For those who are in Venice over Christmas, here you have a few last minute shopping tips (but they will be good also if you plan to come later in the season)

Design objects, bags, fashion jewelry and fashion… here my favorite shops

Gualti between campo San Barnaba and campo Santa Margherita in Rio Terà Canal.

 I love his extraordinary fantasy in making scarves in silk and organza that you can transform in a kind of shrug or neck wear. You just need one of his pieces to be perfect for any dining, party or opening.

HIs jewels are extravagant and elegant at the same time.

Ohmyblue in campo San Tomà.

Here you find the fabulous Baobab bags by Issey Miyake and fashion jewelry by international designers that Elena, supported by her great taste, lots of curiosity and great patience, discovers and put on show in her beautiful little shop.

 

Sweet Christmas

There is a cake we use for Christmas, Easter or at any good dining called focaccia (fugassa in Venetian). It a sweet bread, very soft and lightly aromatic.

There are more than a few bakeries in Venice that make their own fresh focaccia but the most famous are indisputably Colussi in calle Lunga San Barnaba and Tonolo in Salizada San Pantalon.

“Nono” Colussi (nono in Venetian: grandfather) produces his focacce since 1956 in the oven that you can see in his laboratory and shop. One of his secrets is the long time he needs for the leavening which forces him to stand up three time, every four hours, to knead the bread.

 Pasticceria Tonolo

Tonolo is one of the favorite cafes of the Venetian to drink a coffee and have a pastry (only standing!) They produce a large variety of sweets and cakes and of course also a very good focaccia, which is slightly less expensive than that of Nono Colussi.

By Tonolo you find also the more classical Italian panettone which has a slightly thicker pastry and some raisins and sweetmeat.

As I said there are many other famous places where you can find very fresh pastries, like the in the very small bakery in campo San Tomà, the Pasticceria Rizzardini in San Polo (fantastic krapfen with zabaglione cream, Chantilly or coffee cream).

I can’t really name all of them now…

You might like to take one day one of my shopping tours…

Merry Christmas to all Venice lovers!