a royal fortress,. But it soon morphed into a state prison, holding everyone from royalty to pedophiles. Eventually, it became the go-to spot for political agitators and rebels.
As we all know through world history class, on July 14th, 1789, rebels (consisting mostly of local merchants with a few soldiers and militia types sprinkled in) began to gather outside the compound, zeroing in on its gunpowder stocks.
Shots were soon fired and not only were scores of people killed or wounded, the 7 remaining prisoners were freed. (The group allegedly included: "4 forgers, an Irish “lunatic”, a deviant young aristocrat imprisoned at the behest of his family, and a man who once conspired to kill King Louis XV).
The event gave a form of legitimacy to the revolutionary cause, ultimately leading to the overthrow of the French Monarchy and the executions of hundreds of members of the nobility, including King Louis XVI and his Austrian-born wife, the much reviled Marie Antoinette.
Watch this video to find out more about this violent and at the same time, revered location.
And for more travel inspiration, videos, vacation curation, trips and advice, head to JetSetJulietTravels.com.
WHAT IS VENICE'S CICCHETTI ALL ABOUT?
If you're a fan of European travel videos, vlogs, blogs, articles, etc. you've no doubt read about "Osteria al Squero" in Venice's Dorsoduro sestiere (sestiere = neighborhood/district/section). Phil Rosenthal famously went there on his someone "Somebody Feed Phil" a few seasons ago. I'd stumbled upon this gem while on my honeymoon (not with my current) back in 2010 and wasn't surprised it had received the accolades it did once I followed up upon my return home.
Osteria al Squero is family owned, been around for a long time, and is located right across the canal from the iconic gondola boatyard, "Squero di San Trovaso" (the one that's always featured in pieces on Venetian gondolas). Our close friend, Jacopo Caruti, took us there out of the blue one day when we were tooling around the island on his boat. He grew up with the children that now run the place, and we had some laughs over how famous, or "infamous", the cicchetti bar has become. Watch this clip for more on Osteria al Squero. And for more information on Jacopo and Venice, check out these links:
VENICE: THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
https://jetsetjuliettravels.com/2023/03/27/tips-for-visiting-venice/
IS VENICE WORTH VISITING?
https://jetsetjuliettravels.com/2023/03/25/is-venice-worth-visiting/
HOW TO UN-LOSE YOURSELF IN VENICE
https://jetsetjuliettravels.com/2023/03/24/lost-in-venice/
JACOPO'S RESTAURANT NEAR ST. MARK'S SQUARE
https://jetsetjuliettravels.com/?s=SPECCHIERI
A DAY TRIP WITH JACOPO TO TORCELLO
https://jetsetjuliettravels.com/?s=TORCELLO+
AN UNEDITED LOOK AT VENICE
TOUR@UCMh4ul9fKk4drBVpJWsgPGQ" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://jetsetjuliettravels.com/?s=UNEDITED+BOAT+TOUR@UCMh4ul9fKk4drBVpJWsgPGQ
And as always, for more travel inspo, info and details on how I can design a killer European vacation for you -- check out JetSetJulietTravels.com
WHICH MEDIEVAL CASTLE IS BUILT UPON A VOLCANO?
Edinburgh Castle! There's so much to do in this hauntingly beautiful city, but these are the three things I think most new visitors to Edinburgh would really enjoy.
Just a little background on Edinburgh: The city began to take shape sometime around the 1st century AD. It's been the capital of Scotland since the 1400's, and is the seventh largest city in the UK, the second largest in Scotland (behind Glasgow).
Edinburgh Castle has a rich royal and military history. In fact, it was where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to her son, James. Mary of course was executed by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I but James went on to be James VI of Scotland and, when Elizabeth died, James I of England. It's also unique - it was built on an extinct volcano!
Visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia with my Scot friends back in February was a big highlight (As far as aesthetics, it's a little underwhelming for a floating royal playground! But the history -- OMGGGG!)
And nothing is cooler than having a pint in a historic pub dating back to the 15th century!
There are just so many beautiful areas of this medieval city, including Dean Village and Holyroodhouse, the official royal residence in Scotland. If you're interested in more travel inspo or need help planning a Scotland vacay, head to JetSetJulietTravels.com
DO NOT EAT HERE when visiting Venice!
For more on the secrets of the Blue Plaques of London, head to JetSetJulietTravels.com, click on my blog and search for Blue Plaques.
SAN MARINO - It's one of the smallest countries on the planet, surrounded on all sides by Italy. But this pocket Hercules has serious heart. Despite myriad attempts to conquer it, including from Napoleon (who was sacking Italy!), San Marino never fell.
And it has a huge connection to our own history: Abraham Lincoln had so much respect for this tiny enclave in the Apennine Mountains, that he accepted an offer to become an honorary citizen.
Still, it's one of the least visited countries in Europe. Let's change that! I'm a Certified Travel Curator.
For more cool travel stories, tips, curation info and inspo, go to JetSetJulietTravels.com
DREAMING OF IRELAND?
Q: WHAT DOES THE "MAC" IN IRISH NAMES LIKE MACDOUGAL MEAN?
A: It's means "son of". Same kind of thing for surnames beginning with "O'" (meaning grandson of/descendent of)
These are called "patronymic" surnames, derived from a person's father's name. As any medieval history buff can tell you, as time went on, these names were basically adopted as permanent surnames to be inherited by all descendents.
There are so many wonderful things about Ireland, but I'm especially fascinated by its history (it helps my dad's side of the family is from the Galway area...). I also love it's music (Glen Hansard! Coming to NYC in August!)
If you're dreaming of traveling to the Emerald Isle, check out JetSetJulietTravels.com and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!
Q: WHEN SHOULD I BOOK MY FLIGHTS TO EUROPE?
A: 1-7 months before your travel date.
Yeah, I know...it's a big window. But here's why: Prices tend to fluctuate wildly from day to day for international travel to Europe. If you're the kind of person who wants to have everything taken care of, book 6-7 months out.
If you're dreaming of Germany, want the best possible fares and are flexible -- BOOK NOW. Fares to Germany are cheapest when traveling in the "shoulder months" - October and November. Just in time for Oktoberfest!
For travel inspo, info, tips and vacation curation - head over to JetSetJulietTravels.com.
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Dreaming of France? I can help...
