When the confetti starts a flying for Carnival in Venice today, organizers hope costumed party goers will make the folks at home jealous by posting photos, blog accounts and videos from the just-launched Wi-Fi network.
Getting that access, though, may be a typically Italian test of patience: buy a user ID in person (€5 euros daily access or €10 for10 days) from hotels (Luna Baglioni or Hotel Monaco e Gran Canal) or historic locales in Piazza San Marco (Caffè Florian, Caffè Quadri and Avena).
Once in La Serenissima’s Piazza San Marco, add your user ID and wait for an SMS password.
(The hassle can’t really be avoided, thanks to Italy’s terrorism laws). (To find Italian hotspots that may be without registration, try here or here).
Still, there may be another reason to sigh out of your Casanova mask: the best photos and videos (15 total) win Skype-compatible cell phones.