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.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Berlin’s arresting cityscape goes from neo-Classical pomposity to socialist showcase and everywhere in between on its warp-speed journey towards the City of the Future. Berlin is an adventure for any architecture lover, with surprises and juxtapositions waiting around every corner. And Berliners take their architecture seriously. Strident debates over the public face of the ever-changing city are ongoing.

You can take a little bit of this architectural obsession home with you or mail it to your friends in the form of BerlinerLuft’s 3-D architectural model postcards. Fallen in love with East Berlin’s famous TV tower? Get out your scissors and glue and build your own tiny Fernsehturm. Further offerings include the Brandenburg Gate and the Jewish Museum.

The postcards are authentic pieces of Berlin style in and of themselves, with fine details thoroughly researched and designed by two architects based in the city’s trendy Prenzlauer Berg district. BerlinerLuft has also begun featuring postcards of notable buildings in Vienna, Prague, and a number of German cities.

If you feel like doing Berlin bigger, Faltplatte also offers larger-format architectural models for assembly.

Design that demands. BerlinerLuft and Faltplatte are the perfect ambassadors for Berlin.

Popularity: 3% [?]