Jan. 12, 2025

150. Italy - Venice - The Grand Tour

Show Notes
Transcript

Join Johnny Mac for an unforgettable journey through Venice's most magnificent landmarks. Glide down the Grand Canal past marble palaces, discover the powerful secrets of the Doge's Palace, and experience the golden majesty of St. Mark's Basilica. Learn insider tips for avoiding crowds, finding the best photo spots, and making the most of these iconic locations. Want to experience this magical tour without interruptions? Get commercial-free episodes at caloroga.com/plus.

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Calaroga Shark Media.

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Hey travelers, this is Johnny Mack, and today we're stepping

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into a city that seems to defy reality itself, a

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magnificent maze of marble palaces and mystical churches floating atop

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an ancient lagoon. Welcome to Venice, where every twisted alleyway

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holds centuries of secrets and each bridge crossing promises another

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breathtaking discovery. From the moment your water taxi glides away

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from Marco Polo Airport, you'll realize this isn't just another

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European destination. The sprawling lagoon stretches before you, dotted with

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wooden poles marking safe passages through the shallow waters, channels

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that have guided vessels for over a thousand years. As

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the ancient city materializes from the morning mist, its bell

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towers piercing the sky like proud sentinels, you'll understand why

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Venice has captured imaginations for centuries. We take you on

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a journey down the Grand Canal, the liquid main street

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that has been Venice's lifeline for over eight centuries. Imagine

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yourself a board of vaporetto, the morning sun warming your

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face as you begin the most spectacular architectural tour in

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the world. The canal curves like a reverse s through

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the heart of Venice, and every inch of its banks

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tells a story of power, wealth and artistic genius. As

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we leave the modern bus station behind, the first palace

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to catch your eye will be Coppisaro, its massive Baroque

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facade adorned with muscular Atlante's figures that seem to strain

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under the weight of the upper floors. The palace now

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houses Venice's Modern Art Museum, but its imposing presence gives

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you a taste of what's to come. Just beyond the

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Coddoro emerges like a wedding cake made of marble and light.

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Its delicate Gothic tracery looks so fragile that it's hard

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to believe it survived since the fifteenth century. The morning

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light plays through its arcaded galleries like a constant light show,

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earning its nickname House of Gold, even though the original

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guilding has long since vanished. But don't let your eyes

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link or too long. Here comes Palazza Corner Delaca Grande,

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a Renaissance masterpiece that would be the crown jewel of

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any other city in Venice. It's just one of dozens.

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Notice how it's perfectly proportioned windows create a rhythm across

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the facade, while its ground floor rustication gives the impression

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that the palace grows organically from the water itself. As

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we approach the Rialto Bridge, the canal widens into what

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was once the commercial heart of the most powerful trading

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empire in the world. The bridge itself is an engineering

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marvel that critics claimed would collapse into the canal when

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it was built in fifteen ninety one. Yet here it

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still stands. It's twenty four foot high arch allowing tall

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ships to pass underneath while supporting a double row of

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shops above. Pull out your camera here. The view of

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gondolas passing under the bridge while tourists lean over its

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white stone balustrades is one of those quintessential venus moments

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you'll want to capture. Just beyond the Rialto you'll find

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the fish market that has operated in the same location

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for a thousand years. Even if you're not shopped for dinner,

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the theater of commerce here is unforgettable. Watch as weather

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worn fishmongers arrange their catches with the precision of sculptors

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while restaurant owners haggle over the morning's best specimens. The

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nearby produce market is equally captivating, with vendors proudly displaying

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purple artichokes from Santa Rasmo Island and tiny sweet tomatoes

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from the neighboring islands. Now, let's talk about the Doge's Palace,

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and believe me, we need to spend some time here,

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because this building is nothing short of extraordinary. Approaching from

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the waterfront, you might wonder how such a seemingly delicate

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building could have been the seat of one of history's

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most powerful maritime empires. The lower colonnade of white history

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in stone appears to float above the water, while the

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upper log's pink Verona marble creates a dazzling geometric pattern

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that seems almost too perfect to be real. Step inside

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the courtyard and you'll find yourself in what I consider

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one of the most impressive spaces in all of Italy.

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The Renaissance architects who added to the Gothic palace created

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a masterpiece of proportion and perspective. Look up at the

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giant's staircase, where every doge was crowned. The massive statues

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of cars and Neptune at the top remind us that

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Venice once ruled both land and sea. The golden staircase beyond,

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truly covered in gold leaf, leads to the Doge's private apartments,

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but the real treats lie upstairs. The chamber of the

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Great Council is quite simply the largest room in Europe

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without columns supporting its ceiling, a space so vast it

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could seat every adult male noble in Venice. The walls

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are covered with paintings that once served as propaganda for

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the Republic, including Tintoretto's Paradise, the largest oil painting in

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the world. Look up at the ceilings, ornate golden frames,

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each containing paintings by Venice's greatest artists. During the Republic's heyday,

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this room hummed with the voices of a thousand nobles

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debating the fate of their empire. Cross the Bridge of Size,

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named for the supposed size of condemned prisoners getting their

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last view of Venice, and you enter the Palace prisons.

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The contrast between the opulent state rooms and these dark,

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cramped cells tells you everything you need to know about

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the iron fist inside venue. This is velvet glove let's

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move on to the heart of Venice, Piazza San Marco.

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But forget everything you've heard about the crowds. Here's my

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insider secret. Arrive at dawn, when the vast square belongs

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to just a handful of photographers and pigeons. The basilica's

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golden mosaics catch the morning sun like a field of stars,

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while the ancient stones of the Campanilee tower glow pink

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in the early light. Saint Mark's Basilica is unlike any

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other church you'll ever visit. It's a unique fusion of

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Eastern and Western architecture that reflects Venice's position as the

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crossroads between these worlds. The exterior alone the textbook of

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architectural styles, Byzantine domes, Gothic pinnacles and columns plundered from

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ancient temples across the Mediterranean. But it's the mosaic that

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will leave you speechless. Above the entrance, four bronze horses

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prance against the sky. These are copies. The originals are inside,

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but they once decorated Constantinople's hippodrome before the Venetians acquired

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them in twelve oh four. Step inside and give your

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eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. Then look

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up above you spreads an astounding eighty six thousand square

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feet of golden mosaics created by generations of artists over

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eight hundred years. In the dim light, these biblical scenes

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seem to move and breathe their gold backgrounds, catching every

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flicker of candlelight. The floor beneath your feet is equally impressive,

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a geometric pattern of marble inlay so intricate that they've

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had to ban wheeled suitcases from the church to protect it.

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The Campanila Saint Mark's bell tower stands like an exclamation

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point at the edge of the square. The current tower

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is actually a precise reconstruction. The original collapse without warning

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one morning in nineteen oh two, miraculously killing only a cat.

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Take the l elevator to the top for a view

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that helps you understand Venice's unique position. The maze of

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red roofs, the snakelike curve of the Grand Canal, the

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distant Alps, and the shallow lagoon that has protected the

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city for centuries. The square itself is worth studying in detail.

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Napoleon called it Europe's finest drawing room, and the nickname

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fits The space is actually slightly trapezoidal, widening as it

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approaches the Basilica, a clever architectural trick that makes the

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square appear even grander than it is. The arcaded buildings

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along either side. How some of Venice's most historic cafes. Yes,

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the coffee a Cafe Florian costs a small fortune, but

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you're paying for the privilege of sitting where Casanova, Lord Byron,

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and countless others have watched the pageant of Venetian life unfold.

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Now let's talk practical tips for experiencing these magnificent sites. First,

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timing is everything. The Dog's Palace opens at eight thirty am.

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Be there at eight fifteen. Not only will you avoid

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the crowds, but the morning light in the courtyard is

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absolutely magical. For Saint Mark's Basilica, either be their first

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thing in the morning or book a special after hours tour.

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The Basilica takes on an entirely different character when the

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evening light streams through the western windows and sets the

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golden mosaics ablaze for the Grand Canal. My favorite time

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is the blue hour, just before sunset, the day trippers

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have mostly left, The light is soft and golden, and

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the palaces take on an almost ethereal quality. Take vaporetto

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line one going north to south. This puts the setting

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sun behind you, perfect for photography. Before we wrap up

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this deep dive into Venice's most iconic sights, here are

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some insider tips that will make your visit even more special.

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In the Doge's palace book The Secret Itineraries Tour. It

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takes you through hidden passageways and into rooms that most

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visitors never see, including the prison cell where Casanova was

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held before his famous escape at Saint Mark's. Pay the

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small fee to see the Polladoro, the Byzantine altar screen

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covered in thousands of precious stones and enamels. It's one

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of the finest examples of Byzantine craftsmanship in existence. For

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the best photo of the Grand Canal, head to the

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rooftop terrace of the Fondaco de Tedeski department store near

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the Rialto Bridge. It's free, but you need to book

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a time slot online. Want to see how Venice's wealthy

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nobles lived, visit Carrizonico on the Grand Canal. This perfectly

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preserved palace gives you a glimpse into eighteenth century Venetian life.

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At its most opulent. Next time, we'll venture off the

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beaten path to explore Venice's hidden corners, from secret gardens

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to forgotten churches, and I'll share my favorite spots for

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those magical moments that make Venice unforgettable. Until then, this

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is Johnny Mack reminding you that if you'd like to

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receive these episodes without commercials, head over to Calaroga dot com.

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Plus you'll find the link write in the show notes.

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Chow from the City of Canals

150. Italy - Venice - The Grand Tour

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