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Venice holiday rental palace, Venice, Italy. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Our Home Away from Home in Venice

We’ve become the people we’ve always envied in Venice, sipping glasses of Prosecco at the windows of our Venetian palazzo as we survey the action on the Grand Canal down below.

People crammed on the vaporettos that pull up at the wharf in front smile up at us, while tourists cruising by on their gondola rides neglect their serenade to take snaps and shoot video of us. We’re loving it! Wouldn’t you?

Venice holiday rental palace, Venice, Italy. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Our ‘home’ away from home for two weeks is a sprawling apartment in a 17th century palazzo (palace), slap bang on Venice’s Grand Canal, at the end of a narrow lane leading to the vaporetto (ferry) stop. Despite the easy access to public transport we took a water taxi here from the train station so we could arrive in style. Well, it’s not every day we get to pull up at our own Venice Grand Canal water entrance. How could we resist?

Venice holiday rental palace, Venice, Italy. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

We’re located on the border between the St Polo and Dorsodoro sestieri or quarters. It’s a brilliant location – just a 15 minute stroll to the Rialto where we go to the morning markets most days to buy seafood and fruit and vegetables, and 15 minutes to Piazzale Roma (Venice’s main transport hub) where there’s an organic market on Monday; we’ll tell you more about both in another post. It’s a 25-minute walk to St Marco or Cannaregio depending on the time of day and the crowds.

Aside from the main route that tourists take to get between the Rialto and the Accademia bridges, which is lined with trattorias, pizzerias, gelaterias, and souvenir shops most of the way, the neighbourhood is one of Venice’s most down-to-earth once you get off the beaten track. It’s home to one of Venice’s universities and nearby Campo Santa Margherita, a square lined with bars that is busy with students downing beers most nights.

In the tiny side streets are bookshops, art galleries, paper shops, antique stores, leather-makers, jewellery shops, and boutiques specialising in vintage clothes and gifts made from recycled materials. It’s one of Venice’s most interesting neighbourhoods for shopping.

Venice holiday rental palace, Venice, Italy. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

The apartment itself is on the first floor of the three-storey palazzo and it has a certain faded grandeur and retro-elegance about it with its colossal ceilings, Murano chandeliers, antique furniture, gilded mirrors, and big velvet sofas. There are charming touches such as old paintings of Venice, portraits of children, and a glass coffee table covered with an old National Geographic map.

It’s a spacious apartment with an enormous open-plan living-cum- dining area and the main bedroom above it on a mezzanine level so we can hear the action on the Grand Canal below from our bed. There’s a corridor that leads to a decent-sized kitchen, two bathrooms, and a second twin bedroom.

The owners have thought of everything in terms of amenities, and the kitchens are crammed with loads of crockery, cutlery and glasses, so much that we’ve been tempted to host a cocktail party. There’s also plenty of linen and towels, and soap and toilet paper (not always provided in these places as we’ve written before).

Venice holiday rental palace, Venice, Italy. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

There’s a library of books (though most are in Italian), a few guidebooks, and a small stock of DVDs and CDs, and complimentary wireless Internet access. They also provided a generous welcome package that included Veneto wine and traditional Venetian biscuits and there’s a fantastic supply of foodstuffs in the cupboards from tomato paste to spices and different types of salts.

It must be said that the place is a tad rough around the edges in spots with peeling paint, worn upholstery, and broken fittings, and could do with a bit of a renovation, but it dates to the 17th century, and the furniture is goodness knows how old, and the place makes up for its rough spots with loads of charm.

Venice holiday rental palace, Venice, Italy. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Being Venice, the floor is wonky, the windows don’t shut properly, and there are cracks on the walls that might be scary in other cities… but, hey, this is Venice. We’re in Venice. And that’s what we say to ourselves every time we walk out our door.

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About Lara Dunston

A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

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Comments

  1. Keith Kellett says

    June 2, 2010 at 10:43 am

    A palazzo!

    I drool!

  2. Gourmantic says

    June 2, 2010 at 3:58 pm

    Bellissimo palazzo! And so romantic. I’ve often wondered what these apartments look like on the inside. You must feel like true locals living in one! :)

  3. Lara Dunston says

    June 2, 2010 at 11:31 pm

    It’s drool-worthy indeed! Especially the views as you can see in the last time-lapse ‘movie’.

  4. Lara Dunston says

    June 2, 2010 at 11:47 pm

    It *is* romantic and endearingly old-fashioned, as you can see! In a way I love that there is a mish-mash of furniture from every century up to the 1970s because it feels ‘real’ and it *is* real. I think I prefer this to something that had been re-designed and was perfectly stylish.

  5. Happy Hotelier says

    June 3, 2010 at 3:57 pm

    Wonderful!
    Envy you!
    Bathrooms seem a tad old – not so comfortable and and and they should replace their photos by yours/Terence’s:-)
    Cheers!

  6. lara dunston says

    June 3, 2010 at 10:30 pm

    Yes, *everything* is a bit old, but still has charm. They are in fact replacing the bathrooms in October-November apparently, when this season ends. Those lush images are Terence’s, not mine – molto grazie on his behalf!

    Thanks for dropping by, Guido. :)

  7. Lisa Bergren says

    June 4, 2010 at 6:23 am

    Mmm….dreamy. Takes me back to our palazzo on the Grand Canal. It’s the BEST way to enjoy Venice!

  8. Abi says

    June 4, 2010 at 2:50 pm

    Dreamy – and so unlike the place I stayed in when I was in Venice! Enjoy…

  9. Lara Dunston says

    June 5, 2010 at 7:38 am

    Totally agree with you, Lisa. It *is* very dreamy indeed!

  10. Lara Dunston says

    June 5, 2010 at 7:41 am

    Oh, it’s interesting that you and Lisa both use the word ‘dreamy’. I’m going to add ‘magical’. There really *is* something wonderful about Venice, and the Grand Canal, and especially staying here in a palazzo on the canal. It will be hard to return and *not* stay in one next time… :(

  11. Best Travel Deals says

    June 9, 2010 at 2:04 am

    Everything about Venice is romantic and nostalgic. I smiled, with the “…a tad rough around the edges in spots with peeling paint, worn upholstery, and broken fittings..” – those just actually add to the mystery and beauty of venice, never really a disadvantage. this was a good read – good travel! :)

  12. Terence Carter says

    June 9, 2010 at 4:07 am

    Thanks for your comment!

  13. Francesca Papafav says

    April 5, 2011 at 11:26 am

    Dear Lara,

    I am Francesca, Maria Novella’s sister who has welcomed you in Venice. The bathrooms and kitchen have been replaced, the works were completed in March 2011. The walls have been repainted and even if the apartment is the same it looks more fresh. The pictures by Terence are really very beautiful. Thank you very much! I hope to have you back in Venice or in the Euganean Hills ( 50 km West of Venice) where I run our century old family estate with eight self catering villas and apartments.

  14. Terence Carter says

    April 5, 2011 at 2:26 pm

    Great to hear! We are writing a magazine feature article on staying in Venice right now. We’d love to come back – Lara really loves Venice.
    T

  15. Elayne says

    April 27, 2015 at 1:34 am

    How do we find apartments in Italy? My mom and I are going for,the first time in early October and we want to stay in Venice, near Florence and near Rome. Would you suggest just finding local real estate companies and contacting them directly? I don’t mean this u complimentary, but how do I trust that the place I rent will be decent or even actually there when I arrive. Previously, we have only stayed at hotels in vacations, but this time we want an apartment at each location – for three nights at each place.
    Thank you in advance if you have time to answer this. Elayne

  16. Lara Dunston says

    April 27, 2015 at 7:49 am

    Hi Elayne – we used real estate agents in the old days, before sites such as HomeAway, VRBO.com, Roomorama etc existed, but these days I’d recommend using one of those sites. We’ve literally stayed in dozens of properties from the HomeAway website. If you click through on the link above you will see the listing for the Venice apartment we rented. Click on SLOW on the top bar and STAY and you’ll see all of the properties we tested out. This article features interviews with the experts on how to avoid holiday rental scams: http://grantourismotravels.com/2012/11/19/how-to-avoid-holiday-rental-scams/

  17. Elisa says

    March 14, 2016 at 1:24 am

    Hi Lara, any comments about sleeping on pull-out sofas? We are travelling through Italy this summer and have found a lot of cute flats for less than 120euros but the problem is that they only have 1 double bed and a pull-out sofa. We are a family of 4, our teenagers are probably taller than me! Are they going to be okay sleeping on a Pull-Out sofa? Thank you!

  18. Lara Dunston says

    March 18, 2016 at 4:44 pm

    Hi Elisa,
    We once rented a studio apartment in a medieval palazzo many years ago and had a day bed that converted into a double bed and it was fine for us and my husband is 5’11. However, it was a very old day bed – an antique – so maybe they were made differently back then. I would actually recommend asking the owners how long they are when they fold out completely.
    Apartments are definitely a fantastic option in Venice. There’s nothing we love more than going to Rialto markets and buying some beautiful fresh produce and having at least one meal in each day.
    If you love to cook, definitely consider Enrica Rocca’s cooking class: http://grantourismotravels.com/2010/06/21/cooking-with-the-countess-in-venice/
    Enjoy! And don’t hesitate to let us know if you have more questions.
    Thanks for dropping by!
    Lara

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About Grantourismo

Lara and Terence are an Australian-born, Southeast Asia-based travel and food writers and photographers who have authored scores of guidebooks, produced countless travel and food stories, are currently developing cookbooks and guidebooks, and host culinary tours and writing and photography retreats in Southeast Asia.
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Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check o Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check out our seafood recipe collection, especially if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a fish focused meal in the Southern Italian tradition, transformed by Italian-Americans into the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or like Australians, who celebrate Christmas in the sweltering summer, feast on seafood for Christmas Day lunch, we’ve got lots of easy seafood recipes for you.

Our recipes include a classic prawn cocktail, blini with smoked salmon, a ceviche-style appetiser, and devilled eggs with caviar. We’ve also got recipes for fish soup, seafood pies and pastas, salmon tray bake, and crispy salmon with creamy mashed potatoes.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/seafood-recipes-for-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day-menus/
(Link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating!! 

#christmas #christmasfood #seafood #fish #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #grantourismo #grantourismotravels #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you’re still looking for food inspo for Chris If you’re still looking for food inspo for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, my smoked salmon ‘carpaccio’ recipe is one of dozens of recipes in this compilation of our best Christmas recipes (link below). 

The Christmas recipe compilation includes collections of our best Christmas breakfast recipes, best Christmas brunch recipes, best Christmas starter recipes, best Christmas cocktails, best Christmas dessert recipes, and homemade edible Christmas gifts and more.

My smoked salmon carpaccio recipe makes an easy elegant appetiser that’s made in minutes. If you’re having guests over, you can make the dish ahead by assembling the salmon, capers and pickled onions, and refrigerate it, then pour on the dressing just before serving. 

Provide toasted baguette slices and bowls of additional capers, pickles and dressing, so guests can customise their carpaccio. And open the bubbly!

You’ll find that recipe and many more Christmas recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/best-christmas-recipes/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas!! X

#christmas #christmasfood #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #salmon #smokedsalmon #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels 
#xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I sh If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I shared a collection of recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts — for condiments, hot sauces, chilli oils, a whole array of pickles, spice blends, chilli salt, furakake seasoning, and spicy snacks, such as our Cambodian and Vietnamese roasted peanuts. 

I love giving homemade edibles as gifts as much as I love receiving them. Who wouldn’t appreciate jars filled with their favourite chilli oils, hot sauces, piquant pickles, and spicy peanuts that loved-ones have taken the time to make? 

Aside from the gesture and affordability of gifting homemade edibles, you’re minimising waste. You can use recycled jars or if buying new mason jars or clip-top Kilner jars, you know they’ll get repurposed.

No need for wrapping, just attach some Christmas baubles or tinsel to the lid. I used squares of Cambodian kramas (cotton scarves), which can be repurposed as napkins or drink coasters, and tied a ribbon or two around the lids, and attached last year’s Christmas tree decorations to some.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/homemade-edible-christmas-gifts/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Yes, that’s Pepper... every time there’s a camera around... 

#christmasgiftideas #ediblegifts ##christmasfoodgifts #foodgifts #giftideas #homemadegifts #christmasfood #ediblegiftideas #hotsauce #chillisauce #sriracha #pickles #homemadepickles #recipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood 
#blackcat #blackcatsofinstagram #picoftheday 
#christmas #christmastree #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas #cambodia #siemreap
This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’ This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from the fish markets armed with luxurious fresh crab meat. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish.

Our crab omelette recipe was one of our 22 most popular egg recipes of 2022 on our website Grantourismo and it’s no surprise. It’s appeared more times than any other egg recipes on our annual round-ups of most popular recipes since Terence launched Weekend Eggs when we launched Grantourismo in 2010.

If you’re an eggs lover, do check out the recipe collection. It includes egg recipes from right around the world, from recipes for classic kopitiam eggs from Singapore and Malaysia and egg curries from India and Myanmar to all kinds of egg recipes from Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, USA, Australia, UK, and Ireland.

And do browse our Weekend Eggs archives for further eggspiration (sorry). We have hundreds of egg recipes from the 13 year-old series of recipes for quintessential egg dishes from around the world, which we started on our 2010 year-long global grand tour focused on slow, local and experiential travel. 

We’re hoping 2023 will be the year we can finally publish the Weekend Eggs cookbook we’ve talked about for years based on that series. After we can find a publisher for the Cambodia cookbook of course... :( 

Recipe collection here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio):
https://grantourismotravels.com/22-most-popular-egg-recipes-of-2022-from-weekend-eggs/

If you cook the recipe and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either in the comments at the end of the recipe or share a pic with us here.

#recipe #recipes #eggs #eggslover #breakfasteggs #WeekendEggs #egg #breakfast #brunch #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #lookingforapublisher #writingacookbook  #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angko I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angkor Archaeological Park, home to stupendous Angkor Wat, pictured, celebrated 30 years of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. 

That’s as good an excuse as any to put this magnificent, sprawling archaeological site on your travel list this year.

While riverside Siem Reap, your base for exploring Angkor is bustling once more, there are still nowhere near the visitors of the last busy high season months of December-January 2018-2019 when there were 290,000 visitors. 

Last month there were just 55,000 visitors and December feels a little quieter. A tour guide friend said there were about 150 people at Angkor Wat for sunrise a few days ago.

If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, just ask us a question in the comments below or check Grantourismo as we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. 

And please do let us know if you’re coming to Siem Reap. We’d love to see you here x

#siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels.
Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky, flavourful and succulent chicken thighs that are fantastic with steamed rice, Chinese greens or a salad, such as a Southeast Asian slaw. 

The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking, which ensures it’s packed with flavour, then it can be cooked on a barbecue or in a pan.

Terence’s soy ginger chicken recipe is one of our favourite recipes for a quick and easy meal. I love the sound of the sizzling thighs in the pan, and the warming aromas wafting through the apartment. 

It’s amazing how such flavourful juicy chicken thighs come from such a quick and easy recipe.

Recipe here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio): https://grantourismotravels.com/soy-ginger-chicken-recipe/

If you cook it and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either here or in the comments at the end of the recipe on the site or share a pic with us x 

#recipe #recipes #chicken #soygingerchicken #asianfood #southeastasianfood #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #cookingtime #recipe #recipes #comfortfood #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re mak Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re making with my market haul from Psar Samaki in Siem Reap — all for a whopping 10,000 riel (US$2.50)?! 

Birds-eye chillies thrown in for free! They were on my list but the seller I spent most at (5,000 riel!) scooped up a handful and slipped them into my bag. She was my last stop and knew what I was making.

My Khmer is poor, even after all our years in Cambodia, as I don’t learn languages with the ease I did in my 20s, plus I’m mentally exhausted after researching and writing all day. I have a better vocabulary of Old and Middle Khmer than modern Khmer from studying the ancient inscriptions for the Cambodian culinary history component of our cookbook I’m writing.

So when one seller totalled my purchases I thought she said 5,000 riel but she handed back 4,500 riel! The sum total of two huge bunches of herbs and kaffir lime leaves was 500 riel.

Tip: if visiting Siem Reap, use Khmer riel for local shopping. We’ve mainly used riel since the pandemic started— rarely use US$ now as market sellers quote prices in riels, as do local shops and bakeries, and I tip tuk tuk drivers in riels. I find prices quoted in riels are lower.

Psar Samaki is cheaper than Psar Leu, which is cheaper than Psar Chas, as it’s a wholesale market, which means the produce is fresher. I see veggies arriving, piled high in the back of vehicles, with dirt still on them — as I did on this trip. 

The scent of a mountain of incredibly aromatic pineapples offloaded from the back of a dusty ute was so heady they smelt like they’d just been cut. More exotic European style veggies arrive by big trucks in boxes labelled in Vietnamese (from Dalat) and Mandarin (from China), such as beautiful snow-white cauliflower I spotted.

Note: the freshest produce is sold on the dirt road at the back of the market.

#cambodia #siemreap #foodwriter #foodblogger #foodphotography #igfood #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #instadaily #picoftheday #market #siemreapmarket #psarsamaki #marketfresh #vegetables #healthyfood #marketshopping #traveltips #foodtravel #culinarytravel #localtravel #cooking #cookingtime #curry #homemade #currypaste #grantourismotravels
My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recip My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recipe makes tender meatballs doused in a delightfully tangy-sweet sauce, sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, with carrot-daikon, crunchy cucumber and fragrant herbs. 

The dish is inspired by bún chả, a Hanoi specialty, but it’s not bún chả. No matter what Google or food bloggers tell you. Names are important, especially when cooking and writing about cuisines not our own.

This is an authentic bún chả recipe:  https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-bun-cha-recipe/ You’ll need to get the outdoor BBQ/grill going to do proper smoky bún chả meat patties (not meatballs).

My meatball noodle bowl is perhaps more closely related to dishes such as a Central Vietnam cousin bún thịt nướng (pork skewers on rice noodles in a bowl) and a Southern relation bún bò Nam Bộ (beef atop rice noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots (Nam Bộ=Southern Vietnam) though neither include meatballs. 

Xíu mại= meatballs although they’re different in flavour to mine, which taste more like bún chả patties. Xíu mại remind me of Southern Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to millions of Khmer, there’s bánh tằm xíu mại. Bánh tằm=silk worm noodles. They’re topped with meatballs, cucumber, daikon, carrot, fresh herbs, crispy fried onions. Difference: cold noodles doused in a sauce of coconut cream and fish sauce. 

Remove the meatballs, add chopped fried spring rolls and it’s Cambodia’s banh sung, which is a rice noodle salad similar to Vietnam’s bún chả giò :) 

Recipe here: (link in bio) https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-meatballs-and-rice-noodles-recipe/

For more on these culinary connections you’ll have to wait for our Cambodian cookbook and culinary history. In a hurry to know? Come support the project on Patreon. (link in bio)

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It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour matches the furnishings of our rented apartment. So, no, I did not colour-coordinate the interiors to match our cat’s eyes. 

I keep getting DMs from pet clothing brands wanting to “partner” with Pepper and send her free cat clothes and cat accessories. Although she did wear a kerchief for a few years in her more adventurous fashion-forward teenage years, I cannot see this cat in clothes now, can you? 

#pepper #blackcat #blackcats #blackcatsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #blackcatsmatter #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlover #catlovers #catlove #catoftheday #catphoto #catpic #catpics #cambodiancat #cambodiancatsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catoftheday #catgram #catstagram #cats_of_instagram #catphotography #catsofig #catsoftheworld #catsofinsta #cats🐱 #siemreap #cambodia

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