Miss Garnet's Angel

Many of you will have read the book about Miss Garnet, I loved it & it was the inspiration for me to spend a period of time in Venice,

Here is a picture of the Church San Angelo Rafaele around which the book is based. The Church is not far from me & I can often see its two towers peeking above the other buildings.

Above the front door is a sculpture of the Angel Rafaele with Tobit, the fish and the dog. There is a series of paintings above the door on the inside that depict the story. The Church has a formidable guardian. He insists you sit and pray and then he will take you on a tour of his Church.

Miss Garnet spends time walking about Dorsudoro and I can recognise the street names and the places she talks about.

In the book an American academic tells Miss Garnet about the house of a merchant from the Levant whcih has a relief of a camel on the front. his fortunes prospered and he sent for his wife. Through a scribe she wrote But how shall I find you when I arrive in Venice? - I cannot read. Her husband wrote back to her; When you arrive in Venice ask for the camel - everyone will know it and therefore where our house is. Here are the pictures of the house with the camel!

Back on my own

This weeks' visiotrs left today & I need time to recover.
The highlight of our week was going to La Fenice Opera House for a performance of Gounod's opera Romeo & Juliet. It was a very modern setting, the stage was a giant record turntable. The arm was the balcony! The whole thing - stage, costumes & music was amazing. We had a central box in the second tier & we all agreed we had never had such a good seat anywhere.

Tuesday was the last day of carnival & we went to a "sensation" - senses being the theme this year. It was completly black & we were lead through by a blind person who used his voice to help guide us and point us in the direction of the various textures & objects to touch & identify.
At one point Jennifer had her hand in a guys pocket. But we really enjoyed the experience. We then walked through St Mark's Square which was packed & still people were posing in costume.

I am going to put this weeks photos on my computer & I am sure there will be more to add.

The soprano & tenor during the opening singing from La Traviata - one of my favourite operas.

The quartet with the soloists taking their final bow.

For the final musical segment of the evening we moved to the bedroom for Love Duets.

But it still wasn't time to go home as dessert & pudding were served. I had spent a wonderful evening enjoying three favourite things - people, music & food.

I left there about 12.40 & walked to San Marco for the vaporetto. Most people were going in the opposite direction but I didn't feel uncomfortable, everyone was just happy, no drunken louts. My local bar was still open so I called in for a glass of prosecco to finish off the evening. The place was busy with people returning from the music event in Campo San Margerita.

It was almost 2am when I returned home & needless to say I didn't make Church yesterday.

One of the floral arranements at the event.

Me with three ladies from Sussex.

Following The Barber there was another break for main course. Beside the three ladies I also chatted to a couple from Coventry & two couples from Portugal.

All were lovely people & admired my guts for coming to live in Venice alone for three months.

At the MusicaPalazzo Gala Opera & dinner event Saturday 21st February. There was canapes & champagne on arrival & we could move around the rooms on the piano nobile - most important floor.
The rooms were beautifully decorated, fabulous floral arrangments, candles, glitter & rose petals.

Suddenly the quartet began playing music from La Traviata & the lady in front of me stood up & began to sing, followed by the gentleman next to her. It was a wonderful effect. Then starters were served & again we mingled. Following this we moved into another room for excerpts from The Barber of Seville.

Carnevale pictures

People posing in Piazza San Marco

Sunday 15th February

Back in Venice

Just back in my apartment. It felt like returning home!
Not that I am staying in for long, off to a half hour of Baroque music in Campo San Barnaba, where I had to retrieve Kay & Brett from as they were lost.
The concert is part of Carnevale. That's partly why I decamped to Cortina - hated all these people descending on MY town.
Last weekend St Mark's Square was packed & there were numerous people dressed in period costume posing for photographs. Only the Italians could do this.

A closer view of Mamolada

On top of the cable car at Passo Falzarego with the mountain Mamolada to the right of my head.

Sun & Snow

Came Tuesaday by train & bus to Cortina to see snow & sun. Both have been fabulous.
The only time I have been here before was in 1970 when we drove through on our way home from Rimini & Venice. I remembered seeing the ski jump here from the '66 winter Olympics. The train followed the route we took & yesterday I took a bus to the Falzarego Pass where we stopped to play in the snow. I went up the cable car to see Marmalada & the other mountains. It was so clear, I had a wonderful day. Off now for the return journey back to Venice.

Blog siesta

Been very busy this week with floods & visitors.
Had an awayday to Padova to see the town which is semi industrial semi very old & picturesque.
The main reason was to go & see the Scrovegni Chapel & the frescos by Giotto which are wonderful. I never tire of looking at them. It was market day in the town square & the fruit & veg stalls were amazing.
I will today write more & add my latest observations. Tomorrow I am going to Cortina for two nights. The journey is by rail & then bus. It will be wonderful to see the sun & the snow. I have booked into a small chalet type hotel.

Green coats & orange trousers!

When I first arrived here I thought there were a lot of men here from the Austrian Tyrol. There were so many old men in olive green flannel coats wearing a trilby with a feather in it. Their coats are plain at the front, sometimes stitching detail on the shoulder seam & they have an inverted pleat in the yolk at the back, they are quite long & voluminous. I eventually realised they were Venetian men & all over 65 seem to wear them. Last week I did see a tailors shop with one on a dummy in the process of being made.

For the younger men (& sometimes older ones too) orange trousers are the colour to wear. They range from pale to bright orange & often are in corduroy. I really can’t think of any man I know who could get away with wearing a pair in this colour. Kay & I did keep asking Brett if he would like a pair every time we saw some in a shop window.

As yet, I haven’t managed to photograph either of these pieces of apparel; I don’t want to be accused of stalking! But I am sure the opportunity will arise when no-one is looking! Watch this space!

Water, Water everywhere!

This morning when I went downstairs there was two inches of water in my entrance way. I went through floodwater almost to the top of my wellies on the way to Church - not flooded. At some points you couldn't see where a canal ended & a path began - would be dangerous in the dark.

I have been lucky though because on the other side of Rio San Trovaso, yards from me, everyone has been without gas for 36 hours. It will have been very cold with no heating. On my way home I saw lots of workmen looking at a hole!!! Volunteers were making hot drinks on calor stoves for locals.

The high tides are expected to last for another few days.

Floods & wellingtons

The flood warning went at 6.30 this morning. At 8.30 I couldn't get out of my apartment door.
I went out at 10.30, but couldn't get anywhere without going through six inches of water.
I had a coffee & eventuallyI was able to get to the wellington shop!
They are black & gold & cost E25! I went down to St Mark's Square & had a lot of fun paddling & taking photos. The sun is shining & it is really warm.
I had my jeans rolled up, but they got so wet & the weight kept pulling them down. They are now in the washing machine.

A few days with friends

I have had friends here for a few days so I have been a tour guide & I am a hard taskmaster. We have had two very full, long days. As they are doing this trip on a budget there was lots of walking, they especially loved all the narrow alleys & canals,
We did the stand up gondola across the Grand Canal, the Rialto Market & down to Piazza San Marco & Bridge of Sighs. Then on the waterbus over to San Giorgio & up the campanile for a birds eye view of the city. We took the waterbus back to my area Wednesday we went out to the islands & did glass blowing, churches & walking & was rewarded with a beautiful sunset on the way back. Later we went out for a pizza & then to a jazz club. I am allowing them a free day today & they are coming here to dinner.
I have enjoyed having friends here & showing them around.

Tomorrow I will get back to my Venetian observations, I don’t intend for this to be just a list of what I did each day. When there are more people visiting you won’t be subjected to a travel itinery!

First month's review

I can’t believe that it’s just four weeks since I finished packing in a big hurry for Richard to take me to an airport hotel the night before my flight due to bad weather. Check in was wonderful, my luggage weighed 16 Kilos over my allowance and nothing was said, no charge. That paid for the hotel accommodation!
The Veneto looked wonderful flying into Marco Polo airport, everywhere was covered in snow & the sun was shining. Even the long wait for the alilaguna because I’d just missed one & the 11/4 hours it took me to arrive at the Zattere did not dampen my spirits. Then wonder of wonder there was a ramp over the one bridge I had to cross to my apartment. Much easier to cross with two suitcases & a heavy bag of books, although I did have Anna who met me to help.

The apartment was so much better than I remembered, but soon went very cold. For the first week I don’t think the temperature got above -5c day or night. But the sun shone, I got my waterbus pass, complete with my photograph & my internet access.

What have I done or achieved in four weeks?
I have thoroughly cleaned the apartment; realised how difficult it is when everything in the supermarket is unrecognisable. Played give us a clue with the checkout assistant as to which flour I needed for cheese sauce. Become recognised in several bars, the news stand, the greengrocers, the supermarket & my next door neighbour. Visited the Islands, countless churches, museums, galleries. Been up Campanile’s, joined a weekly Yoga class; joined a weekly lecture group; explored the back alleys, sorted out the Hidden Venice, been to four concerts, walked what seems like hundred’s of miles, been on an away day to Vicenza (in depth details later, the train journey was memorable); attended church worship of three denominations, read the lesson twice, attended a service in Basilica San Marco with the screen turned around, entertained my first guests to dinner; been asked directions in Italian given them back, today an Italian lady thought I was Italian because I was carrying obviously supermarket shopping ( in Hebden Bridge co-op cotton bags); am the only person in Venice to have 15+ mozzie bites! kept up my blog & diary & taken over 500 photographs!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow not bad for so short a time. And of course not forgetting what I do best…shopping, Murano glass necklace & bracelet, huge handbag & a pair of black heels. They have to go out with me in a bag to put change into on arrival wherever.

I am enjoying the time to do as I please. When I wake up in a morning I take a look at the weather & decide what I shall do that day. Usually I eat out at lunchtime; I enjoy trying the many types of tramazinni, wraps & toasties. On my way home I call at the wine bar for a glass of wine & some cichetti, Venetian type tapas & then cook dinner before falling into bed exhausted. Those of you who know hot hot I have my house will be amazed at the amount of clothes I am have to wear inside. The thermostat is set at 20.9c – too cold for me. I have even been cold in bed!

So what of the next month?
I have several friends coming to visit; it is Carnevale so there will be special events to celebrate that & I still have a very long list of places to visit. There are more Venetian Observations to be posted on my blog & I have other away days I would like to make.
I hope there will be lots more interesting & amusing anecdotes for you to read.

Thanks to everyone for looking at this rubbish I am writing & keeping in email contact with me. If the blog is quiet this week it is because I am out with my friends – but I will catch up.

Venice 1st February

Back to full health today & raring to go - in the snow. Unfortunatley it's wet stuff & not sticking. It's not cold enough for it lay.
Busy now preparing for my first visitors who arrive tomorrow. Kay & Brett fly out in the morning & it will be really good to see friends. I am established well enough now not to be homesick when they leave. Each day I feel more & more as though I belong here.

Met some people at church today who come out every other weekend & live just around the corner, so we exchanged tel. nos. & email addresses & will get together.

In just over an hour I leave for La Fenice, opera house for a concert, the music of Dvorak I think tonight.I had planned to wear my dressed up dress but I think I will stay in a thick skirt & tights with boots.