While wandering the streets of Venice, we were looking for something "different" to eat. It was suggested that we try Cicchetti. Cicchetti, for lack of a better term, is Venetian tapas.

We stumbled across Bacaro Risorto from an alley off the main square, it's a funky little joint, playing great tunes with local wine, craft beers, and Venetian tapas. We had a glass of Raboso, a local red, and a few small bites, as Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" played. Gorgonzola with walnut and a balsamic crema crostini, prosciutto on a small crusty roll, mini anchovies fontina panini, baccala crostini and minced spicy ham crostini. Delicious and cheap!!

$ Bacaro risorto, Fondamenta Osmarin, Venezia

Cicchetti  

Fish market Tuesday

To check out the days catch, and a great way to spend a early morning in Venice; go to the fish and vegetable market. Whatever you like, they will have it; scallops, branzino, langoustine, shrimp, mussels, red snapper and clams, you name it they've got it.

Just don't take pictures of the vegetables at the vegetable market, you'll get hit by a grumpy vegetable-monger, as I did.

Fresh, Fresh, Fresh....

Red snapper...

Red shrimp

Pickpockets 

Yes, they are everywhere, and we are not at all naive about the threat of having our pockets picked. 

As we waited for our train at the Venice train station in the baking sun, my wife and I decided to sit outside, to watch the boats, gondolas and fellow traveller go by. While we waited, a relatively plump, tattooed woman sat down next to my wife and proceeded to smoke a cigarette. As most travellers, we were laden with bags and backpacks. I suppose we looked like good targets. Literally, as soon as this woman sat down, a policeman with two heavily armed soldiers, complete with sub-machine guns, arrived and tersely told the chubby tattooed one to piss off. The policeman pointed towards his eye and in Italian said, "pay attention, look out for pickpockets". We quickly collected our stuff, moved inside and set up camp there.