Venice pasta selection. Photo by Daneen Vol.

It’s true, you can buy a bag of pasta just about anywhere. However, purchasing colorful pasta in Venice not only carries the stamp of Italian authenticity, but it offers a cheap and tasty solution to a potentially costly dilemma!

Check-out bags of pasta in Venice

Pasta’s story goes way back: The Chinese had noodles in 1500 BC, the Greeks had “lagana” in the second century, and the Arabs may have brought pasta to Sicily. Though the origins of pasta in modern Italy are uncertain, it is clear that local chefs and manufacturers have turned strips of dough into a very profitable trade.

When in the twisty streets of Venice, we suggest starting your pasta search at the iconic Rialto Bridge spanning the Grand Canal. Walk west toward the Pescheria, the fish market, also along the canal. Keep your eyes peeled for food specialty shops of all kinds.

Small bags of rigatoni, farfalle, and pennoni lisci start at around €3. Aliani (Casa del Parmigiano) at Erberia Rialto 214/5 in the San Polo district, near the vegetable market, has been open since 1936 and sells cheese, pasta, and ready-made picnic dishes. To start your mouth-watering research online, check out Gourmet Pantry’s Italian pasta inventory.

While you’re at it…

Tear out of town with a few sheets of marbled paper. Venetians specialize in the art of dipping paper into liquid gum before adding paint to create swirls of visual delight. Alberto Valese-Ebrû at Camiello Santo Stefano 3471 in San Marco uses the marbling technique on fabrics and papers. Prices vary depending on paper quality and craftsmanship.

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Photo by ajmiller82

Toulouse is France’s fourth largest city. Fondly known as “la ville rose” because of the color of the bricks made from the area’s clay-rich soil, the city has a distinctive meridional flavor and is well worth a detour on any tour of southern France.

Toulouse centers on the Place du Capitole, a splendid square lined with cafes and occupied on one side by the facade of the City Hall or Capitole. All the main sights—such as the Fondation Bemberg and the Musee des Augustins, one of France’s oldest museums—are within walking distance of the city center. Toulouse combines the relaxed elegance of a town proud of its rich architectural heritage, the exuberance of its big student population, and the prosperity incumbent on being world headquarters to Airbus.

For a good, affordable meal found along the narrow streets that irrigate the Capitole, head for Mille et Une Pates at 1 bis rue Mirepoix, just off the rue Gambetta. Mille et Une Pates specializes in home-made pasta with traditional sauces such as bolognaise and carbonara, as well as more innovative ones such as lasagne with leeks and bacon. At lunchtime you can order the “menu express” at €9.50 and get the dish of the day—the day we went it was nouillettes with kebabs—followed by dessert (raspberry lasagne or ice-cream). A big plate of tagliatelle bolognaise costs €7.80.

For the best ice creams in Toulouse, check out Octave on the place du Capitole.

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