Days and Evenings in Venice

Monday 14 May 2007

Sunday I went to that marvelous Peggy Guggenheim collection for third time – its my favorite here and I so enjoyed her art – that’s really now Our Art. Then nearby is that marvelous Accademia that houses most of the Venetian art that’s mostly religious and I walked in expecting to pay and it was free cause this is their Cultural Week. Guggenheim tho is private collection not free. I loved seeing all the art in both. Then I moved on knowing Im almost leaving. Went to few quarters where I got lost and then found.
This is my last day here almost and its Monday. I will leave tomorrow early afternoon after I hope I print out my boarding pass. Its United and they booked me on US Air so there may be a problem with the boarding pass.
I started the packing and sent yet another box thru FedEx.
Today I was feeling badly about leaving and just walking here and there. Also last night I finished that great story Death in Venice by Mann. I asked for something to happen for me something special. I had seen these kaleidoscopes in a good mask store. Venice has I think hundreds of stores selling these masks and most are tourist shops and the masks are mass produced by some molds and its plastic and not hand painted. Anyway this store I knew was real and I bought the kaleidoscopes for my nephews girls. I was not looking for a mask. Then I look down and theres a box saying 50% Sconto and I can never resist a discount. And there in the box is this gorgeous pink mask with some picture at the top. And its reduced from 60 euros. I wanted it and price is right – yet here I just cleared out space in my luggage to take with food and gifts. Now I have to deal with a mask and I did!
Early this morning it was beautiful and I went to San Marco waiting for American X and FedEx and I was able to sit at the tables of the expensive and famous cafes – Florian, Quadri, Levanta cause they weren’t opened! Tonight I may just go there and sit with an espresso that costs probably ten bucks.
I realized yesterday that I mastered all the ins and outs of life in Venice that are the basics - I can handle most any situation now even make phone calls and travel by traghetto and vaporetto and buy groceries and use my Mac ......
That’s all for now.