Venezia
Traveling around, particularly to the islands of Murana and Burana, the practical Venezian attitude of "short of land? We can just make some more!" was in evidence.
N and I have admired the ubiquitous drainage system in courtyards to collect water for cisterns. In its way, something of a social comment about how things have been, and are, done in Venezia -- with a sense of practicality and social obligation.
In Venezia, the water pouring out of fountain-plinths in squares, however traditional it might be, jars against my Australian sense that water is scarce. But we are in Europe, water is not scarce. A friend, staying in the English countryside, had her hosts state that the dry weather was being hard on the plants. "Well, you could water them" she said. Apparently, they looked at her as if she was from Mars.
The thought of Venezian water traffic being done like Sicilian road traffic is just scary.
Saw a t-shirt that had the Rialto bridge, Michelangelo's David and the Colosseum on it; loved the subtext--Venezia has canals and the glorious city built on land we created; Firenze has the wonders of Renaissance art; nothing worth mentioning has happened in Rome for about two millennia.
The narrow, weaving, curving streets of Venice between three-story buildings making navigating through said streets an adventure, particularly as many of the alley ways are not even marked.
Looking at the venerated, mummified remains in glass-sided coffins in Catholic churches, the Salafist accusation that Shia are "corpse worshippers" comes to mind. Looking at the opulence of Catholic Churches, Catholics really are the Hindus of the Christian world. (The Orthodox even more so, but there is very little theological difference between them.)
Our menu Italian generally interacted fine with serving staff's menu English.
Thursday
Got up, wandered off to Theatro San Gallo to buy tickets for the Story of Venice performance that night, then on to St Maria del Miracella which is a late C15th church, effectively the first Renaissance church in Venice and the most beautiful church I had ever seen. We, as recommended by the Church guide, on to Santa Marina de Formosa as the "next step" church. It is bigger and aesthetically much less coherent--the altar area does no really work (no where for the eye to rest).
Then on to the Venezia Casino (since 1638) to try and get a casino chip for N's brother-in-law. Communication was challenging, but the burden was come back at 3.30pm when the tables opened. (I was much more confident than N he would be able to, since it was in the Casino's interest to sell a chip that never got redeemed--unless they were awfully worried about counterfeiting.)
Then onto the Ghetto and the Jewish museum. The pieces were mainly late C17th and later, but there were some C16th printed books. The room presenting the history was very well done. One of the themes of the history of the Jewish Ghetto was that the Jews would be get along and getting ahead (e.g. being pioneers in high quality printing), and then the Papacy would put the boot in (e.g. ban the production of Jewish religious texts).
Had lunch on the Carneggio canal (the only canal apart from the Grand Canal that is big enough to have waterbuses) at Ristorante Gam Gam. At first, thought it was a remarkably narrow part of the Grand Canal, but no. We were were near a routes 4.1/2, 5.1/2 waterbus stop; it was really striking how many waterbuses went through one after another.
We had been told that, if one wanted to eat, do it around the old Jewish quarter (which still has a strong Jewish presence. I never had kosher Italian before, but the meal was lovely. I had tagliolini with salmon (which was lovely) and N had a very fine roast chicken with vegetables. We shared bianca vino and my chocolate cake (which was lovely--light, fluffy, a rich sauce), N only had a small portion.
Then did a big wander through sections we had not been to before, going up near the railway station, which helped get an even better sense of the city (since that was where we came in). The route 1 waterbus back to San Marco. N wanted to go the island of San Giorgio. Trying to work out the intricacies of the waterbus system led to some failed to and fro on route 12 before N gave up because it was clear you had to go the long way around.
Then back home for a potter and wind down.
Took ourselves off to see The Story of Venice, grabbing a nice wrap (me) and toastie (N) at Al Vecio Penasa on the way. There was a BBC film at 7pm, which took itself somewhat seriously and was very Venezian in its point of view. Then a break during which N got a Bellini cocktail and read the rather fabulous program guide. Then onto The Story of Venice, which was a male and two female actors taking on various roles, two come in go out light relief, with backdrops projected onto three walls and set pieces projected facing the audience. Was lots of fun.
Then we raced off trying to get to Ristorante Bandierette. In a miracle of navigation, N got us there but it was a quiet night, so they appeared to be getting ready to close up. So N then tried to navigate us back to more active areas near the Casino which, after a bit of trial and error, he succeeded. We had dinner at Trattoria da Gianni. I had a fine plate of spaghetti di nero (black sauce, i.e. cuttlefish sauce) and N some carbonara, we both had bianca vino. Then we shared (well N had a piece) a formaggi misto which, while not quite as ample as some, was excellent in quality. Then off t the Casion; I waited outside, N bought a ticket, went through the signup rigmarole and then left.
We then wandered home by foot and waterbus. The Grand Canal is magical by night. Architectural magnificence from the high medieval to now.
Friday
Packed our luggage and tidied the flat. Leaving our baggage upstairs from the lockable grilll that separates the top storey, we wandered down to the Museum of Naval History. The 50 anniversary of the naval school (I thinK). Under set up pavilions there were fantastic models of the aircraft-carrier Garibaldi and amphibious support ship San Guiste. We went in, starting with the top story and worked down. The top story had a great exhibition of Swedish naval history, including its links with Italy, which date back to the C17th--Venice and then Italy having similar issues--dealing with an aggressive imperial power in enclosed seas. There was also a lovely exhibition of shells and coral, but N and I were more interested in the things that go bang. There were a few more models of contemporary Italian naval vessels on the ground floor and there was no cleaning blocking access to the c17th fortification models on the ground floor. I also go to enjoy the model of the Korean turtle boat again.
Wandered out to the Via Garibaldi and had a couple of wraps; the wraps and sandwiches have been consistently excellent--nicely flavoured, fresh ingredients.
Then collected our luggage, got a waterbus to Lido. After some toing and froing trying to work thngs out, got tickets on the Alalaguna service to the airport. It turned up almost on time (4 minutes late) and had a leisurely trip across the lagoon to the airport. One gets a much better sense of how large the lagoon is from that trip. And how many water taxis there are.
The airport was straightforward; apart from an Indian couple in front of us who seemed to have enormous difficulty understanding the perfectly normal airport security instructions from staff.
N and I have admired the ubiquitous drainage system in courtyards to collect water for cisterns. In its way, something of a social comment about how things have been, and are, done in Venezia -- with a sense of practicality and social obligation.
In Venezia, the water pouring out of fountain-plinths in squares, however traditional it might be, jars against my Australian sense that water is scarce. But we are in Europe, water is not scarce. A friend, staying in the English countryside, had her hosts state that the dry weather was being hard on the plants. "Well, you could water them" she said. Apparently, they looked at her as if she was from Mars.
The thought of Venezian water traffic being done like Sicilian road traffic is just scary.
Saw a t-shirt that had the Rialto bridge, Michelangelo's David and the Colosseum on it; loved the subtext--Venezia has canals and the glorious city built on land we created; Firenze has the wonders of Renaissance art; nothing worth mentioning has happened in Rome for about two millennia.
The narrow, weaving, curving streets of Venice between three-story buildings making navigating through said streets an adventure, particularly as many of the alley ways are not even marked.
Looking at the venerated, mummified remains in glass-sided coffins in Catholic churches, the Salafist accusation that Shia are "corpse worshippers" comes to mind. Looking at the opulence of Catholic Churches, Catholics really are the Hindus of the Christian world. (The Orthodox even more so, but there is very little theological difference between them.)
Our menu Italian generally interacted fine with serving staff's menu English.
Thursday
Got up, wandered off to Theatro San Gallo to buy tickets for the Story of Venice performance that night, then on to St Maria del Miracella which is a late C15th church, effectively the first Renaissance church in Venice and the most beautiful church I had ever seen. We, as recommended by the Church guide, on to Santa Marina de Formosa as the "next step" church. It is bigger and aesthetically much less coherent--the altar area does no really work (no where for the eye to rest).
Then on to the Venezia Casino (since 1638) to try and get a casino chip for N's brother-in-law. Communication was challenging, but the burden was come back at 3.30pm when the tables opened. (I was much more confident than N he would be able to, since it was in the Casino's interest to sell a chip that never got redeemed--unless they were awfully worried about counterfeiting.)
Then onto the Ghetto and the Jewish museum. The pieces were mainly late C17th and later, but there were some C16th printed books. The room presenting the history was very well done. One of the themes of the history of the Jewish Ghetto was that the Jews would be get along and getting ahead (e.g. being pioneers in high quality printing), and then the Papacy would put the boot in (e.g. ban the production of Jewish religious texts).
Had lunch on the Carneggio canal (the only canal apart from the Grand Canal that is big enough to have waterbuses) at Ristorante Gam Gam. At first, thought it was a remarkably narrow part of the Grand Canal, but no. We were were near a routes 4.1/2, 5.1/2 waterbus stop; it was really striking how many waterbuses went through one after another.
We had been told that, if one wanted to eat, do it around the old Jewish quarter (which still has a strong Jewish presence. I never had kosher Italian before, but the meal was lovely. I had tagliolini with salmon (which was lovely) and N had a very fine roast chicken with vegetables. We shared bianca vino and my chocolate cake (which was lovely--light, fluffy, a rich sauce), N only had a small portion.
Then did a big wander through sections we had not been to before, going up near the railway station, which helped get an even better sense of the city (since that was where we came in). The route 1 waterbus back to San Marco. N wanted to go the island of San Giorgio. Trying to work out the intricacies of the waterbus system led to some failed to and fro on route 12 before N gave up because it was clear you had to go the long way around.
Then back home for a potter and wind down.
Took ourselves off to see The Story of Venice, grabbing a nice wrap (me) and toastie (N) at Al Vecio Penasa on the way. There was a BBC film at 7pm, which took itself somewhat seriously and was very Venezian in its point of view. Then a break during which N got a Bellini cocktail and read the rather fabulous program guide. Then onto The Story of Venice, which was a male and two female actors taking on various roles, two come in go out light relief, with backdrops projected onto three walls and set pieces projected facing the audience. Was lots of fun.
Then we raced off trying to get to Ristorante Bandierette. In a miracle of navigation, N got us there but it was a quiet night, so they appeared to be getting ready to close up. So N then tried to navigate us back to more active areas near the Casino which, after a bit of trial and error, he succeeded. We had dinner at Trattoria da Gianni. I had a fine plate of spaghetti di nero (black sauce, i.e. cuttlefish sauce) and N some carbonara, we both had bianca vino. Then we shared (well N had a piece) a formaggi misto which, while not quite as ample as some, was excellent in quality. Then off t the Casion; I waited outside, N bought a ticket, went through the signup rigmarole and then left.
We then wandered home by foot and waterbus. The Grand Canal is magical by night. Architectural magnificence from the high medieval to now.
Friday
Packed our luggage and tidied the flat. Leaving our baggage upstairs from the lockable grilll that separates the top storey, we wandered down to the Museum of Naval History. The 50 anniversary of the naval school (I thinK). Under set up pavilions there were fantastic models of the aircraft-carrier Garibaldi and amphibious support ship San Guiste. We went in, starting with the top story and worked down. The top story had a great exhibition of Swedish naval history, including its links with Italy, which date back to the C17th--Venice and then Italy having similar issues--dealing with an aggressive imperial power in enclosed seas. There was also a lovely exhibition of shells and coral, but N and I were more interested in the things that go bang. There were a few more models of contemporary Italian naval vessels on the ground floor and there was no cleaning blocking access to the c17th fortification models on the ground floor. I also go to enjoy the model of the Korean turtle boat again.
Wandered out to the Via Garibaldi and had a couple of wraps; the wraps and sandwiches have been consistently excellent--nicely flavoured, fresh ingredients.
Then collected our luggage, got a waterbus to Lido. After some toing and froing trying to work thngs out, got tickets on the Alalaguna service to the airport. It turned up almost on time (4 minutes late) and had a leisurely trip across the lagoon to the airport. One gets a much better sense of how large the lagoon is from that trip. And how many water taxis there are.
The airport was straightforward; apart from an Indian couple in front of us who seemed to have enormous difficulty understanding the perfectly normal airport security instructions from staff.