Life Expands as do I

April 29
Life expands

I didn’t write in few days. I did start photographs and storing them and they are now at
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v374/judgo/


I think there are some good ones and I have my style liking to take something that captures a moment in time not what I can get on a postcard. Of course I regret loss of the digital slr – this Casio is a good one and it has its drawbacks for photography.
I think I will continue to photograph my espresso and food.
Later I will write about my experiences with food here and cooking in the apartment. I really like that of course since I am so interested in food and cooking.
Whats good for me is that I continue to eat healthy. Speaking of healthy I am enjoying the gym and its an experience – very small and some new equipment from Technogym and some company called Energy. I cannot understand how they get this heavy equipment here. All the other things are very old and rusting – there are machines that do same as ours and sometimes you have to figure out how and even if you know it doesn’t have the same ease of use. Example is Tower from Bay Club and something here has four parts for biceps and triceps and you can change the piece although not many choices. Its all good and I enjoy it. I think he will cut me a good deal to go for the last 2 weeks here. And it has a locker with key so you don’t need your lock and a nice change room and shower. The cutest part is their bird everyone there stops and talks to the bird – I think name is Iago or something like it.
Yesterday I really accomplished something amazing! I decided to use my bank ATM card connected to checking and guess what – every machine has only digital keyboard – my pin is letters – even if there is a letter keyboard it doesn’t work. So that night I call B of A and its closed. The real good thing is I was able to let it go yesterday and go to gym. Yet I didn’t give up – I knew there was a way to translate letters into #. So finally I come upon keyboard like ours letters and numbers – that one tho doesn’t take Plus system that’s for my card. However I read keyboard and I get my digital pin and voila go to another place and it works!
Another good thing was discovering traghetto – this is a gondola that’s plain and it takes you from one side of a canal to other – it doesn’t go on Grand Canal I think cause of that distance. The people here stand and I got in going to Fish and Produce market yesterday and sat. Did shopping, had espresso and tuna sandwich and took it back and I stood for the ride.
I have seen of course much wonderful art mostly in churches last few days and that marvelous Palace – Ca Rezzonico – here I have never seen such exquisite beauty in every room – takes you back to another era of Venice high flying times. Like dot com before with taste
I have seen quite few of Rosalba Carriere portraits and she was the only famous woman painter of that era and she was absolutely marvelous. Right now there is conference in Chioggia to study her work
I went to this marvelous Church Friari cause of old book Barbara Scott gave me and it was amazing place and the highlight was this gorgeous Bellini tryptich
Last night I went out with two ladies here in this apartment area I met from Oxford – both retired and one is also jewish and from Chicago. It was good to talk to people for first time really in 11 days of being alone. They took me to very good restaurant. They have come to Venice few times so know it. Leaving restaurant something happened to my ear and I knew its from this cold I have – the ear completely clogged. Yet I enjoyed waterbus ride on grand canal to St Marks and walking there listening with one ear to these music places outside and just walking and returning on waterbus. When I got back here I was concerned – now what? - I took some ibuprofin from Nina or is she Elizabeth and tea and ate some toast and today Im okay.
This is wonderful time – when I was at Friars Church I thought about something that was really bothering me at home and there amidst the beauty of this 15th place with monument to Titian, to Canova, Monteverdi buried there, and this marvelous Bellini in Sacristy and of course the marble floors walked on by millions I realized how irrelevant all that other stuff is – there will always be things in life not right, not as we think they should be, not fair and really its so irrelevant compared to the possibility that Life is for every human being. I am blessed to be here in Venice seeing what I see and meeting new very nice people and with the resources to get around and even to translate my letter PIN into numbers. All of it – and of course to wake up with return to my health.

Food in Venice

Technology works

April 26
Life expands

Getting around is less of an issue after 8 days and you do better here with good sense of direction and a good map reader – neither is my forte. Remembering The Forum and my Creativity seminar I sometimes say - This is it and I am satisfied – regardless of the cirumstances
Yesterday was Feast St Mark patron saint of Venezia and I was going to P San Marco for tour of Clock Tower. And came upon the formal celebration with marching and flags and I think veterans of wars very official and they set free 3 flags – Venice orange with Lion – Europe and Italy.
Clock tower that was fascinating – you climb up and up very small winding metal staircase not for anyone with claustrophobia or walking problems – it was originated by Doge (ruler) in about 1500 and a clockmaker designed this complex system cause it’s the clock and the two Moors at top that strike a bell at 5 to and 5 after. Twice a year these figures of magi and Virgin are set upon a mechanism that brings them out – once is Ascension Day coming next month. They are wood and I think very old tho not the originals. Various clockmakers perfected the clock. The originals lived there and every 12 hours they set off the ring of the clock. Also the clock now has zodiac and signs of the moon. Someone at some time I think in 17th ca made the first digital clock form. A clock maker would be just enthralled. You go here by appointment and we were group of 6 and our guide.
During the day I had to deal with my train tickets to Pisa and Florence and that was quite a tale. I was told not to buy tickets from US and he was right – I was very fortunate to talk to people there with excellent English and came to learn the main train is eurostar and I was sold one eurostar tik with reservation to return from Florence – the other 3 were intercity or regional or normale tickets and that means many trains for one destination – just to go from Venice to Pisa I had like 2 tickets maybe 3 cause I have to go from V to Florence to Pisa. Finally I learned I could pay for another tik on eurostar that’s from Venice to Florence then use the normale ticket to Pisa and another of my normale tik from Pisa back to Florence. Of course Rail Europe did not explain anything to me just sold me tickets and sent them.
Then later went to this church that was in Venice Observed by mary McCarthy – excellent book thanks to Bob! Here I was in church with almost all Tintoretto and one Titian – that’s not so unusual – Tintoretto is buried here with two children and I think it said his wife is also buried in another place in that church – Madonna del Orto.
I walked a lot yesterday and oh almost forgot I came upon this Flea market as I was looking for bread store – I found the shop and this fascinating flea market. Most things are too heavy to get home – quite a display – someone has this mini toy treadmill and elliptical machine I almost got. There were old postcards, books, jewelry and glass pieces – I saw someone buy old abacus. No clothing – its what we call chachkes.
Now its Thursday and I am here a week. Im going out to another area near church Santa Maria de Formosa to see this church San Giorgio in Schiavoni with Carpaccios – and later Im going to gym. Just for fun. I will go to poste and mail a birthday gift to my friend Barbara – very smart that I sent ahead various things we use in US cant find here like larger mailing envelopes, dark thick pen, tape, postit,
I went few times to internet stops and took this mac there.What I miss the most is the ease of using technology at home.
Anyway I began today to photograph
If you want to look here it is
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v374/judgo/
My blog designer Alan Stonebraker –without whom I would not have a Blog at all – is adding one of these photos with some editing
Carpaccio paintings in San Giorgio in Schiavoni is so marvelous – very different from Titians or Tintoretto or Veronese or Bassini or Palma – more detailed and complex.
That’s all for now due to the expense of using these internet points and time to move back to my peregrinations…Today I lost a wonderful map
I sent a friend some gifts for her birthday airmail using the post office - and some people from France asked me how to mail card to France - I knew the blue box is for international!

Judy in Venice
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Technology Gap fill in the blanks

April 24


at peggy Guggenheim Museum and palace on Grand Canal - I saw this wonderful painting of tarot card The Magician called The Surrealist. I never heard of this artiste Victor Brauner. I wish I had known this Peggy Guggenheim – she really knew her art. Anyway today at Ca Pesaro Museum of Modern Art – fabulous paintings and sculpture saw this wonderful painting cant fully recall title – Water and ? with the face of love also by Brauner. It was just delightful – three faces and I think love face of red is in center – blue face on left and cant remember other and it was an Element. I will read about him...
I wandered for hours to find this museum – thought I found it from map and it wasn’t the museum – Palazzo Pesaro not Ca Pesaro – the map was folded and maybe didn’t read Pesaro right. Lots of details not my forte and without that I would be lost somewhere days ago sighing.
Went to gym today and that was fabulous. First I had to find it and I did – then I had all the things I needed and got into this small space with lot of old machines that really do what the new ones do – some I couldn’t figure out – the manager came few times to help me – I must have stood out like a character in this small gym of Italian men – a few women not doing the weights. It was sooo good to do the weights. I will return.
Tonight I go to Teatro Goldoni – he was the only known Venetian playwright however its not his play (he died in 1700s). When I saw the ad it said A Miller and name included Morti and Viaggi – aha Death of Salesman.
I will leave apartment and go there and I know where it is!
Tomorrow is major holiday of St Marks the patron saint of Venice.
Men give women red roses –
I made a successful call today with calling card and got space to go to Clock Tower at Piazzo San Marco Its Renaissance building designed partly in 15th ca with clock, lion of St Mark and these Moor Bells. You can only see it with an appointment so I had to make the call.
I think I am adapting to this world just fine. That’s why I needed month. See I am not doing this like a typical American. The biggest drawback for me is no Italian – I would return here only when I know language. Besides language you must know to read a map (planta) and my map reading is improving.
After leaving Ca Pasaro I got to vaporetto since I was on other side of Canal – took the #1 and then “transferred” to #1 in other direction to my place Ca dOro. The vaporetto is their bus on water of course.
A land without ground transportation – they deliver packages to shops and homes with a wagon some young man pulls using back wheels – same with picking up garbage. And some barge not large at all removes things and brings things. They don’t use auto here so some have motor boat. I saw a beautiful boat looked just like gondola with two rowers standing and very long rows.
The gondolas are something else – each unique. Saw one with mat – Welcome Aboard. The Gondoliers are continually in sales mode. I like watching them and I don’t care to spend my money there – 80 – 100+ euro --- over $100.
I would like to buy binoculars – good way to see art in churches.
I am going now to theatre and stop somewhere for espresso – of course

April 22 Venice Ramblings

April 22 Venice Ramblings
Ipod Dylan Blood on Tracks
Espresso
Tiziana café
This is a fascinating city of contradictions. Its old and so much beauty yet its faded. Beauty and the old are of the past. It doesn’t function now for them to survive except as it brings tourists their main business.
You are in church with Tiepolo on ceiling
Tintoretto on walls some Giorgione, today saw Veronese, Bellini…
Peggy Guggenheim is buried in her Sculpture Garden with her beloved dogs.
There I was in a room with 4 Pollocks
A really unusual Rothko with strips of horizontal red called Sacrifice
Everywhere these shops and stands have painted masks and only saw one shop with woman inside painting them. Same with glass one shop where someone actually making the glass figures and painting them.
I went to synagogue for services Friday and I was checked outside all of us were very few jews live in Venice. Orthodox service and women upstairs – men pray downstairs. Rabbi said something about pane and matzo maybe you only eat the matzo as bread for shabbus Sabbath.
Then this morning to church for services – Chiesa di Giusida – in Sacristy surrounded by Tiepolo and Tintoretto trying not to gaze there. Tintoretto paintings are all dark – wonder how they looked then.
One woman Venitian artiste – Rosalba Carriiera – saw her wonderful portraits at Accademia.
Get somewhere I walk and sometimes use vaporetto – its their bus on water – and really delightful experience stand outside and watch water, boats, buildings and some palazzo.
These gondolas are something and very expensive probably about $150 usd. Each one is unique a work of art all shiny black lacquer and same size and shape yet each is decorated with rugs, upholstered seats and icons
Venice is a dichotomy – fell from very high place and yet survived something about its survival is anti-Venice. Reminds me of Max Ernst painting at Guggenheim here – Antipope. The old identity is here and everything else sits on top pretending its original, unique and not.
Its interesting coming here as tourist yet separate from American world in Venice. A lot of my early difficulties since arriving Wednesday afternoon come from living in Italian Euro Venetian world. I am aware of the differences and i have no guide to bridge the gaps. Like how to read map and get somewhere walking.
So now I am beginning to experience life here.
I was in church waiting for concert and thought about someone I knew who didn’t feel anything. Its easy to think about that here cause Italy is so emotional. The glass symbol here is red heart. Anyway he learned very young to survive by not feeling anything. We all have that something we adapted to survive. And really its nothing more than a sweater – you can keep it on or choose to take it off….j

Venice friday 20th

Everything is settling clearing up
and I am letting go
To experience the unexpected
I went to jewish ghetto
and tonight to services at their spanish synagogue
What a fascinating place

Judy

April 19 Day of Frustration and Beauty

This is really me outside my box of comfort and security. Both my credit cards were blocked today - no phone had to get a phone to call banks none of this is easy. I think its okay and I really dont know. Went to the hotel to pay my bill for the apartment and really difficult to find the place tho I did. I took off for Piazza San Marco - that was something and finally got to a museum Correr and Basilico both in San Marco- I especially enjoyed Basilico and the mosaics and this magnificent Pala dOro piece done many centuries ago and the wonderful Gilded Four Horses. I mean this place is marvelous.
I wanted to add photo to this and cant do it.
You know life outside the box is when we are really challenged
Also I had this thought there that it doesnt matter what or how much you have - it doesnt mean you are free. I felt free today dealing with Chase and BofA about my card access. Not that I equate Freedom with Travel - its about being able allowing yourself to live your own life and having movement and flow. Sometimes I do and not always
Then after walking from Piazza along Grand Canal I was returning here and got lost - that was okay - i knew I would find my way. I have this belief here that the help I need will come when I need it and it does but not magic. I have to continually step out...

Traveling and Evening one in Venice 4/17 and 4/18

April 17 United 900 to Frankfurt

Well I am in the air at last and my plan worked out except for one large glitch – I lost my camera and if that’s not bad enough I attached very good zoom lens in second bag and wouldn’t you know that as I was going from eating place and getting it all together I thought to put the zoom in my carry on and I didn’t. So what happened? I went to bathroom and put the camera stuff on a hook and left without it. When returned of course it was gone. I called PD lost and found and saw officer who took a report. I even sent email to lost and found. It would be soo nice if someone honest found it and then returned it to the airport. I like to keep that thought and I lost my camera. I did bring small digital – I really like the digital slr Pentax that’s gone now. Nothing to do just to let it go.
Otherwise all is well here in the air. In 9 hours Im in Frankfurt and then on to Venice. Maybe I can buy a camera there? Moving on from this mishap something really funny happened going through security – they stopped the progress of my smaller bag – I took both bags through with nothing checked. So he says – “you have yoghurt?” Im surprised and I say “Yes I have yoghurt”. He says “ You know you are only allowed 3 oz – I didn’t know that and I even checked with airport and she said “Yes you can bring your yogurt”. So he has my bag with its many pockets looking for my yogurt and I try to help to open a pocket and he says “I cannot let you touch the bag”. Then he finds it the prize and looks at label and tells me its over 3 oz – maybe its 3.2? – and I say Then I just told him to throw it away. Ridiculous strategy for defeating or preventing terrorism – going after yoghurt
Now Im in Frankfurt – couldn’t use phone and met a lady here with a phone from US and I called hotel – the lady there Marina wants me to call her when I get to Ca Doro – and I have no phone. However I got into Tmobile here at airport cause I had an old account.
My camera is gone and I am really sorry and my bags are here and so am I
Later…

4/18 in Venice

It was not easy to get here after plane landed – I took this Alilaguna water boat for 6 Euro and they gave me various instructions how to get to Ca Doro – and when we got to Fondamenta de Nova I learned it was 5 min walk – my bags are heavy. Thanks to my lifting weights and athletic life. Then came another issue – I had to call the woman who owns hotel and the apt and my phone doesn’t work – I couldn’t use pay phone. Got two different people to help me and in short her son came to get me by Vaporetto 1 near Ca Doro. We walked and then I realized I can get lost getting back there each day. This is not SF or NYC or life in a 4* hotel. Im really in Venice life. So then there is this strange key and the door out and in has to be locked and locked. It took me half hour to leave the place later knowing I can open the locks. Anyway I have to get to hotel tomw to pay for the apartment.
The apartment is very far from an old villa and its okay. Phone line doesn’t work for dial up – I don’t know how to turn on stove – someone left me this zippo lighter. Anyway I got my box that I sent and put everything carefully away and charged Palm that doesn’t work as a phone and Mac since I brought adapter plugs for Europe. Showered, washed some clothing and left. I will wait for going to hotel tomw. After all this when I got outside I was so moved –here I am in Venice and it’s the real Venice – Its beautiful and old. Soooo sorry I lost my camera!
Now I decided to buy phone and was walking cross Rialto Bridge and came upon this internet station so here I am…..
Well Blogger is in Italian so I hope this works
Forgot to say that while walking to Ca DOro to call the hotel went to small espresso and pasticceria and it was a marvelous Espresso - the best! Cost less than 1 euro. euro + $1.30 usd

Gelato in Venice

sunday 4/16
I am starting this blog as I am close to leaving for Venice for one month. More later J