Program 409: Insider's Guide to Venice; Touring Norway

Explore the charming backstreets of Venice as local guides offer insider advice for avoiding the crush of tourists. Experience the elegance of Venice from its breathtakingly beautiful architecture to its quiet neighborhoods. Also, while Norway tops the list of expensive countries, we'll get budget tips for enjoying Europe's most dramatic coastal scenery.

• Stacy Gibboni, tour guide based in Venice   
• Pål Bjarne Johansen, tour guide based in Oslo   
• Lisa Rybloom, tour guide specialist to Norway

• Rick's at-a-glance information about visiting Venice. 
• The City of Venice provides English-language instructions on local water transit for visitors. 
• Stacy Gibboni's husband operates the Bentigodi di Chef Domenico restaurant in Venice.  It gets many rave reviews from diners on Trip Advisor.  
• Stacy Gibboni's artwork in Venice is features on the Insightful Travel and Tours website. 
• Maihaugen is one of Norway's largest open air folk museums in Lillehammer, Norway.
• "Norway in a Nutshell" is a tour package provided by Norway's state railroad. 
• Stave churches are medieval wooden churches, found mostly in Norway.
• Hurtigruten provides a variety of coastal passenger and mail boat service in the Norway fjords.
• Information for visiting Oslo, Bergen and the Sognefjellet region.

Early morning rain
Wet sheen on the cobble stones
A slippery stroll

Dark-eyed Italian
Shows us her citta bella
We hang on each word

High tide floods the square
But music and dance go on
the night is magic.

Birthday in Venice
Prosecco in St. Mark’s Square
Makes me grow younger.
— Michael Richardson, Denver, Colorado