Food Feature: In the spirit

We are in Venice, Italy, sitting upon the time-worn bricks of the spacious Piazza San Marco — St. Mark’s Square — one of the most evocative squares in all of Europe. The clock has just struck half past midnight. A full moon glows above us as we finish a bottle of Chianti. A glorious evening in Venice is nearing completion, as we, together with two nuns, have enjoyed the Venetian tradition of giro di ombre, or pub-crawl.

Wait a minute. Two nuns? Pub-crawl?

Let us explain.

The nuns are Rich’s aunts who, in addition to being nuns, also happen to be identical twins, aptly named Maureen and Doreen. They have joined us in Italy for 12 wonderful days, and we are winding up their trip here in Venice.

While we have taken in the Vatican, mass at both St. Peter’s Basilica, Florence’s Duomo and countless other churches and cathedrals, tonight it was time for eating and drinking in true Venetian style.

Venice is a city of incomparable beauty and allure. It is also a city of incomparable crowds, as tourists flood the city much the way the waters of the Adriatic Sea do from time to time.

But one of the best ways to escape the masses and enjoy the back streets and small canals of Venice that few tourists actually see, is a pub crawl — walking from small bar to small bar, stopping to sample the delicious appetizers and wines of the house.

We begin this evening by merely wandering with no particular destination. When we come across a small bar, we look inside the glass case that displays the evening’s offerings of finger foods. Our favorites are panini, half-sandwiches filled with meats, cheeses and salads of all sorts snuggled between oh-so-soft, and oh-so-white, Wonder-style bread (with the crusts cut off, no less). If they look good, we ask for a few, together with glasses of the vino della casa. It is all inexpensive and great fun, as we stand at the bar drinking and eating with locals who are gathered for a snack and visits with friends.

After several stops we are very well fed. Yet we walk on, exploring this idyllic Venice under the cover of darkness, slowly making our way to St. Mark’s Square.

On the way, we pick up a bottle of Chianti to enjoy on the square as we listen to the dueling café orchestras that please the crowds with lively and entertaining music.

So here we sit, in the midst of the magic of Venice: a magic that, to us, is best experienced after dark with a pub-crawl and, if you can arrange it, the company of nuns.

Follow Rich and Kelly Willis’ round-the-world adventures every month in Creative Loafing or visit their website at http://2goglobal.com.