Venice

Book excerpt: "Stunning, fresh, and very visual." -- "Bride's Magazine From the stately charm of "palazzos standing guard on the Grand Canale to intimate details of private homes lining the twisting sidewalks and waterways, Venice is a dream of timeless beauty. From its hand-blown beads and Puccini-singing gondoliers to the wild beat and dazzling costumes of Carnival, discover Venice, happily married to traditions that have put painters, travelers and poets under its spell for centuries. Find the Venice everyone dreams of, but few actually witness. Enjoy the city's fabulous architectural wonders -- ranging in age from 100 to 1,000 years old -- that are by turns intimate and majestic, and explore the twelve neigborhoods from central San Marco to the less-visited but charming Santa Croce. Learn not only where to hire a gondola and how much to pay, but also how these magical boats are built and navigated. Take a guided tour of the Accademia, with its grand collection of Titians, and find the small craft shops where the glass Venice is famous for is blown. Find the best beach on the Lido, choose a "pensione that is just right, and sample "fegato alla veneziana at a neighborhood "trattoria.