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[Eugene Levy] A great philosopher
once said, "The world is a book,
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and those who don't travel
read only one page."
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[Levy] Well, I've gotta say,
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I've read a few pages,
and I'm not crazy about the book.
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I don't look forward to traveling
for a number of reasons.
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- When it's too cold...
- Whoo.
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...I'm not comfortable.
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Ice swimming, naked?
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- Yes.
- Well, that's a terrific invitation.
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Whoa.
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When it's too warm, guess what?
I'm not comfortable.
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- [Levy] I can't move that fast.
- [Mylo chuckles]
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- [Levy] But I'm 75.
- [friend] You need some help?
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No, I got it.
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And maybe it's time to expand my horizons.
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[Levy] Oh, my God.
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[grunts]
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First time I've had my hand
up an elephant's ass.
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[Levy] On the plus side,
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I'm staying at some unbelievable hotels.
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[Levy] Oh, my. This is spectacular.
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[Levy] The catch is, I've also agreed
to explore what lies outside.
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- [Tony] Watch your step.
- [Levy] No kidding.
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- [Levy] Beautiful mountain.
- [Jairo] That's a volcano.
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That's a volcano?
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[Levy]
A world I've spent my whole life avoiding.
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Whoa. Whoa, whoa. Sadie.
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Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
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Just surviving would be great.
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[Levy] This is the last time
I have five vodkas with a Finn.
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[laughing]
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[whistles]
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I'm actually very excited
about seeing Venice,
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because I've been told everyone should
see Venice before they leave this Earth.
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That's a cheery thought, isn't it?
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So, here I am.
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[Levy]
Venice, bursting with culture and history
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and regularly ranked as
the most beautiful city on Earth.
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This is a destination crying out
to be explored.
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But exploring is something
I rarely do when I'm traveling,
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so I might be ill-equipped.
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[clicks tongue] How do I get into town?
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[boat horn honks]
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- [boat driver] Buongiorno, Eugene!
- Buongiorno!
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[chuckles]
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Ah.
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[driver] Come stai?
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[Levy] Come stai?
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[Levy] This vintage vessel
is a Venetian water taxi...
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[Levy] Ah, thank you.
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[Levy] ...and accompanied by local guide
and part-time sweater model Enrico,
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it's taking me to my hotel.
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Venice sits on a cluster
of over 100 tiny islands
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{\an8}in a lagoon so spectacular,
it's a World Heritage Site.
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This is Venice. How beautiful is this?
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[Enrico] This goes back to
the beginning of the ninth century.
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Ninth century?
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[Levy] Over a thousand years old,
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this city was once the bustling center of
a mighty trading empire,
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the richest metropolis in Europe.
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Now, it attracts
up to five million tourists a year.
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Could this be a destination
where I have nothing to worry about?
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Venice is built on stilts, basically.
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It's a city built on stilts?
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Yes, sir.
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[Levy] Maybe not.
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How much weight can these stilts take?
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There's a little bit of subsidence,
which is more like a regional problem.
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But, Eugene,
an interesting thing is the city,
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when it was made,
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the sea level was something like one
and half to two meters lower than now.
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Okay.
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[Levy] So, we have shaky foundations
and the sea level's rising.
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Good to know I can just sit back,
relax, and--
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Heads. Whoa.
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[Levy] Prepare to be decapitated.
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These bridges scare me.
Uh-oh, another one.
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You've gotta be watching every second...
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Watch your heads right now.
Down, down, down.
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...because trip to Venice could be over
in a big way.
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[imitates explosion]
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Head still attached to my body? Good.
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And we finally arrived.
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Here you are, Eugene. The Gritti Palace.
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[Levy] It's beautiful.
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[Levy]
One of Venice's most exclusive hotels,
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the Gritti Palace is a home away from home
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for royalty, billionaires,
Hollywood icons...
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[Levy] There's a cappuccino waiting
to happen on that terrace.
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[Levy] ...and now me.
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Thank you.
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[Levy] Ah, the luxury I have to endure.
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Good morning, Mr. Levy.
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- Welcome to the Gritti.
- Thank you.
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- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
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I'm the general manager, Paolo Lorenzoni,
and Carlotta.
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Welcome, Mr. Levy.
Welcome to the Gritti Palace.
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Ah, well, this is quite, quite beautiful.
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You know you're not in Kansas anymore
when you walk in here.
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[Carlotta] Yes. Beautiful.
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[Paolo]
The Gritti's the oldest palace in Venice.
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The Gritti names come from
the Doge Andrea Gritti.
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- [Levy] The Doge was in Venice?
- Yes. The Doge was-- was like a king.
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Wow.
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[Levy] Though not a very happy king,
by the looks of things.
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[Levy]
That's, uh, what I call a "sour puss."
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When you're getting your portrait taken,
put a little smile on your face.
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Just, like, you know,
lighten up a little bit.
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Let me show you our, uh-- our library.
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[Levy] Under the eye of the grumpy Doge,
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the Gritti's VIP guests
are asked to sign in.
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This is a precious book. It's--
We'd call it the "gold book."
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And you see, immediately, the--
the Ernest Hemingway signature here.
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"Ernest...
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- [Paolo] Hemingway.
- [Levy] ...Hemingway."
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- [Paolo] And then we got the--
- [Levy] Wow.
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- "Liberace."
- Nineteenth of July.
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[Levy]
Who drew a little candelabra on his--
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Yes, on the piano.
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{\an8}[Levy] In case people didn't know
if it was that Liberace.
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{\an8}[Levy] This book is
a veritable who's who of...
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{\an8}[Paolo] This is Charlie Chaplin.
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{\an8}[Levy] ...anyone who is anyone.
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"Princess Margaret."
Right, and she just wrote, "Margaret"?
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- "Margaret", yes.
- Yes.
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And you're sure it's Princess Margaret?
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- I hope so.
- Okay. [chuckles]
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- [chuckles]
- Well, I hope by allowing me to stay here,
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you're not lowering the bar.
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[chuckles]
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[Levy] Though the fact I haven't
been asked to sign it yet
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probably speaks volumes.
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[Levy] So, I'm noticing, Mr. Lorenzoni,
the smudging on some of these pages
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like somebody spilled a Bellini
on them or something.
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No, no. If there is damage to the book,
it was when under the water.
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Somebody dropped this book in the water?
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No, it was high tide.
And then some water went and get in.
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Wow. This is, like--
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So, the high tide comes in the hotel.
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- Yes, correct.
- Yes.
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Do-- Did clients get a-- any kind of
discount here, when they-- when they, uh--
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- Not at all. They pay more--
- First floor of the hotel flooded--
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They pay more for it?
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Yeah, it's an experience.
It's a new experience.
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That's an experience you don't get in--
in other hotels.
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[chuckles]
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[Levy] Thankfully,
my hotel suite is on the first floor,
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{\an8}so fingers crossed...
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{\an8}...I won't be waking up
to find my socks floating down the canal.
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Oh, my.
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[Carlotta] So, Mr. Levy,
what do you think about the room?
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It's beautiful.
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This is a room that
is full of history and art.
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Everything that you see here, the stuccos,
the frescoes, are completely original.
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Everything is-- is pure Venetian.
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Here, you can see this is real gold.
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- This is real gold?
- The gold leaf. Absolutely, yes.
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[Levy] This is done right here in Venice,
you don't--
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- [Carlotta] It's done in Venice.
- These chairs aren't imported?
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No, no, no, no. Absolutely not.
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[Levy] Wow.
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- Well, this must be an expensive chair.
- [Carlotta] Yes, of course.
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- Right? 'Cause-- Mmm.
- [Carlotta] Yes, it is.
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I may come in here with a little nail file
and just start, mmm,
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- doing some scrapings, you know.
- [chuckles]
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I'm a little out of my element here.
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You know, real gold leaf on the furniture?
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It's kind of the Old World preserved.
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[Carlotta] This is from the 17th century.
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- No!
- Oh, yes.
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[Carlotta] It's priceless.
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[Levy] Yep, that's right. The furniture
is older than the United States.
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Could I get used to this kind of opulence?
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Um, I-- Um... [clicks tongue, sighs] ...Maybe.
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[Levy] Now, normally,
I'd be spending the rest of the day,
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and probably most of my stay,
in this suite.
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[sighs]
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[Levy] And not just because
I love my creature comforts.
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I know there's a lot to see in the world...
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but leaving the hotel and exploring
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a foreign place
where I don't know where I am,
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there's a certain amount of anxiety?
Um, I think. Yes.
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[Levy] Yet, deep down, I know there's more
to sample here than the hotel menu.
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[Levy] I really have
to overcome my butterflies,
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take the road less traveled,
and venture out into Venice.
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- Monica?
- [Monica] Yes.
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- Pleased to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
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Are you gonna have something to drink?
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Uh,
absolutely will have something to drink.
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[Levy] Local food writer, Monica,
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has agreed to help me and thinks
we should start by getting some lunch.
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I always think that the best thing about
a city when you discover it,
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you should always
discover it through food.
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This is more-than-a-thousand-year-old
republic that had so many, uh,
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influences from all over the known world.
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So, it's the food that is very different
from the rest of, uh, Italy.
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When tourists come to Venice,
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are they expecting the best pizza
they've ever had?
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[Monica] Yeah, probably.
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And they get disappointed because
it's got nothing to do with Venice.
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Pizza comes from Naples.
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In Venice, you go for risotto, you go
for fish dishes, you go for pasta dishes.
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That's what the Venetian cuisine
is all about.
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Busy, busy.
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[Monica] Yeah. [stammers] I told you
I was gonna show you the life of Venice.
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This is a local fishmonger,
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and we got some of the best fish
in Italy because it's fresh every day.
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You go from the fish, the vegetables,
the cakes. It's all about food in Venice.
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[Levy] Mmm. Now that's music to my ears.
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So, this is a bacaro, an osteria.
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The typical place where Venetians eat
and drink.
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This is actually one of
the oldest wine places in the city.
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[Levy] Ah, I like where this is heading.
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And I'm gonna get you to try the famous
cicchetti that you can see here now.
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[Levy] Cicchetti.
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They come from the word "ciccus"
in Latin. That means "small".
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Okay.
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[Levy] "Small" is not the word
I was hoping would describe our lunch.
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- Yes? How hungry are you?
- I'm-- I'm--
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Well-- [chuckles] "I'm pretty--
pretty damn hungry," as they say.
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[Levy] Fortunately,
cicchetti refers to not one
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but many different types of finger food.
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You have a couple of cicchetti.
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[Levy]
And it's tradition to serve it with wine.
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[Monica] This is Raboso wine.
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[Levy] A tradition it would seem churlish
to ignore.
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[Monica] And notice that it's served cold.
It's chilled.
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It's very, very refreshing.
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It is. But don't be fooled, this is 13%.
That's why you need--
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So you need a lot of sandwiches
with this baby, don't ya?
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That's why you need a lot of cicchetti.
232
00:12:44,140 --> 00:12:47,894
[Levy] Monica's choice of wine
has certainly eased me into this lunch.
233
00:12:48,562 --> 00:12:51,856
I wish I could say the same
about her choice of cicchetti.
234
00:12:51,856 --> 00:12:54,651
And we definitely going for baccalá.
235
00:12:54,651 --> 00:12:58,321
- It's actually dried cod. Okay?
- Dried cod?
236
00:12:58,321 --> 00:13:03,952
Dried cod that has been rehydrated
by soaking it in fresh water,
237
00:13:03,952 --> 00:13:06,746
changing it frequently for 72 hours.
238
00:13:06,746 --> 00:13:09,708
- Uh-huh. Yeah.
- And then it's been boiled, and then--
239
00:13:09,708 --> 00:13:11,251
- And then boiled?
- Then.
240
00:13:11,251 --> 00:13:13,962
You're not making this sound appetizing, Monica.
241
00:13:13,962 --> 00:13:15,130
You're gonna love it.
242
00:13:15,130 --> 00:13:17,674
- I'm sure. Let me try.
- I'm pretty sure you're gonna like it.
243
00:13:19,134 --> 00:13:21,303
[Monica]
It's not as strong as people think it is.
244
00:13:24,180 --> 00:13:25,765
[smacks lips] No, it's very good.
245
00:13:25,765 --> 00:13:27,642
[Monica]
Did you expect something like this?
246
00:13:27,642 --> 00:13:30,228
No. I-- I was expecting cat food...
247
00:13:30,228 --> 00:13:32,105
- [laughing]
- ...but it's actually--
248
00:13:32,814 --> 00:13:34,733
It's actually delicious.
249
00:13:35,483 --> 00:13:39,070
This is my idea of good eating...
250
00:13:39,070 --> 00:13:40,196
- Yes.
- ...you know?
251
00:13:40,196 --> 00:13:44,117
Tasty little tidbits, delicious wine,
252
00:13:44,117 --> 00:13:47,871
and, uh, nothing particular on the agenda.
253
00:13:47,871 --> 00:13:49,956
- That's the Venetian way. [chuckles]
- Yeah.
254
00:13:49,956 --> 00:13:51,333
I'd be putting on so much weight.
255
00:13:51,333 --> 00:13:55,337
I'd be 270 pounds right now, you know?
And drunk.
256
00:13:55,337 --> 00:13:56,546
[chuckling]
257
00:13:57,756 --> 00:13:59,466
[Levy] There are six districts in Venice.
258
00:13:59,466 --> 00:14:03,345
All offering a smorgasbord
of culinary sites and flavors.
259
00:14:04,304 --> 00:14:09,309
Monica's leading me further off the
beaten track in the Cannaregio district.
260
00:14:09,935 --> 00:14:15,315
This particular place,
it's the only kosher bakery
261
00:14:15,315 --> 00:14:19,361
in the province of Venice.
And the province of Venice is quite big.
262
00:14:19,361 --> 00:14:21,029
Well, even though we're in Italy...
263
00:14:21,029 --> 00:14:22,906
- Yep.
- ...you can't beat a Jewish deli.
264
00:14:22,906 --> 00:14:24,366
Oh, yeah.
265
00:14:24,366 --> 00:14:28,078
- [Levy] Wow.
- [Monica] And many things on display
266
00:14:28,078 --> 00:14:31,706
you only find here
and nowhere else in the world.
267
00:14:31,706 --> 00:14:35,210
"Bisse" is a typical cookie from the city.
268
00:14:35,210 --> 00:14:37,045
- I love this already.
- I know you do.
269
00:14:37,045 --> 00:14:38,171
[Levy] All right. Go ahead.
270
00:14:38,171 --> 00:14:41,716
[Monica] So,
"impada" is a pastry stuffed with onions.
271
00:14:41,716 --> 00:14:44,844
We think it probably comes from
the Spanish Jewish community.
272
00:14:46,555 --> 00:14:50,100
{\an8}[Levy] Jewish people from all over Europe
started settling in Venice
273
00:14:50,100 --> 00:14:52,686
as far back as the 13th century.
274
00:14:53,645 --> 00:14:59,234
This is one of the most important part of
the history of the world
275
00:14:59,234 --> 00:15:05,865
{\an8}because this is a Jewish ghetto, and this
was the first ever ghetto in the world.
276
00:15:05,865 --> 00:15:10,161
{\an8}[Levy] How did a Jewish ghetto
come to be in Venice?
277
00:15:10,161 --> 00:15:13,623
[Monica] In 1516,
the city of Venice decided
278
00:15:13,623 --> 00:15:18,336
it made sense for the community
to live all together in the same place.
279
00:15:18,336 --> 00:15:23,258
As the years went by, they literally
segregated, for the first time in history,
280
00:15:23,258 --> 00:15:25,844
the Jewish people from
the other communities,
281
00:15:25,844 --> 00:15:31,766
and that's why slowly, slowly the term
"ghetto" has become a terrible word.
282
00:15:33,351 --> 00:15:36,771
[Levy] This segregation lasted
over two and a half centuries...
283
00:15:37,606 --> 00:15:39,524
This is one of the gates.
284
00:15:39,524 --> 00:15:44,613
This was shut when the curfew came.
Nobody was allowed in or out.
285
00:15:45,447 --> 00:15:48,950
[Levy] ...until the French invaded in 1797.
286
00:15:50,285 --> 00:15:55,624
Napoleon decided to open the gates,
not because he was fond of Jewish people,
287
00:15:55,624 --> 00:15:58,418
but because, obviously,
he was fond of their money.
288
00:15:58,418 --> 00:16:00,045
So,
289
00:16:00,045 --> 00:16:06,968
Napoleon was one of
the better anti-Semites, I guess.
290
00:16:08,637 --> 00:16:13,016
Well, it has personal resonance
for me being Jewish.
291
00:16:13,016 --> 00:16:17,854
Uh, it was off the beaten track,
no question about it,
292
00:16:17,854 --> 00:16:22,025
and would I have gone there
if I wasn't doing this?
293
00:16:22,025 --> 00:16:23,944
I-- I would say probably not.
294
00:16:24,945 --> 00:16:28,907
Because it's not...
[sighs] ...what I do when I travel.
295
00:16:28,907 --> 00:16:31,618
So, it's leaving a bit of an imprint.
296
00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:35,580
Could be the Raboso. [chuckles]
297
00:16:35,580 --> 00:16:39,793
But, no, I think-- I think it's--
I think it's just me.
298
00:16:49,594 --> 00:16:52,222
[Levy]
Following an afternoon rich in history,
299
00:16:52,222 --> 00:16:55,517
it's time for an evening rich in calories.
300
00:16:56,059 --> 00:16:58,770
I've learned how Venice's locals eat.
301
00:16:58,770 --> 00:17:03,733
Now it's time to discover how
to dine like Venetian royalty.
302
00:17:04,985 --> 00:17:09,656
Well, I'm gonna eat like a doge
with a smile on his face.
303
00:17:10,864 --> 00:17:14,369
[Levy] And to ensure I get the best
out of my experience,
304
00:17:14,369 --> 00:17:18,998
the Gritti has assigned one of their
A-list staff to look after me.
305
00:17:19,623 --> 00:17:23,295
Maurizio,
you look like a Hollywood movie star.
306
00:17:23,295 --> 00:17:26,171
- [Maurizio] Wow.
- If I had those looks when I started out,
307
00:17:26,171 --> 00:17:29,092
my career would have had
a whole different way to go.
308
00:17:29,092 --> 00:17:30,468
- [chuckles]
- Uh...
309
00:17:33,805 --> 00:17:37,434
[Levy] Tonight's menu
has a distinctly Venetian theme:
310
00:17:37,434 --> 00:17:40,312
ravioli in the shape of gondolas.
311
00:17:40,979 --> 00:17:42,522
Oh, boy, is that good.
312
00:17:43,899 --> 00:17:44,858
Wow.
313
00:17:45,567 --> 00:17:48,778
[Levy] Codfish
with cannellini cream and black truffle.
314
00:17:50,071 --> 00:17:54,784
This gets me excited
because this is outstanding food.
315
00:17:54,784 --> 00:17:58,914
[Levy] And to finish it off,
a dessert shaped like a cigar.
316
00:17:59,414 --> 00:18:02,542
The cigar,
it's because of our friend Hemingway, uh,
317
00:18:02,542 --> 00:18:04,502
smoking a cigar here on this table.
318
00:18:04,502 --> 00:18:07,380
- This is Ernest Hemingway's table?
- Yeah.
319
00:18:07,380 --> 00:18:10,425
Wow,
I'm suddenly getting an urge to write.
320
00:18:11,051 --> 00:18:14,346
[Levy] Garnished with something
for a very rich palate.
321
00:18:15,096 --> 00:18:17,933
[stammers] That's, uh, gold leaves. Eatable.
322
00:18:18,475 --> 00:18:19,684
- Eatable?
- [Maurizio] Yeah.
323
00:18:20,435 --> 00:18:22,979
[Levy] Well,
I can understand eating 24 carrots,
324
00:18:22,979 --> 00:18:26,107
- but eating gold is a whole other thing.
- [chuckles]
325
00:18:29,027 --> 00:18:30,028
[Levy] Wow.
326
00:18:30,612 --> 00:18:32,697
This is insanely good.
327
00:18:33,406 --> 00:18:34,866
[Levy] So, so good.
328
00:18:35,492 --> 00:18:37,077
[Levy] Can you believe it?
329
00:18:37,077 --> 00:18:39,412
One night in the luxury of this place
330
00:18:39,412 --> 00:18:42,290
and I've already acquired a taste
for gold.
331
00:18:42,290 --> 00:18:45,085
Am I gonna have trouble getting through
a metal detector at the airport...
332
00:18:45,085 --> 00:18:46,336
- Don't worry about--
- ...because I've eat...
333
00:18:46,336 --> 00:18:47,796
- Don't worry about it. That's not--
- ...because I've eaten this?
334
00:18:47,796 --> 00:18:48,755
[Levy imitates alarm]
335
00:18:48,755 --> 00:18:50,006
[chuckles]
336
00:18:56,137 --> 00:18:57,222
[birds squawking]
337
00:18:57,222 --> 00:18:59,808
[water lapping]
338
00:19:04,354 --> 00:19:07,899
[Levy] I've woken up
to a stunning Venetian sunrise.
339
00:19:08,483 --> 00:19:11,528
And I'm pleased to say the water
is still where I left it:
340
00:19:12,237 --> 00:19:14,239
firmly outside the hotel.
341
00:19:15,824 --> 00:19:21,329
[Levy] So, it's time to get up,
get dressed, and order room service.
342
00:19:23,957 --> 00:19:26,084
Good morning, Mr. Levy.
How are you this morning?
343
00:19:26,084 --> 00:19:28,128
I'm good, Maurizio.
344
00:19:28,128 --> 00:19:32,632
This is why I travel.
To stay in hotels like this.
345
00:19:32,632 --> 00:19:34,217
So, what's your plan for today?
346
00:19:34,926 --> 00:19:37,137
Well, I-- I don't know.
347
00:19:37,137 --> 00:19:39,264
I think, uh, if it was up to me,
348
00:19:39,264 --> 00:19:41,850
I'd just be kinda sitting here
for a few hours...
349
00:19:41,850 --> 00:19:42,934
[chuckles]
350
00:19:42,934 --> 00:19:44,603
- and taking it in...
- [Maurizio] Whole day off.
351
00:19:44,603 --> 00:19:47,105
...and perhaps having a coffee or two.
352
00:19:47,105 --> 00:19:50,442
But what-- what would you suggest?
353
00:19:50,442 --> 00:19:55,697
I think you should get lost
in the real places of Venice.
354
00:19:55,697 --> 00:19:58,366
- "Get lost in the real places of Venice"?
- [Maurizio] Get lost.
355
00:19:58,366 --> 00:20:00,118
- [Levy] Yeah.
- Just go around and get lost on it.
356
00:20:00,118 --> 00:20:01,828
That is so not me.
357
00:20:01,828 --> 00:20:03,455
[Maurizio chuckles]
358
00:20:03,455 --> 00:20:06,416
[Levy] And what's the best way
to get lost in Venice?
359
00:20:06,416 --> 00:20:08,460
Well, apparently, it's to take a trip
360
00:20:08,460 --> 00:20:10,879
on the city's most famous form
of transport:
361
00:20:11,463 --> 00:20:12,464
a gondola.
362
00:20:13,006 --> 00:20:16,218
They first arrived here
over 900 years ago.
363
00:20:16,218 --> 00:20:19,971
When I imagine the waterways looked
a little different than they do now.
364
00:20:21,306 --> 00:20:23,892
I'm noticing there are buses...
365
00:20:23,892 --> 00:20:24,809
[boat horn honks]
366
00:20:24,809 --> 00:20:28,939
...delivery boats, taxis.
367
00:20:28,939 --> 00:20:34,402
I mean, it's busy.
It's very active on the water.
368
00:20:34,402 --> 00:20:37,239
[Levy] But nothing ventured,
nothing gained.
369
00:20:39,407 --> 00:20:41,117
- Hello.
- Hello.
370
00:20:41,117 --> 00:20:42,244
Take your seat.
371
00:20:43,036 --> 00:20:44,412
Okay, let's go.
372
00:20:44,955 --> 00:20:46,039
[boat horn honks]
373
00:20:46,706 --> 00:20:48,792
[Levy] And to be fair, this gondolier...
374
00:20:48,792 --> 00:20:50,377
- What's your name?
- Alessandro.
375
00:20:50,377 --> 00:20:54,047
[Levy] ...Alessandro,
not only has the best hair in the city...
376
00:20:54,673 --> 00:20:56,841
This is the main channel. Canale Grande.
377
00:20:56,841 --> 00:20:59,302
- Like rush hour.
- [Alessandro] Yeah. [chuckles]
378
00:20:59,302 --> 00:21:02,514
[Levy] ...but also seems skilled
at dodging the traffic.
379
00:21:02,514 --> 00:21:04,099
How long have you been doing this?
380
00:21:04,099 --> 00:21:05,016
Thirty years.
381
00:21:05,016 --> 00:21:10,397
I started with my father when I
was 12 years old, 13 years old.
382
00:21:10,397 --> 00:21:12,524
- Your father was a gondolier?
- [Alessandro] Yes.
383
00:21:12,524 --> 00:21:17,487
My father, my grand-grandfather,
and my grandfather-- Yes.
384
00:21:17,487 --> 00:21:22,742
And, um, my son is-- is trying to learn
to be gondolier.
385
00:21:22,742 --> 00:21:23,827
Wow.
386
00:21:23,827 --> 00:21:26,788
It's a really f-family tradition.
387
00:21:26,788 --> 00:21:28,456
- Yes.
- I'm very proud of that.
388
00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:30,333
Incredible.
389
00:21:30,959 --> 00:21:34,129
[Levy] As we move further
from Venice's Grand Canal...
390
00:21:36,006 --> 00:21:37,090
Well, that's better.
391
00:21:37,757 --> 00:21:41,511
- Now, you're a real gondolier now.
- [chuckles] Yeah.
392
00:21:42,178 --> 00:21:44,264
[Levy]
...I'm starting to experience the city
393
00:21:44,264 --> 00:21:47,851
as Alessandro's ancestors
would have years ago.
394
00:21:49,311 --> 00:21:52,063
It's awfully quiet
when you're down these streets.
395
00:21:52,063 --> 00:21:53,899
- Yes.
- Just listen.
396
00:21:57,235 --> 00:21:58,904
[Levy] It's quiet.
397
00:21:58,904 --> 00:22:00,238
It's smooth.
398
00:22:01,448 --> 00:22:02,824
There's history.
399
00:22:03,450 --> 00:22:05,243
It's actually quite lovely.
400
00:22:05,994 --> 00:22:08,121
[Levy] In this labyrinth of waterways,
401
00:22:08,121 --> 00:22:12,042
I'm completely lost and loving it.
402
00:22:12,042 --> 00:22:14,085
Maurizio would be proud.
403
00:22:14,085 --> 00:22:15,170
Watch your head.
404
00:22:15,170 --> 00:22:16,254
Watch my hat? [chuckling]
405
00:22:16,254 --> 00:22:18,089
No, no. Wa--
Well, and your hat. [chuckles]
406
00:22:18,089 --> 00:22:19,883
[both chuckling]
407
00:22:21,426 --> 00:22:24,095
[Levy] It's incredible
to think how long gondoliering
408
00:22:24,095 --> 00:22:27,224
has been passed down
through Venice's generations.
409
00:22:27,224 --> 00:22:30,393
Yet,
Alessandro tells me there's even older
410
00:22:30,393 --> 00:22:32,896
and rarer family businesses in town.
411
00:22:33,980 --> 00:22:37,817
And as I'm trying to explore
like a real traveler...
412
00:22:37,817 --> 00:22:39,486
- Hello.
- Hi.
413
00:22:39,486 --> 00:22:41,780
- May I come in?
- Yeah, you're welcome.
414
00:22:42,447 --> 00:22:46,326
[Levy] ...I'm taking up his tip
and meeting craftswoman, Eleonora.
415
00:22:46,326 --> 00:22:48,578
Eugene, my twin sister Sara...
416
00:22:48,578 --> 00:22:50,747
- Nice to meet you.
- [Eleonora] ...and my mother Sabrina.
417
00:22:50,747 --> 00:22:52,290
- Nice to meet you.
- [speaks indistinctly]
418
00:22:53,667 --> 00:22:58,713
[Levy] This family produces the gold leaf
used by Venice's finest artisans
419
00:22:58,713 --> 00:23:01,091
and the odd hotel chef.
420
00:23:01,091 --> 00:23:06,054
Each sheet is thinner than a human hair
and made entirely by hand...
421
00:23:06,054 --> 00:23:07,597
- [blows]
- ...and breath.
422
00:23:08,431 --> 00:23:10,016
You know, I could be good at this.
423
00:23:10,016 --> 00:23:12,185
I've been breathing my whole life.
424
00:23:12,185 --> 00:23:13,270
There. Breathe in the center.
425
00:23:14,271 --> 00:23:15,981
- [blows]
- [Eleonora gasps] Whoa.
426
00:23:17,148 --> 00:23:18,733
- [Eleonora] Breathe, breathe.
- [Levy blows]
427
00:23:18,733 --> 00:23:21,194
- Oh, too much. Too much.
- [Sabrina chuckles]
428
00:23:21,194 --> 00:23:23,488
Well, there's something wrong
with this foil, I think.
429
00:23:23,488 --> 00:23:25,865
Could be the little table here.
Is this the same as your table?
430
00:23:25,865 --> 00:23:27,492
- [chuckles]
- [Eleonora] Yeah. Look, look. Look.
431
00:23:27,492 --> 00:23:31,496
[Levy] Creating this delicate
precision-engineered product
432
00:23:31,496 --> 00:23:34,457
- is the job of master craftsman Marino.
- [machine whirling]
433
00:23:34,457 --> 00:23:35,792
Ciao, papĂ .
434
00:23:35,792 --> 00:23:37,210
- Buongiorno.
- Buongiorno.
435
00:23:37,210 --> 00:23:39,129
- [hammering]
- [Levy] Eleonora's dad.
436
00:23:39,129 --> 00:23:40,630
[hammering continues]
437
00:23:42,841 --> 00:23:46,428
So, what is happening in here?
438
00:23:47,012 --> 00:23:52,601
My father, Marino, is the last gold-beater
in Italy and in Europe.
439
00:23:53,476 --> 00:23:54,686
Okay.
440
00:23:54,686 --> 00:23:57,814
When I first walked into the shop,
I didn't know what to think.
441
00:23:57,814 --> 00:24:01,192
[Levy] Well, I see that he's got--
th-th-there's padding.
442
00:24:01,192 --> 00:24:04,529
The gold inside between the plastic. Look.
443
00:24:04,529 --> 00:24:06,489
[Levy]
Yeah, sheets of gold inside the plastic.
444
00:24:06,489 --> 00:24:10,619
Because I just saw somebody hitting
this thing with a sledgehammer,
445
00:24:10,619 --> 00:24:12,996
- just kinda staring out the window.
- [hammering]
446
00:24:14,789 --> 00:24:17,125
Why isn't he looking at what he's hitting?
447
00:24:17,125 --> 00:24:20,045
Because his fingers are very close
to the hammer.
448
00:24:20,045 --> 00:24:24,758
- Yeah. Five times. Five times.
- Five times he's smashed his finger?
449
00:24:25,467 --> 00:24:27,552
Once would be enough to make me say,
450
00:24:27,552 --> 00:24:29,763
"You know what? Maybe-- Maybe s-selling--
451
00:24:29,763 --> 00:24:32,432
- selling shoes might be good."
- [chuckles]
452
00:24:33,808 --> 00:24:36,519
Now, how many times does he kind of--
453
00:24:36,519 --> 00:24:39,272
I mean, uh, does he beat it
a hundred times?
454
00:24:39,272 --> 00:24:41,566
30,000 beatings.
455
00:24:41,566 --> 00:24:44,152
- He hammers that 30,000 times?
- [hammering continues]
456
00:24:44,152 --> 00:24:48,365
Yeah. We continue the same production
of the 17th century.
457
00:24:48,865 --> 00:24:52,619
- Is he leaving his arm to science?
- [Eleonora chuckles]
458
00:24:52,619 --> 00:24:53,536
You?
459
00:24:53,536 --> 00:24:55,872
- Should I give it a try?
- [Eleonora] Take it. Yeah. [chuckles]
460
00:24:56,706 --> 00:24:59,209
- [chuckles]
- [Eleonora chuckles]
461
00:24:59,876 --> 00:25:01,253
[Levy] You're kidding me.
462
00:25:01,253 --> 00:25:05,173
Oh, my God! This weighs a ton.
463
00:25:05,799 --> 00:25:07,592
I can't do it with one arm.
464
00:25:07,592 --> 00:25:10,554
[Eleonora] It's no muscle.
It's all technique.
465
00:25:11,930 --> 00:25:16,351
[Levy] So, there's a profession that
has been going on for hundreds of years,
466
00:25:16,351 --> 00:25:20,438
being passed down, you know,
from father to son to daughter to son.
467
00:25:20,438 --> 00:25:22,482
[stammers] It's fascinating.
468
00:25:23,233 --> 00:25:24,651
Am I ruining the gold?
469
00:25:25,193 --> 00:25:26,820
- [Eleonora] No, no.
- [strains, grunts]
470
00:25:26,820 --> 00:25:29,781
[Levy] Safe to say,
I'm not the apprentice Marino needs.
471
00:25:29,781 --> 00:25:30,699
[chuckling]
472
00:25:30,699 --> 00:25:34,452
[Levy] And this is one tradition
definitely best kept in the family.
473
00:25:34,452 --> 00:25:37,789
Wow. This is-- This is something.
474
00:25:38,707 --> 00:25:42,168
[people in street chattering]
475
00:25:52,846 --> 00:25:54,764
[Levy] It's another day waking up
476
00:25:54,764 --> 00:25:57,601
in the sumptuous splendor
of the Gritti Palace.
477
00:25:58,268 --> 00:26:00,437
And general manager, Mr. Lorenzoni,
478
00:26:00,437 --> 00:26:04,774
has asked me to accompany him
to the hotel's most hallowed hall.
479
00:26:06,026 --> 00:26:08,320
I would like--
I would like to show you this,
480
00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:11,948
uh, wall of fame redone with watercolor.
481
00:26:11,948 --> 00:26:15,368
It's something that,
uh, was my idea. [sniffs]
482
00:26:15,368 --> 00:26:18,246
Wow. I love the way these look.
483
00:26:18,246 --> 00:26:19,581
I love the way they're done.
484
00:26:20,290 --> 00:26:23,460
[Levy] This wall of fame
shows the most distinguished guests
485
00:26:23,460 --> 00:26:25,754
dating back over 70 years.
486
00:26:28,006 --> 00:26:29,883
Uh, we got Greta Garbo,
487
00:26:29,883 --> 00:26:33,470
- Humphrey Bogart, Grace of Monaco.
- Right.
488
00:26:34,095 --> 00:26:39,309
[Levy] And as of first thing this morning,
a brand-new addition.
489
00:26:40,185 --> 00:26:41,978
Oh, look who it is.
490
00:26:41,978 --> 00:26:44,231
[Levy] It's Eugene Levy.
491
00:26:44,940 --> 00:26:45,941
Wow.
492
00:26:46,441 --> 00:26:48,693
That's-- That's a nice touch.
493
00:26:49,361 --> 00:26:50,946
[Levy] At least, I hope it is.
494
00:26:51,488 --> 00:26:55,367
By the way, these people, uh--
These people, unfortunately,
495
00:26:55,367 --> 00:26:59,537
are not longer-- are no longer,
uh, let's say alive.
496
00:26:59,537 --> 00:27:01,998
They're, uh-- Well,
that's a good way of putting it.
497
00:27:01,998 --> 00:27:05,335
They're-- They're, um-- They're all dead.
498
00:27:07,754 --> 00:27:10,257
[Levy] Well,
this is definitely a lovely gesture.
499
00:27:11,216 --> 00:27:13,218
Lovely and frightening.
500
00:27:13,843 --> 00:27:17,973
This could be an omen that something
not good is about to happen.
501
00:27:19,724 --> 00:27:21,685
Well, thank you, Mr. Lorenzoni.
502
00:27:21,685 --> 00:27:23,645
- It was a pleasure. Really.
- [Levy] Thank you. Yes.
503
00:27:25,146 --> 00:27:29,734
[Levy] It's unlikely my life insurance
covers traveling while under a curse,
504
00:27:29,734 --> 00:27:34,948
but I'm gonna risk it as I've accepted
an invitation to meet my gondolier friend,
505
00:27:34,948 --> 00:27:37,450
Alessandro, on the other side of town.
506
00:27:38,493 --> 00:27:41,246
Venice in the sunshine. It's gorgeous.
507
00:27:41,246 --> 00:27:43,582
Traveling down these canals,
508
00:27:43,582 --> 00:27:48,044
it doesn't take that long before
you actually feel like a local, you know?
509
00:27:48,044 --> 00:27:49,754
I could be on my way to work.
510
00:27:50,255 --> 00:27:52,674
Could be on my way to get a jug of milk.
511
00:27:53,925 --> 00:27:58,763
[Levy] What is amazing
is that Venice is actually a working city.
512
00:27:58,763 --> 00:28:03,018
It's not just about taking tourists around
on joyrides.
513
00:28:03,018 --> 00:28:07,856
Business is going on.
I mean, people are making a living.
514
00:28:07,856 --> 00:28:10,191
There's--
There's some action happening here.
515
00:28:11,526 --> 00:28:15,405
[Levy] Dating back to the 1600s,
this gondola repair yard,
516
00:28:15,405 --> 00:28:19,451
known as a "Squero,"
is one of the oldest in Venice.
517
00:28:20,118 --> 00:28:21,453
[Levy] Alessandro.
518
00:28:22,203 --> 00:28:23,538
- Buongiorno.
- Everything all right?
519
00:28:23,538 --> 00:28:24,497
- Yes.
- [Levy] And here
520
00:28:24,497 --> 00:28:28,251
Alessandro's gondola
has just had its annual service.
521
00:28:28,251 --> 00:28:29,502
[Alessandro] We are preparing the boat.
522
00:28:30,003 --> 00:28:32,839
- We are ready to launch in few minutes.
- Right.
523
00:28:32,839 --> 00:28:35,717
[Levy] He wants to introduce me
to someone very special.
524
00:28:36,551 --> 00:28:37,928
This is Samuel, my son.
525
00:28:37,928 --> 00:28:39,304
- Ah.
- Hi.
526
00:28:40,513 --> 00:28:43,391
Samuel, you're gonna be a better gondolier
than your dad?
527
00:28:43,391 --> 00:28:44,309
Yes. [chuckles]
528
00:28:44,309 --> 00:28:46,353
- Yeah, you think so?
- For sure. [chuckles]
529
00:28:46,353 --> 00:28:48,396
[Levy] Huh. Reminds me of my son.
530
00:28:48,897 --> 00:28:50,357
Well, he's got a lot of confidence.
531
00:28:50,357 --> 00:28:52,442
- Yeah. [chuckles, speaks indistinctly]
- I like that.
532
00:28:52,442 --> 00:28:55,820
So, Samuel, you will--
you will get this boat
533
00:28:56,446 --> 00:28:58,823
- when your dad retires?
- Uh, yes. Yes.
534
00:28:58,823 --> 00:29:00,242
- [Alessandro chuckles]
- Wow.
535
00:29:00,242 --> 00:29:02,452
Now, this is a beautiful piece of work.
536
00:29:03,078 --> 00:29:06,331
- This is the name of the boat. Here.
- Oh, look.
537
00:29:06,331 --> 00:29:07,582
Roberta is my wife.
538
00:29:08,166 --> 00:29:09,209
There's Alex.
539
00:29:09,918 --> 00:29:11,127
Here's Samuel.
540
00:29:11,670 --> 00:29:14,589
{\an8}And, uh, Nicole, my little daughter.
541
00:29:14,589 --> 00:29:16,716
{\an8}- [Alessandro sniffs]
- Are you having more kids, do you think?
542
00:29:16,716 --> 00:29:18,218
No, there are no more places to--
543
00:29:18,218 --> 00:29:20,428
- You just ran out of places.
- [chuckles] Yeah.
544
00:29:21,805 --> 00:29:26,226
[Levy] Making one of these gleaming
gondolas is a real labor of love,
545
00:29:26,226 --> 00:29:30,105
taking over 500 hours
of Venetian craftsmanship.
546
00:29:30,105 --> 00:29:33,608
The finished product is worth $50,000.
547
00:29:33,608 --> 00:29:37,320
So, when Samuel inherits this boat,
it's a big deal.
548
00:29:38,321 --> 00:29:40,490
It's nice to work with your son, isn't it?
549
00:29:40,490 --> 00:29:42,534
- Yes, it's really nice. It's very nice.
- Yeah, I know.
550
00:29:42,534 --> 00:29:44,286
- [Alessandro] I agree.
- I loved working with my son.
551
00:29:44,286 --> 00:29:45,996
- Yeah?
- It's a good experience
552
00:29:45,996 --> 00:29:47,372
because not every father...
553
00:29:47,372 --> 00:29:50,375
- Yeah.
- ...gets to work with their kids, you know?
554
00:29:50,375 --> 00:29:52,043
That's true, that's true. Yes.
555
00:29:53,253 --> 00:29:54,296
[Levy] Well, Alessandro,
556
00:29:54,296 --> 00:29:57,215
I'm-I'm-I'm gonna let you
put this boat back together,
557
00:29:57,215 --> 00:30:00,802
'cause you've gotta get it back
in the water before the sun goes down.
558
00:30:00,802 --> 00:30:02,387
- Yes, of course. Yeah.
- Huh?
559
00:30:07,392 --> 00:30:09,394
[Levy] There's a father
and son working together
560
00:30:09,394 --> 00:30:12,188
on something they both
have a great passion for.
561
00:30:12,188 --> 00:30:14,691
[sucks teeth] That's something special.
562
00:30:14,691 --> 00:30:16,943
[speaks Italian]
563
00:30:17,527 --> 00:30:21,156
[Levy] I mean, I got to work with my son
for seven years.
564
00:30:21,156 --> 00:30:25,702
My learning curve was just learning
to step back and let him do it.
565
00:30:26,369 --> 00:30:29,748
And I'm sure Alessandro
is gonna be going through the same thing
566
00:30:29,748 --> 00:30:30,665
at some point.
567
00:30:30,665 --> 00:30:34,085
"You know what? Don't have
to teach him anything anymore.
568
00:30:34,085 --> 00:30:35,212
Just let him do it.
569
00:30:35,212 --> 00:30:39,591
Take a step back and let him take over
the family business."
570
00:30:39,591 --> 00:30:42,510
[speaks Italian]
571
00:30:43,261 --> 00:30:46,389
[Levy] The gondola's finally ready
to launch again,
572
00:30:46,389 --> 00:30:49,309
and Alessandro's
doing his own stepping back
573
00:30:49,309 --> 00:30:52,395
and letting Samuel take his place.
574
00:30:52,395 --> 00:30:53,563
[speaks Italian]
575
00:30:56,399 --> 00:30:58,401
- Isn't it not just gonna go head-on...
- Yeah. [chuckles]
576
00:30:58,401 --> 00:31:00,237
...into the-- [stammers] into the wall?
577
00:31:01,529 --> 00:31:03,990
The canal is 11 meters. [chuckles]
578
00:31:04,741 --> 00:31:06,826
- And so is your boat. [chuckles]
- Yeah. [chuckles]
579
00:31:10,664 --> 00:31:13,041
I'm very nervous. [chuckles]
580
00:31:14,584 --> 00:31:17,629
Oh, oh, oh. [groans]
581
00:31:20,715 --> 00:31:24,511
[Levy] I think what I didn't realize
before I got here
582
00:31:24,511 --> 00:31:30,600
was while this city is old,
it's very, very alive.
583
00:31:32,102 --> 00:31:33,937
Look at that.
584
00:31:35,897 --> 00:31:39,484
'Cause, it's the families
that have been keeping this city alive.
585
00:31:39,484 --> 00:31:42,737
It's the families
that have been keeping the history alive
586
00:31:42,737 --> 00:31:47,075
by doing the work that they're doing
and carrying on the professions
587
00:31:47,075 --> 00:31:50,829
that are handed down
from generation to generation.
588
00:31:51,997 --> 00:31:54,624
[Levy] I've been thoroughly seduced
by Venice.
589
00:31:55,125 --> 00:31:57,502
Venturing off this city's tourist track,
590
00:31:57,502 --> 00:32:00,213
I've seen it through the eyes
of its locals.
591
00:32:00,213 --> 00:32:03,341
Their food, history, and traditions.
592
00:32:04,009 --> 00:32:06,469
And it's truly touched me.
593
00:32:06,469 --> 00:32:09,556
[Levy] This is an entirely new way
of traveling for me.
594
00:32:09,556 --> 00:32:14,936
And, uh, th-these are things
I probably would not have gone out to see.
595
00:32:16,354 --> 00:32:21,318
You know, when I get to a place,
what is the most important thing for me?
596
00:32:21,318 --> 00:32:24,863
Well, it was always the hotel,
and that still is important.
597
00:32:24,863 --> 00:32:27,324
I love hanging around the hotel,
598
00:32:27,324 --> 00:32:33,330
but I would not have traveled around
and discovered what makes the city tick.
599
00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:38,418
I wouldn't have known that,
and I think it's important to know it.
600
00:32:39,085 --> 00:32:45,926
So, I'm leaning toward
this being a very good thing for me.