JudysKeys

​new blog

La Fenice and Judy

Ponte Bridge from Venice to San Francisco

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v374/judgo/
My Italy photos are on photobucket until I put them also on Flickr. I am completing the Judy Here in Venice blog since Im not there. I am here. Starting new blog
http://jathome.blogspot.com
I learned lot about travel and I will start the blog about what people should know who travel out of country simply with 1- 2 Stars not 4 star version which is like you never left home.
I got my last box from Poste Italiano. I made the transition back quite well. In some ways I am glad to be home maybe 70%. You need something Special to adjust to any transition. For me its return to SF Bay Club - swim and weights and the challenge of rebuilding my strength.
I decided to study Italian and return in 08 probably would stay in Florence for few months.
I planted the seeds I got in Florence - lavendar, basil, mint and only lavender is growing.
I put my photos into three small albums I carry and Im doing one of my collage boxes on Italy. Thats become my artistic expression. Also brought in Rothko Sacrifice poster from Peggy Guggenheim place for frame - that is a marvelous painting. I honestly think I miss most Peggy Guggenheim museum collection.
Something I read in book by John Berendt - City of Falling Angels on Venice that its city of magic, mystery and ?
What a marvelous experience and I do believe some of what I do know will come from there like a source. My work is merely a path and that is the most obvious benefit from Venice. Nothing that happens there or doesnt happen has any impact on me and my well being. Its so irrelevant.
I think I will close very soon this blog. I just realized about the seeds - thats what I brought home seeds not just basil, lavender, mint - seeds its too early to tell what will grow. I am very happy about the gifts I gave to people from there.

At Airport

Wednesday May 16

I almost did not get on the plane and now Im at Venice Marco Polo airport with 2 boarding passes for the planes. I knew I would have a problem when United website didn’t have my flight connected to my United mileage+. I wrote emails to United and US Air and made phone calls. Nobody gave me cause for concern just me and my instinct. I will deal with United when I return. Some young man here at Marco Polo Airport working for US Air helped me a lot! Another person before him gave me no hope. When he told me I might not be able to get on board I would have paid for a ticket. I think I will write something about all the pitfalls with travel and this is one - free miles and the airline puts you on another airline! Do not do that unless the source airline gives you a ticket. What he explained is that the airlines dont communicate. Anyway Im on my way - plane leaves 90 mins to Philadelphia So its 707 to SFO. Also I have my bags with me.
Once again security took my yogurt like a terrorist would have yoghurt. Anyway a small sacrifice.
Coming here yesterday really helped since with these 2 heavy bags not good to be walking around looking for US Air and bus #15.
This was such a wonderful experience all of it! It will take a while to absorb it be with it… I am very grateful for this gift from many people. I brought back many gifts and I hope they contribute to their lives.

Movies in Mestre

Tuesday May 16 evening

Tonight was unexpected here in Mestre
Looking for place for dinner in this Piazza I walk past cinema and see La Vie en Rose poster and I knew it was about Edith Piaf – I read about it and I don’t think its in US. So I found small place with meat and cheese and I got nice rice salad with no meat or cheese and bread and water and saw this wonderful wonderful movie. The lady who played her is superb Marion Cottilard and I am sure it was Piaf music. What a wonderful story about her life. I read about her great love for this boxer Marcel. Of course although it’s a French film - it was in Italian except for her music and if it was French they did Italian subtitles. I think this is very interesting and says something about Italian culture – in my country our foreign films are always in their language – rarely is anything dubbed.
I went Saturday to apartments where Richard Wagner lived in whats now Venice casino. He had great difficulty having his operas played there in his lifetime. It was done tho a few days after his death – The Ring Cycle. Mostly I think the Italians want it their way and that includes their language. Their movie theatres don’t show any coming attractions – tho this one did have some ads and downstairs there was stand with some food. Popcorn?
I leave tomorrow and when I get my boarding pass I will be very pleased!
I will see this movie in US in French. It was wonderful to see Depardieu again – he was the man who discovered her – Charles Leplee
http://www.edithpiafmovie.com/

http://www.edithpiafmovie.com/

The movie opens in June in few cities in US – also called La Mome. Even if you don’t know Edith Piaf – see the movie – so many women stars have a lot of tragedy in their lives – including Britney Spears

Challenges

Tuesday 15 May 2007

Now here is my experience with the airport and the boarding pass I don’t have yet. I get on a local bus and realize I don’t have tik and driver doesn’t take cash. The hotel gave me a small map showed me where to get bus and I asked where it returns and that’s it – nothing extra with information. Like how to get a tik and what bus to get back. So Im on bus and it said to Airport or Aeroporto – and still Im not sure where Im going or how to return. Then Im watching and see sign to Aeroporto so I know its going. I get there and of course its same Marco Polo Airport I came to last month. I find someone with English and I have to go upstairs and there I am and no US Air no United open. Someone tells me they have no flights today and sends me to another place – this smart lady explains I cant get boarding pass if US Air isn’t open and she tells me where they are tomorrow so I walk and I find US Airways of course closed.
Remind me never again to fly United and to finish up my miles with them!
Anyway nothing I can do so time to move on but how and where and I have no bus tik. So I go to the same place where I got boat tik into Venice and next to it says bus to Mestre. He says its different than my bus #15 (and more money) so now I am trying to find out where to buy 2 bus tiks on #15 and I go round and round. Someone helps me and I get there to the right booth and I have my tiks and then I go outside and find place with #15. Waiting a young couple speak English and ask if they need tiks and I tell them yes and direct them. That felt good to help someone not go thru my experience. The bus comes – I get on and validate my tik and they too. And then I figure out my stop. I made progress altho no boarding pass.
So tomorrow morning I take #15 to Aeroporto and at least I know where to get my boarding pass. So on to the next challenge and then I am on my way home. And of course I am intending to take on my bags.
That’s it and its 6pm here so Im going out.
I was thinking on bus coming back here that I wish I could start this trip again knowing what I know. There were so many issues and problems to solve. And yet I managed it all – the biggest regret of course is my carelessness losing Pentax and zoom lens. However maybe it had to happen to wake me up to pay attention. Always I have a lot of different important things with me like passport and different kinds of money and credit cards and other camera and of course the keys. I lost a book and that’s all. No phone was a definite issue and I knew that coming here – just the alternative was too costly for month. I could have made that work better – I got from
http://www.cloncom.com
800 europe # and pin however what I bought was not for pay phone and everything outside is pay phone and doesn’t take coins. Looking back the issue with credit cards blocked I overreacted. I reacted cause of cards blocked and not able to call
Here is what I think about travel in another country when you are not in a Bubble of Protection as if you hadn’t left US – any issues you have about control will emerge. You don’t have the usual control and that’s a fact when you are in another country not speaking language and without a guide. You have to navigate and that begins with Relax and then you can think things through how to solve this on your own .... after you let go...
I know someone with a lot of money and many free miles and his job ended and he probably wont get another one – his life is spent in Starbucks near his home. That’s safe and secure and he keeps the control. And the world in which he lives is very small.
It takes courage to step outside the box

Arrival in Mestre

Tuesday 15 May
Im in Mestre waiting to get into room – I left Venice about hour ago – early morning I finish packing and went to few of my “places” and bought this Italian Tarot Deck I wanted. So its my second Italian deck! As usual the cards are quite amazing. This deck is I Tarocchi dei Segretti. Its beautiful, and explanations are in English and Italian so it helps me learn language. Other deck I got in Trieste is from Milan and it’s the traditional deck Marseille. I am using it. With this one I asked question about the deck for me and I got reversed Emperor. Beautiful card showing man in his full power a ruler. Of course he is reversed since Im woman. I got Empress card from other deck about Whats next for me in Italy and she came up as Current Situation – She was not reversed. So it’s the full cycle.
The new deck helped me to move on cause I was feeling down this morning.
Anyway my two bags are packed and the main one is very very heavy. Also since United put me on US Air I have problem getting boarding pass and I think I will go to airport today. It was Very Smart for me to come to Mestre today rather than leave from Venice tomorrow.
I went from apartment after leaving keys in door and note for Guiseppe Scarpa whose office was across and he owns these buildings and we don’t speak same language yet we communicated. It just said Ciao It was very difficult for me to leave there and I did.
Now I have to deal with this boarding pass issue so I am going to airport today. I wanted to get photos on
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v374/judgo
It wasn’t easy to get here also – had to get this heavy luggage with me on vaporetto to bus station Piazzale Roma then to bus #4 with my bags on floor – the driver and one person in bus said it goes there to Piazza Ferretto – and one person said no. I decided the driver knows. So Im on this bus standing with bags on floor and glad to see hes following signs to Mestre. Then and here comes my Angel again – I ask a lady and she and her husband tell me they are going there and I understood. So we get off soon after I see this sign Hotel vivit with arrows. I follow them and it’s a walk and my bags are heavy – thank G_d for weight lifting. So I keep following them and it winds and I would never have found this without them! Then we arrive. It’s a Piazza and I don’t see Vivit so I go to these men and ask in what I think is Italian if they know Vivit – I use Cognosce and this man is really outraged at my language and I understand him as he says I should speak Italian and he only speaks it and then he calls me “Loco”. Meanwhile since I know this doesn’t mean anything I see Vivit sign and he is still ranting on calling me “Loco”.
That’s my experience coming here. Its okay place – now I have to deal with US Airways and a boarding pass for tomorrow.
More later…