Ambiance

Before we get to the ambiance of the hotel, let me tell you a bit about the location. Hotel Papadopoli is located just at the edge of the Venice canals and is close to all main transportation stops. If you came by train, bus, or boat, you are practically a few footsteps away from Papadopoli Hotel.

The hotel has two advantages, a Papadopoli Gardens and a bit higher ground than some other hotels. During the last floods in Venice, they luckily stayed dry. What about other aspects?

The hotel is small, and you will discover all of it in about 5 minutes. On your right, you will see a lovely reception desk with eye-catching Murano glass features. Just straight from the entrance, there is a restaurant “Giardino d’Inverno,” and on your left, there is a lounge bar “La Terrazza.” Probably the biggest jewel is hidden behind the restaurant – Papadopoli Gardens.

Speaking of design, Venetian all the way, with hints of modern touches. Murano, marble, chandeliers, gold, Venetian costumes, masks, feathers, fine-cut velvet, and even fashionable Italian shoes. Dark coming together with gold and beige, although the materials speak for themselves.

Check-In

Check-In was in Mgallery standard; quick and efficient. We got a lot of information about the city itself, a map for exploring, and even a welcome drink, served at the La Terrazza Lounge Bar. A flexible time frame for a welcoming drink turned out to be a great idea to put into action in the evening. That was when we enjoyed our tiki cocktails with snacks and traditional creamed cod aka “baccala montecato”. A luscious spread with origins dating back to the early 15th century when Venetian sailors got stranded on a Norwegian island.

Our Room

The first thing you will notice is a Baroque style canopy bed with lavish red velvet headboard and lovely wood-carved detail. As soon as you will change your view, you will see these wonderful fabric wallcoverings all over the place. The pastel colors with patterns are just perfect for an ambiance like this. Resanobly, the finishes are made with gold strings that help the details to connect the different styles. Antique furniture, some modern art, and a Morano glass table lamp in its place. There was also a balcony and a legendary view of the canal. 

The bathroom is small but functional. Rainfall shower and Egyptian cotton will give you a sense of luxury but nothing standoffish. If you please to “do as Romans do” then don’t hesitate and splash your rare bottom in true Italian style. Italians are passionate bidet users for many reasons, most important to us is environmentally friendly practice.

Facilities and Amenities

Hotel Papadopoli Venezia is stripped down when it comes to facilities. You will sleep like a baby, eat quite well and drink like a king. However, that’s about it. Probably the majority of guests are looking just for this. The main adventure is out of the hotel and canals are calling your name.

Despite all this, if you are planning to stay a bit longer in Venice, this hotel probably won’t satisfy your expectations. On the other hand, if you are a bohemian writer you will be sitting on your balcony, sipping espresso and considering your next words. So it might work.

Amenities are great, especially the emergency kit. Besides the usual tea and coffee, we got delicious meringue cookies and interesting – C.O. Bigelow toiletries. C.O. Bigelow is the oldest apothecary in America, working since 1938 and representing their personal care remedies. Carefully selected ingredients scented with lavender and peppermint are a propper fit for the evening routine, even if their roots are from America.

Food and Drink

During your stay make sure to try some of the original cocktails inspired by the Venice at the La Terrazza. There you can have a light snack or enjoy a solid meal at the Giardino D’Inverno restaurant. This romantic setting will boost your appetite for attentively prepared local and international dishes.

Breakfast

Winter Garden’s restaurant Giardino D’Inverno should be the focus of hungry tummies. Whether you are a hotel’s guest or not, you can enjoy a meal here. Every morning the centerpiece is a buffet breakfast filled with local delicacies such as the Venetian Pinza, Venetian Frìtole, and Panna Cotta. Needless to say, that is just the beginning of the dessert table. Those of you, who are looking for a healthy start to the day will be happy as well choosing among the plenty of nourishing bites, for example, detox salad. We started with the orange detox and green detox juice before moving on to the large Italian cheese plate. The selection of cold cuts was a perfect match also to the bruschetta and stuffed zucchini.

Winter Garden 

Buffet breakfast and ala carte meals are served at “Giardino d’Inverno” restaurant, situated in hotel’s winter garden, designed by famous Pietro Porcinai. When this garden was built there was upwards of 30 different indoor plants varieties, including Ficus repens, Ficus Benjamina, Ficus pandurata, Ficus bengalensis, Rhoicissus, Citrus mitis, Sparmannia africana, Stephanotis, Clerodendron, Philodendron pertusum/laciniatum/scandens, Begonia riga, Anthurium andreanum, and others. Time took a toll on the plants, but the garden is as desirable as ever. After all, the Papadopoli is the only public garden in Venice. Sadly, indoors the number of plant species is scarce with convenient plastic replacements here and there.

Final Thought

And here is the end of our Hotel Papadopoli Venezia Review. In summary, Hotel Papadopoli is a nice small hotel from the Mgallery collection and it can is obvious why they have this title. The whole hotel is designed thoughtfully and the service is superb. After all, this is something one would expect from Mgallery hotel. However, there is some room for improvements, but when one is in Venice…

Will be mostly wandering in this romantic city on the water. That’s why this hotel is lacking some facilities and rather encourage you to explore the city itself. Would I recommend Papadopoli Hotel? Sure, it is not extremely expensive, as can be seen here in Venice quickly. We truly liked the vintage touch and Venetian style all over the place. If you are a Venice fan like myself, here is my Venice photo gallery, where you can enjoy some wonderful Venice photos.

Hotel Papadopoli Venezia Review Card

• 9.1/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 9.1/10
• 9.1/10
  CLEANLINESS – 9.1/10
• 8.6/10
  ROOM – 8.6/10
• 7/10
  FACILITIES AND AMENITIES – 7/10
• 8.8/10
  FOOD AND BEVERAGE – 8.8/10
• 9.6/10
  SERVICE – 9.6/10
• 9.4/10
  VALUE – 9.4/10

Price and Location

A room like ours with breakfast will cost you about 250 USD. Here is a link to the location if you miss the hotel when you come to Venice.

The post Hotel Papadopoli Venezia Review appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Venice is much more than just a canals and bridges

But arent they special?

History is screaming out of the facades

More you explore, more you are amazed

Not only by the architecture

But also art and food…

Sadly, some amazing places can be reached only by the water

Heads up, it is easy to get lost in Venice

And if you do

Try to get on higher ground and see where you are

Before the lights are out

This is the end of our first Venice photo essay. I hope you like it and you will see Venice once in your lifetime. Thank you for your attention, and see you next time. If you need any photography, Contact us and we will see what can be done. Stay safe!

The post Walking Through Venice – Photo Essay appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

To be honest, we didn’t argue much, but pack our stuff from a trendy Papadopoli Hotel and went home to dodge troubles instead. So Venice, a dream location for many travelers are closed. What does that mean for tourism and human migration? If you ask me, a huge cooldown is on the horizon.

Pandemic and Travel

If this novel coronavirus gets on the pandemic scale, tourism will be the first victim. People will not travel on a massive scale and the tourist sector will first feel the blow. A lot of good restaurants might close its doors, some boutique family hotels as well. Going out of business isn’t just a personal struggle of the involved; it affects the whole lot more.

Vulnerable Heritage

Times like this are very dangerous for world heritage and diverse culinary legacy. Incredible Peranakan cuisine can serve as an example. In Asia, there are only a handful of restaurants serving real Nyonya food and if we lose those… Mostly family-run restaurants are new to the scene; therefore, they are the most vulnerable. If they close their doors, a lot will be lost.

In addition to that, there might also be a big purge on the street food section. If one street food stall was making money exclusively on tourists, chances are it might get shut down in a crisis like this. Not to mention the governments push to clear the streets and issue the prohibition of street vendors. In Bangkok, this shift has already begun; the most sought-after street vendors have turned their mobile kitchen into a small restaurant. Even though it feels like a good idea, it is more to it than meets the eye. No one is considering the toll of long working hours, rising costs of rent, and commitment to a single location, to name a few.

It’s Just Media Fear Tactic

I don’t want to go into a debate about coronavirus conspiracy but rather the output of it. It is clear that the damage is happening no matter what. Travel bans are happening, that is a fact. It is on us how everything will play out when this outbreak will be under control and eradicated.

Is There Any Positive Side of This Novel Coronavirus Outbreak?

Is there anything good we can get out of a “great tourist crisis” that might come? Yes, tourism will have a reboot, and I hope it will be reborn in a most majestic way. The absence of one million Instagram posts of literally the same thing gives me hope. Hopefully, people will abandon the “let’s travel around the globe in three months” idea, and there will be fewer buses of people that stop only at the most popular locations and ignore everything else… I am thinking about wholesome tourism, which is rewarding for all parties.

Be a Smart Traveler

Tourists should have a slow pace and focus on travel quality rather than quantity. I can’t stress enough how the instant mentality of “doing that, check that off my list, jump here and pose there” brings terrible pollution and dangerous ignorance. When you go somewhere you haven’t been before, please keep your eyes open for more than just selfies.

Dive deep into the living culture and place’s history, do some research on local food and support outstanding restaurants. By doing so, you’ll enjoy your holidays much more and exceed all prior expectations. Even when you step outside your home, try to keep an open mind and think about what you leave behind. Massive tourism is killing traveling joy and this should be changed.

Everything is Better Without Massive Tourism

At the time of our visit to Venice, the number of tourists was down to about 70%. For the first time, we felt the ultimate romantic vibe of Venice and enjoyed the eco of locals chit-chat down the canal. As a photographer, I must have “a rich traveling experience.” Richness comes through the place’s character and its unique culture. I need to get familiar with local faces, and I need to know their habits. Clearly, we fell in love with Venice and need to get back there when things get back to normal again. Hopefully, we’ll be able to live there for a month or two and finally put out some decent photo material.

Death of Travel Bloggers?

Let’s take a look at some black scenario outcomes and visualize what would happen to many travel bloggers and influencers out there. Probably, most of them will simply stop existing. Without traveling, there is no material and without content, there is no audience. My thoughts and prayers are with all Instagram “models” and bimbos out there. Brace yourself for reality! On the other hand, I might be too optimistic; after all, butts are still the most sought after. What does this mean for our blog, will it die as well or we’ll have to invest into Vivi’s bum?

Novel Coronavirus and Wild’n’Free Diary

What is our plan in the case of a “great tourism blackout”? Well, we have a lot of material on stock, all of it still needs to be edit and posted, plus a few of our other projects are taking a lot of resources anyway. The bottom line is, you don’t have to worry; we have you covered with tons of travel posts weekly.

The post We Ran Out of Venice, Now What? appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

To be honest, I’m afraid to walk down the street and look for a good pizza place. This city is dirty and full of homeless people: a lot of them allegedly emigrated from Africa. I’ve read that the mafia has a major influence in the town and that here their laws apply. Holes made by bullets in a shop window or in an entrance door are not a rare sight. Just like security or police located close to ATM machines to make sure that your money withdrawal really stays yours.

But what I miss the most is that there is no greenery. I haven’t seen a single green park where I could go jogging. Every now and then I ask myself: “Where am I wandering?” I’ve surprised myself because I’m not locked in an apartment, all scared and hiding under the blanket. Well, even though nothing happened to me, it’s still a horrible feeling. When panic hits me, I just look at Ian. His calmness instantly affects me. We decided to visit a nearby castle, so I could see a nicer side of this city. A view from the top of the castle opened up widely. Silently, I watched this big city and the majestic Mount Vesuvius in the background. He explained to me that Vesuvius is still alive and an eruption considered a threat. That made me think about the connection Naples-Vesuvius and I can say that the city radiates the energy of the volcano. Here, people live in uncertainty. They don’t know if evacuation will happen in their lifetime, or it will be a part of the next generation. It may also never happen. No one knows. Volcano aside, each one of us has an uncertain future: what matters is how you handle the present. What if someone went on a journey and lost everything due to the eruption? How would he accept this fate and the hint of the gods? Would he become angry and devastated or would he realize that he is the lucky one because his life has been spared?

Exploring the streets has become great fun and I’ve got rid of the unjustified fear. What if we somehow influence bad things happening to us just by thinking about them? The best way to comfort my soul when I host my own pity party is a good dessert: it always has been and it always will be. Some things just don’t change. There is nothing that a gourmet dessert can’t fix. And here, I can choose from a wide variety of sweets. The streets are full of pastry shops: everything looks yummy and it’s hard to decide which one to pick. However, what about the famous pizza?

We were wandering in a small street and looking for a good place, where you get that real Italian pizza. In some restaurants, you can see pictures of famous persons, who were eating there. However, our attention was drawn to a pizza place with a long waiting line. Well, if everybody’s waiting just to get some pizza, it must be good! And it really was. There, I ate the best pizza of my life. The crusty and soft dough, and, at the same time, just a few tasty fresh ingredients on the top. Oh, the place was called Gino Sorbillo.

Video

The post Naples is a scary place appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Pizza is the ultimate comfort food. I haven’t heard that there is a person who doesn’t like pizza. OK, I know one such person, and even he had some overeating pizza with a ton of liquor situations in the past. The pizza fanbase came up with lots of creative varieties. Some focus on the dough, others on the topping, and, again, others on crazy variations, such as Hawaiian pizza. My favorite was the one with some salami, mushrooms and fresh rocked. However, since I tried the true Margherita, things have changed. That simplicity made an impression that is stuck with me. Good ingredients and perfection in making it are the main keys to this god’s favorite.

The person who perfected the whole process was a genius. The first thing that makes pizza outstanding is a wood-burning oven. The heat that oven must withstand to bake a pizza in less than a minute is extremely high. Some ovens are actually modified industrial ovens with more than an 800 degrees Celsius or 1472 degrees Fahrenheit. So pizza goes in and out in less than a minute. This high-temperature condition makes dough crunchy on the outside but still soft and moist on the inside.

Pizza

We tried a few different Margheritas in 4 or 5 places but the best one was in a Gino Sorbillo, which is in Via dei Tribunali Street. Don’t worry, you don’t need the exact address. You will know where that place is by a group of people waiting for their table. Yes, you heard me right. Outside, there is a doorman, who takes names and later calls you to your table. But don’t panic, the pizza is fast food and the service looks like you are in the picnic, so the progress to the table is fast. We were waiting only for 20 minutes, which was enough time for Aperol spritz in the bar on the other side of the street.

“Don’t worry, you don’t need the exact address. You will know where that place is by a group of people waiting for their table.”

Naples

Let’s talk about pizza. Yes, the dough is extraordinary, just like I said before. Crunchy outside and soft and moist inside. The topping is just right, there isn’t too much cheese and the palate is sweet and sour just right. Not to mention the unami! On the top, there was some fresh basil and this is it. Simple and extremely good. All the ingredients from this pizzeria were organic, which is a big advantage. So, yes, I ate a lot of pizza, however nothing was even close to this one. The Napoli pizza really is different. It’s totally worth visiting this “creepy” city just to try this treat. And, of course, all the desserts they offer, not to mention their gelato!

Naples pastries

Support us

BTC 3ANoNhSW5m2toMNr4bina2uNEgC1ehinYg

ETH 0x18D454A20e06Dcd78637608170dc0161a35211aF
or on decentralized social network: 

The post And we found the best pizza in the world ! appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.