ITALY - Best of Europe 2014 - page 1048

Pigeon Poop: If your head is bombed by a pigeon, resist the initial response to wipe it off
immediately—it'll just smear into your hair. Wait until it dries, and it should flake off
cleanly.Butifthepoopsplattersonyourclothes,wipeitoffimmediatelytoavoidastain.
Water: I carry a water bottle to refill at public fountains. Venetians pride themselves on
having pure, safe, and tasty tap water piped in from the foothills of the Alps. You can
actually see the mountains from Venice's bell towers on crisp, clear winter days.
Updates to this Topic: For news about changes to this topic's coverage since it was pub-
lished, see www.ricksteves.com/update .
Services
Internet Access: Almost all hotels have Wi-Fi, many have a computer that guests can use,
and most provide these services for free. Otherwise, handy if pricey little Internet places
arescatteredaroundtown(usuallyonbackstreets,markedwithan @ sign,andcharging
€5/hour).
Post Office: The main post office is on Marzaria San Salvador, a few blocks toward St.
Mark'sSquarefromtheRialto,justbeyondtheBatashoestore(Mon-Fri8:30-19:10,Sat
8:30-12:30, closed Sun). You'll find branch offices around town. Use post offices only
as a last resort, as simple transactions can take 45 minutes if you get in the wrong line.
You can buy stamps from tobacco shops and mail postcards at any of the red postboxes
in town.
Bookstores: In keeping with its literary heritage, Venice has classy and inviting bookstores.
The small Libreria Studium, ablock behind St. Mark'sBasilica, has acarefully chosen
selection of new English books, including my guidebooks (daily 9:00-19:30, on Calle
de la Canonica at #337—see map on here , tel. [phone]). Used-bookstore lovers
shouldn't miss the funky Acqua Alta (“high water”) bookstore, whose quirky owner
Luigi has prepared for the next flood by displaying his wares in a selection of ves-
sels, including bathtubs and a gondola (daily 9:00-21:00, large and classically disorgan-
ized selection includes prints of Venice, just beyond Campo Santa Maria Formosa on
Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa at #5176, tel. [phone]). For a solid selection of
used books in English, visit Marco Polo, on Calle del Teatro Malibran, close to the St.
Mark's side of the Rialto Bridge on the way to Corte del Milion (Mon-Sat 9:30-13:00 &
15:30-19:30, closed Sun, tel. [phone]).
Laundry: You'll find coin-operated launderettes near the train station and off Campo Santa
Maria Formosa. I've listed details for a self-service lavanderia and a competitively
pricedfull-servicelaundrynearSt.Mark'sSquare(see here ) ,andforaself-servelaundry
near the train station ( here ) . Or ask your hotelier for the nearest launderette.
Travel Agencies: If you need to get train tickets, make seat reservations, or arrange a cuc-
cetta (koo-CHET-tah—a berth on a night train), save a time-consuming trip to Venice's