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

To Venice from Florence Firenze

May 7 2007
Back Home

I was sorry to leave Florence and I was so happy to return to Venice. Its not easy to travel around – you go with as little as possible cause unless you do taxis you are carrying it all like a turtle. I was there 4 days and there was lots of rain – on 3rd day I was so happy to buy a black tee shirt – Fila. New clothing! Also I switched hotels 3 times. What I saw there its magnificent art. Its Florence. Its more cosmopolitan and current than Venice. A store sold ginger. A sushi restaurant absolutely outrageous prices. Cars, bicycles, loud scooters. Very interesting city. Their signature meal is that rare Florentine bisteak and couple next to me other night has huge plates filled with bisteak. I am sure it was good and its not for me.
I had to buy another train tik to get back to Venice. Couldnt use mine that I got online unless I left day earlier. No Way!
After lugging my bags from train station about 20 min walk I was thrilled to be in my apartment and just did a Stop change start and was outside on Sunday afternoon. I gave myself a day away from Art.
Decided time to unload send things home and get ready for return. I do not want to go home and next Tuesday I leave for Mestre by bus cause that gets me closer to airport for Wednesday return.
Today was a great day in Venice. Saw this marvelous exhibit Sargent in Venice and Im reading book City of Fallen Angels by John Berendt and he writes about Curtis family and their Pallazo Barbero. There was painting by Sargent of the Pallazo and the grandparents who bought it in 1800s and moved from US. I bought print of it. It’s a marvelous book
Then today took that boat from one side of canal to tother Traghetto where I stand for the ride and came upon outside by fish market preparation for a big party. Went to my café and watched and they had these marvelous Food Bouquets and it was grand. It was a gala party for an American company that is connected to food that’s all I know. Couldn’t slip in cause you had to have this tag. Took some photos and then I was stopped by their guards.
I had some difficulty calling US Airways about my return flights and I couldnt - they answered email dont you just love technology? I can travel with cheese and dried pasta!

Tomorrow is another day of 8 more ….
Today I went somewhere and actually returned taking a shortcut