Tuesday, May 15, 2007
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.
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.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Food and Music
May 13
Early morning breakfast by a Canal
I went last night to La Felice Theatre It was magical evening. Excellent conductor and I think he is German - Herbert Soudant and they did two Schubert Overture D major 590 and Luciano berio and Berlioz Trista and Overture B Cellini. He talked to us and I was as high up as you can go in that marvelous theatre so I didnt hear well and he told us to listen to two things and one was poetry of the music. At intermission we all went into the Café that is called Dante Room and there is very old painting of Dante that was uncovered after the fire. The system there is you pay for what you want and then give paper to one of the women working and they give you champagne, panini sandwich – all meat, or cappuccino or espresso and one woman is working that machine and its Illy coffee. Some people are at tables so they get the table service. I give someone my receipt for espresso and really I was amazed when I got it. This city really could benefit from some consultants setting up systems In grocery stores they keep all cash in metal box and end of day count it and do tally on their registers. Anyway the evening was marvelous and the music was superb – excellent orchestra, conductor and chorus
Im sitting outside apartment by open door onto canal watching as water taxis pass and some small motor boats. The water taxi is just like the taxi we know. As I was waiting for vaporetto after the theatre this water taxi pulls over and out came a woman then the driver maneuvered around and pulled back out and I see woman talking to well dressed man by the vaporetto stop and then he gets onto taxi and off it goes into the night waters.
Last night was Rush Hour in Venice. About 10:30 and this is by Piazza San Marco (just saw ambulance go by) and I got to the place just as one vaporetto leaving and he said 20 minutes for next. I was first there (I just saw private owned boat very nice) Well in no time there was a crowd – the boat came and there was crowd on it and then us and as we left I saw more people waiting for next one. It was packed and mostly I think Italians some tourists like me. Someone gets on with luggage and someone gets on with large baby carriage and small baby. Im outside looking at the homes on Grand Canal (Park Avenue). Then I come to my stop Ca d’Oro and Im almost home. What a wonderful evening.
Im beginning to pack and organize my packing. I sure hope I can get my bags on the planes with me! I sent back a lot – I have large bag with small gifts and that’s new and doesn’t include cheese and pasta gifts. I have 2 days what to do that’s wonderful and special …..
I haven’t talked much about one of my favorites – Food. Definitely most popular here is meat sandwiches panini , ice cream and pizza and of course espresso that they just call Café. Mostly people drink it standing at bar maybe with pastry maybe with panini sandwich like small roll or tettramini which is plain white bread without crust some are tuna and most with too much mayo.
There is marvelous fish and produce market right here – I just take this traghetto to cross Canal and that’s a gondola low end – costs about .50 and mostly you stand as two gondoliers pedal it across for the next group. Anyway the selection of fish is very fine includes salmon, tuna, swordfish, scamp, clams, mussel, octopus, calamari, Some fish I don’t think I know. Its all fresh and beautiful fish and I buy it. Yesterday I got salmon, swordfish, scampi, some kind of clam I don’t know out of the shell. I made excellent fish dish in pan with salt, red basil and fresh peas. For dinner I made rice. I had some stomach problem for few weeks and my good friend Janet told me to do watered rice. Im fine thanks to it.
Other night I went to local very popular place for dinner as a treat – not good – I order pasta w fish and he says its sardines and that set my stomach back into time warp. So I do better cooking my own meals. For breakfast I had eggplant I made with olive oil and added peas, capers and nice boiled potatoes with salt and basil and added some of the fish. Had that with toast. I have put together some excellent meals here just w olive oil, little salt, basil, sometimes adding anchovies, caper and olives. No cheese is my thing to keep my cholesterol good. I eat lot of rather plain bread – nothing fancy and no chocolate. Sometimes a croissant. I will buy piece of foccacio and toast it.
I found a health food store here near fish market and its really that. They sell tofu and very nice wheat breads and vitamins – I bought Calcium. Its quite popular place.
Well its time to post this blog and move on – what am I doing today Sunday?
Early morning breakfast by a Canal
I went last night to La Felice Theatre It was magical evening. Excellent conductor and I think he is German - Herbert Soudant and they did two Schubert Overture D major 590 and Luciano berio and Berlioz Trista and Overture B Cellini. He talked to us and I was as high up as you can go in that marvelous theatre so I didnt hear well and he told us to listen to two things and one was poetry of the music. At intermission we all went into the Café that is called Dante Room and there is very old painting of Dante that was uncovered after the fire. The system there is you pay for what you want and then give paper to one of the women working and they give you champagne, panini sandwich – all meat, or cappuccino or espresso and one woman is working that machine and its Illy coffee. Some people are at tables so they get the table service. I give someone my receipt for espresso and really I was amazed when I got it. This city really could benefit from some consultants setting up systems In grocery stores they keep all cash in metal box and end of day count it and do tally on their registers. Anyway the evening was marvelous and the music was superb – excellent orchestra, conductor and chorus
Im sitting outside apartment by open door onto canal watching as water taxis pass and some small motor boats. The water taxi is just like the taxi we know. As I was waiting for vaporetto after the theatre this water taxi pulls over and out came a woman then the driver maneuvered around and pulled back out and I see woman talking to well dressed man by the vaporetto stop and then he gets onto taxi and off it goes into the night waters.
Last night was Rush Hour in Venice. About 10:30 and this is by Piazza San Marco (just saw ambulance go by) and I got to the place just as one vaporetto leaving and he said 20 minutes for next. I was first there (I just saw private owned boat very nice) Well in no time there was a crowd – the boat came and there was crowd on it and then us and as we left I saw more people waiting for next one. It was packed and mostly I think Italians some tourists like me. Someone gets on with luggage and someone gets on with large baby carriage and small baby. Im outside looking at the homes on Grand Canal (Park Avenue). Then I come to my stop Ca d’Oro and Im almost home. What a wonderful evening.
Im beginning to pack and organize my packing. I sure hope I can get my bags on the planes with me! I sent back a lot – I have large bag with small gifts and that’s new and doesn’t include cheese and pasta gifts. I have 2 days what to do that’s wonderful and special …..
I haven’t talked much about one of my favorites – Food. Definitely most popular here is meat sandwiches panini , ice cream and pizza and of course espresso that they just call Café. Mostly people drink it standing at bar maybe with pastry maybe with panini sandwich like small roll or tettramini which is plain white bread without crust some are tuna and most with too much mayo.
There is marvelous fish and produce market right here – I just take this traghetto to cross Canal and that’s a gondola low end – costs about .50 and mostly you stand as two gondoliers pedal it across for the next group. Anyway the selection of fish is very fine includes salmon, tuna, swordfish, scamp, clams, mussel, octopus, calamari, Some fish I don’t think I know. Its all fresh and beautiful fish and I buy it. Yesterday I got salmon, swordfish, scampi, some kind of clam I don’t know out of the shell. I made excellent fish dish in pan with salt, red basil and fresh peas. For dinner I made rice. I had some stomach problem for few weeks and my good friend Janet told me to do watered rice. Im fine thanks to it.
Other night I went to local very popular place for dinner as a treat – not good – I order pasta w fish and he says its sardines and that set my stomach back into time warp. So I do better cooking my own meals. For breakfast I had eggplant I made with olive oil and added peas, capers and nice boiled potatoes with salt and basil and added some of the fish. Had that with toast. I have put together some excellent meals here just w olive oil, little salt, basil, sometimes adding anchovies, caper and olives. No cheese is my thing to keep my cholesterol good. I eat lot of rather plain bread – nothing fancy and no chocolate. Sometimes a croissant. I will buy piece of foccacio and toast it.
I found a health food store here near fish market and its really that. They sell tofu and very nice wheat breads and vitamins – I bought Calcium. Its quite popular place.
Well its time to post this blog and move on – what am I doing today Sunday?
Movie in Venice Man of Year
May 12, 2007
Movie
I went to see Luomo di Anni – Man of Year last night starring Robin Williams expecting to hear English. First the theatre does not sell any food – just machines with soda and I think candy – no popcorn! Got in and the movie is dubbed and there is Christopher Walken speaking Italian and then comes Robin himself. At first I thought to ask for refund cause not what I expected. As it continued I did understand a few words here and there and you know Robin Williams is brilliant and he doesn’t have to say anything to convey himself. His manager Walken gets sick and they rush him to hospital and I understood Emphysema. The story is that Tom Dobbs a comedian is elected president and a subplot with Laura Linney who I think works for company in Silicon Valley that managed the voting machines. It gets scary when her company is out to get her cause she knows the machines were rigged. I think what happened that he won was mistake. All the candidate names have double letters. Anyway it’s a very good film and I think he should have got oscar nomination. When I come home Im studying the language.
Now Saturday morning. Im going out to market, post office. My FedX box arrived in my home. So I want also to use phone (that’s a challenge) to thank Grace the manager of my building for handling all my boxes.
Movie
I went to see Luomo di Anni – Man of Year last night starring Robin Williams expecting to hear English. First the theatre does not sell any food – just machines with soda and I think candy – no popcorn! Got in and the movie is dubbed and there is Christopher Walken speaking Italian and then comes Robin himself. At first I thought to ask for refund cause not what I expected. As it continued I did understand a few words here and there and you know Robin Williams is brilliant and he doesn’t have to say anything to convey himself. His manager Walken gets sick and they rush him to hospital and I understood Emphysema. The story is that Tom Dobbs a comedian is elected president and a subplot with Laura Linney who I think works for company in Silicon Valley that managed the voting machines. It gets scary when her company is out to get her cause she knows the machines were rigged. I think what happened that he won was mistake. All the candidate names have double letters. Anyway it’s a very good film and I think he should have got oscar nomination. When I come home Im studying the language.
Now Saturday morning. Im going out to market, post office. My FedX box arrived in my home. So I want also to use phone (that’s a challenge) to thank Grace the manager of my building for handling all my boxes.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Friday in Burano and Torcello and Venice
May 11 Friday
Yesterday I was believing it was a day earlier and that was good except it wasn’t real. I leave Venice on Tuesday for Mestre cause I think its easier to get from there to airport and I leave Italy Wednesday. So the question becomes what to do that’s really special in the next few days? I got ticket to concert at la Felice Opera House that was rebuilt after fire in 95. Its very beautiful place and that’s definitely special. Tonight I have reservation for very good restaurant here in my area Volvant and that’s special cause I cook and eat here in the apartment. I have been buying some gifts and still more to buy. And I want to go to Treviso that’s close to here by train. It’s a small city on water. I know I will return to Peggy Guggenheim and Accademia. Ah maybe I will go to one of the expensive places on St Marks for a coffee or to Harrys Bar or to Gritti Palace for breakfast and sit outside.
I woke this morning and thanked G-d for the beauty of this trip that is slowly and strongly coming to an end.
I had to navigate thru some difficult water here and I did. Everything has worked out exceeding expectations – except for my mistake at SFO losing my camera and lens. At least I was sensible to bring the second camera.
Well its Friday morning and Im leaving – I have to call this number 10am to reserve for tomorrow morning to see the rooms of Richard Wagner at Vendramin Palace that’s now Casino. And I have a pass – I should go there tonight. – that would be special and I could get dressed in my white lace dress.
I got on a boat to the islands near Venice this morning – to Burano known for the lace and to Torcello that has Byzantine church originally built in 800 – mosaics including magnificent mosaic of Last Judgement. I felt such a sense of awe there.
I really enjoyed boat rides – reminded me of being kid on Staten Island Ferry.
Im back in Venice and after this I will get ready for tonight – after dinner I will go to Robin Williams movie Man of the Year L'Uomo do L'Annee
I am okay about leaving on Tuesday – sort of okay…
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Trieste Italy
May 9, 2007
In Trieste
Returned on train from day in Trieste – walked to the synagogue and it was closed for visit. Went to Roman Theatre – some really old buildings now businesses like Post Office that was Palace palazzo. Its busy city and small and only saw a section. Then there it was Caffe Trieste same name as my place I like at home started by people from Trieste – Papa Gianni and his wife 50 years ago. Anyway move on, bought Parmeggiano Formaggio and fresh pasta for gifts. Got map at some hotel – a must in any new place.
Saw lots of small shops selling inexpensive clothing hanging on outside and similar things inside for girls and ladies. Many of them had these red Chinese paper lanterns. Then I realized all these stores are owned by Chinese and I don’t know if they wanted that or is it required by the city??
Went to lunch at bar near fragments of Roman Theatre. With very good Insalata Mista – lettuce, tuna, corn, tomatoes very simple except what was different is this salad was half the price of what I pay in Florence or Venice. That’s the difference when you are in a city that doesn’t feed on tourism.
Very few tourists in Trieste.
Returning to Train Station by bus we passed the same Caffe Trieste and I was early so I was going there of course and it was not so easy to find. I was so happy to be there and I can now say I drank espresso at Caffe Trieste in San Francisco and in Trieste. That is cool!
Clock is ticking and after today its 6 days.
Yesterday I went to Palazzo Grassi finally to see new modern art exhibit collection of Francois Pinault. And it was just marvelous so fresh and creative – about 10 artists and I don’t think any are Italian and most American. It really inspired me to continue with my collage in boxes.
As I went in there was a youngish couple man and woman and she is blind. You would ask how she can go to museum.. Later I saw them in front of an art piece and I knew they bought the guidebook and he was reading to her. That is love – she can see the art through his eyes and with her ears.
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