I can't resist commenting on the Taverna Al Remer, where I had lunch today. This is truly one of the “hidden treasures” of Venice and very difficult to find on foot, but one of my favorite restaurants in Venice.
It's also one of the few, perhaps only, “buffet”-style meals in Venice. For a mere 20eu you get an all-you-can-eat buffet of about 30 items, a half-litre of wine, plus a pasta dish or soup, and a selection of desserts. So it's a terrrific value on top of it all. Recorded classical music created the background to conversations featuring French, Italian, and Russian. Like all Venetian lunches, if you finish in less that 2 hours, you're doing it wrong. And if you show up before 1:00 for lunch, you'll be recognized as a dumb tourist (busted). I finished my tasty lunch with a glass of grappa and was in heaven. I understand that in the evening, in addition to the great food and atmosphere, there's live jazz every night.Oh, one more thing. The Al Remer sits in a tiny square, about 25 yards on a side and open to the Grand Canal just above the Rialto Bridge. I was seated so that I had a view out the front door to the dock and was delighted to see a water taxi pull up, with a newly minted Mr. and Mrs. aboard in the open rear cockpit. Yes, both in their wedding outfits – and let me tell you, a bride all in white on the canal draws a lot of attention. Getting married in Venice is quite a tradition. The taxi docked and the happy couple disembarked into the photogenic square, with attendants, for many a picture. Where they went after that, I haven't a clue, but they were both smiling broadly, as were all of us in the restaurant.
Late Breaking News: French air traffic controllers went on a 1-day strike today, so I'm expecting travel chaos for my Air France flight to Paris tomorrow. Zut!
The Occasionally-Examined Life 