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“A store claimed it had no imports, yet I saw the shopkeeper take out masks from a box labeled ‘Made in China’”
until it dropped the corpse just 30 feet away, only to be subsequently mauled on by a small dog. Aside from how disease-ridden pigeons are, feeding them in the main piazza is very much banned and you can be fined up to 500 euros. It also doesn’t help with the illegal vendors who sell bird feed to unsuspecting tourists. My cousin unknowingly accepted a handful of feed thrust into his hand and was expected to pay for it until our guide quickly yelled at the vendors in Italian saying it was illegal.
Don’t be fooled by those knock offs
With Venice famous for its masks, glass, and lace, there are plenty of souvenirs to purchase. Don’t believe that everything is made in Venice though. So many products today are manufactured in China and Venice is no 52 Tastevin Magazine October / November 2015
exception. Storefronts have to reassure customers by placing signs that say in English ‘no China!’ or ‘real Murano glass!’ The fact that they have these signs tends to worry me and you should always be aware of what you’re buying. It helps that Murano glass is now trademarked with the label ‘Vetro Artistico Murano’. I saw a store that claimed it had no imports from China, yet I saw the shopkeeper take out masks from a box labeled ‘Made in China’.
Don’t be tricked by the ‘zingari’
I’ve fortunately never been pickpocketed throughout my travels in Europe. But I did notice many beggars on the streets. Don’t worry, you won’t be ambushed by anybody. Just be sure you keep valuables in safe places. However, I did witness a scenario where a Roma wom-