It's alarming to see the flooding in Venezia after literally just being there not long ago. I…read moreavoided the city for years not wanting to deal with the tourists. The city is very different during the day and night, transforming to a hauntingly beautiful still life after the day trippers have gone. However one has to eat during the day too. So in avoidance of the crazies and staying awAy from said masses, it rewards one to explore the deep alleys and corners in the rain. To truly understand the culture, food is always a great start. While wandering aimlessly i happened upon a multi generations old maccelaio. I told them i wanted to understand what some of the charcuterie and butcher traditions were and purchased a few things for myself and friends from other regions. When they saw i was trying hard to understand and learn, i was welcomed in by two of the generations and some of the locals as well during their normal shopping. Do you truly understand where your food comes from? As someone who has a local butcher and have friends in that trade, it's interesting to see the cultural differences of the same profession. Dig deep and you will unearth the secrets of great travel

Mercato di Rialto, or the Rialto Market, is the oldest market in Venice. During Venice's golden…read moreage, merchants brought exotic goods from Asia and Africa to Rialto, making it one of the most important trading posts in Europe during its' prime. The Rialto Bridge is located by the Grand Canal and it is now still a part of Venice's daily life. Chefs and locals come here to purchase fresh quality products from the fish market, fruit and vegetable markets, and there's nearby shops for butchers and bakers too. It has been a commercial heart of the city for nearly a millennium. Unfortunately for us... they are closed on Sundays. We came before 9am and were so surprised about how empty the area was. I watched many YouTube videos recommending to come early, so I was surprised not to see many vendors out. There were a few stands for fruits and spices but it was so bare... I didn't know until afterrrrrr that they are closed Sunday. There was no other day where we were available to come over in the morning, but if I knew I would have saved time and avoided making the trek to this area.

Mercato di Rialto (Rialto Market) in Venice is a fresh food market with many different items in the…read moresurrounding area. I love to check out the fruits, veggies, seafood, and delicious salami. I found many fruits and vegetables I had never seen in the United States. The salamis tasted better than those in the supermarkets. They have many different items you can find at very affordable prices in the area. They have many choices of leather bags, belts, hats, and many, many other interesting inexpensive things catching my eye. This is a great way to relax after a whole day of sightseeing in Venice. The price tag is negotiable, at least for the leather items we bought in some of the stalls. Don't expect a significantly deeper discount. But you should get a few euros in savings if you ask, especially if you purchase multiple items. Try to group the things you will buy with your friends.