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Una bella vista~

We were only there five nights, but Venezia made such a strong impression that it needs more than the previous blog posts to do it justice.

With Carnevale season here, I think it is appropriate to talk about the two sides of Venice that are reflected even in the weather. Previously, I have written about how people wanted me to notice the quality of light in Venice. When we first arrived it was overcast, drizzling, and grey. It remained that way for most of our time there. Life went on as usual, the Grand Canal was busy with boat and gondola traffic. However, we did have one incredibly sunny, clear, and warm day. That is when the other side of Venice showed its face, too.

With the weather perfect, we headed up the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore, designed by Andrea Palladio and begun in 1566. From here there is a 360-degree view of Venice, the surrounding islands, and the snowcapped Dolomites off in the distance. Every time the elevator opened at the top of the bell tower, the gasps of delight, each with their particular accent, from the exiting tourists were always the same~ 

“Ohhhhhhhhhhhh~”

“Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh~”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh~”

 When you are walking the streets of Venice the city seems an unending twist of rabbit runs, an enormous wild warren of shops, ristoranti, leaning towers, museums, and piazzas. From above, the warren is revealed as a small and finite “land,” contained, restrained, and threatened by its watery perimeter. Water is Venice’s master and it is only when viewed from above that one feels its crushing impact upon the city.

We did not stay in the bell tower long enough to hear the bells rings next to us. We descended and walked the adjacent boat landing, turning to face the tower as the bells struck twelve and noticing the moon still visible next to the tower. Venezia is magical even at high noon.

Italians seem to have gardens tucked away everywhere. When we are in Rome, we are notorious for stopping as a car exits a palazzo or an alley from behind a large wooden door. While the door is open, the gate light flashing, and the car slowly pulling out, we are usually bent over or standing on our toes to see past the car into the now revealed courtyard. Without fail, a lush green garden with statuary or a fountain, or both, is on display for a brief and shining moment. Sometimes the security guard will give you a dirty look, thinking you are plotting a way in, but after the car leaves and the door starts to close, you catch their eye and say, “Bel giardino—Beautiful garden.” They smile, nod their head, and are secretly proud that you took a moment to revel in what they protect. Italians appreciate beauty and the acknowledgement of that beauty.

The cloister on the grounds of San Giorgio had a sweet garden—tucked behind locked gates and iron-barred windows. As well-dressed Italians, seeming more like dignitaries than everyday employees, let themselves in and out of the gates, I was lucky enough to capture a glimpse of the cloister. As I took my photo, one of the “dignitaries” stopped, caught my eye, gave me a nod of approval that said “Yes, it is beautiful, isn’t it?”—allowing me to snap the photo before he continued on. 

The rest of the sunny day was spent much the same way…churches, buildings, towers, museums, hidden gardens as small as a window box, and an intimate lunch at Antica Locanda Montin.

There is never enough time to talk about everything one does in a day while visiting Italy, so I will end this post here knowing that there is always domani—tomorrow—to tell the rest.

The next posting will be about the restaurants in Venice and then we might move on to another town…maybe. 

Ciao e a presto~

Mark

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“Venezia, Venezia…Chi non ti vede non ti prezia”~

What can I say about Venice that hasn’t already been said over the centuries by people more brilliant than I? Nothing.

The above quote is from Shakespeare’s play Love’s Labour’s Lost and translated in the play it means, “Who understandeth thee not, loves thee not.” Shakespeare obviously loved Italy and Venice. He set many of his plays in Italy’s Veneto region…Verona, Venice, Padova (Padua as it is called in The Taming of the Shrew).

I was excited about finally traveling to Venice—Venezia. It had been on our list of cities to visit in Italy for years, but we held off until this past November. Part of the decision had to do with economics. Venezia è una molto cara città—Venice is a very expensive city, which is why we decided to travel there off-season. Hotels are a lot more affordable—not necessarily cheap—during the off-season. We stayed at the Hotel Paganelli (http://www.hotelpaganelli.com/hotel-venice/chisiamo.php?szLang=en) and had a room overlooking the lagoon—where the Grand Canal connects to the Lagoon. It was a perfect location.

Several Italians friends in Montgomery were thrilled to know that we were going to Venice in November. “The light on the city is so beautiful that time of year. The light is more gray and does wonderful things with the marble. It is much more magical in November than in summer.” I believed them. Venice is notoriously hot, crowded, and displeasingly aromatic during Summer’s high tourist season. I am glad that we were able to avoid the sweltering throngs and go in November.

When we arrived on that Friday morning, it was chilly and rainy in Venice. Gray light, indeed! Arriving into Venice is like no other place in Italy…the train pulls into the station and you are almost immediately at the water’s edge waiting for a valporetto—a water taxi—to take you to your destination along Venice’s canals of “streets.” There is nothing glamorous about the valporetto. It is an inexpensive way for the masses in Venice to get from point A to point B. In a sense, it is Venice’s “on water” subway system. There are private taxis for hire, but those boats can be expensive and, sometimes, just as unglamorous.

Our room at the hotel had tasteful, golden fabric-covered walls, rich woodwork, and a nice marble bathroom. The room wasn’t terribly spacious, but we could fling our window wide open and, standing side-by-side, lean on the sill and gaze out over the lagoon. Directly across from us sat Palladio’s San Giorgio Maggiore and gondolas bounced with the waves in their moorings directly in front of our hotel.

There is something magical about this city and, as the title of this entry points out, there seems to be two views, two perceptions, two atmospheres of Venice. Even in the mist of the afternoon’s overcast sky there was a richness about Venice. It was a friendly elegance. Sophisticated, but elegant. At night, walking through the narrow, twisting, rat-maze-like streets one could imagine the masked and cloaked figures of the Carnevale turning the corner and making you gasp, only to disappear into the misty, yellowed streetlight night. Here, Venice was mysterious, ominous, and disorienting.

I will write more about Venice, its people, and its food over the next several posts. Enjoy the photos and maybe put on some opera—Don Giovanni—to get into the masked and cloaked mood!

Ciao e a presto~

Mark

(**The photos: Statue is in the courtyard of the Doge's Palace, view from the Hotel Paganelli, and San Giorgio Maggiore at night.)

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