Bite update

Sunday evening the scab came off my bite and I thought there was something still inside. (Not baby spiders as was suggested last night). So yesterday morning I was up early and made anothher visit to Pronto Soccorso at the hospital. I was sent straight to dematology and only had to wait twenty minutes. No there wasn't anything inside but it was still infected and I was given mre anti biotics and told to continue using the cream.

I got back to Palanca via the news stand to collect Hello and met Gaspare for a coffee. back to my apartment as Maggie an artist was coming to have a look at it. Back to the bar for a delicious lunch and back at my apartment to welcome Anna for tea and cakes. Then off to circolo - very boring tonight but I said farewells to friends.

Thank goodness I did most of my packing Sunday evening.

It is now almost 7am so I need to hit the shower and put final bits into the suitcase. I have booked a water taxi for 08.30 to take me to the airport - I couldn't face struggling with the luggage and thought I would leave in style.

I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings. Thank you for reading them, I have enjoyed putting them together.

In twelve hours I will be back in Manchester.

Look forward to being here again in January 2012 as Nanny Pat A Cake.

Ciao, ciao, ciao.

Pantomime fund raiser

We had a fundraiser for the pantomime last Saturday afternoon. There were English books for sale, a raffle and food. I was in charge of the raffle, I had been given a prize of two tee shirts from the Venice Jazz Club and Jennifer brought me a box of Yorkshire tea and two packets of biscuits as a prize. I had sold quite a good number of tickets before the event as had others and we sold more on the day.

When it came time to draw the raffle I wrote 1 to 8 on a piece of paper to keep a record of winners. I wrote the first one at number 1 but Carrie said no we were starting at 8 and working upwards. When the last one was drawn it was my ticket and I had won a beautiful Murano glass bracelet and earrings. Had the draw been made the other way I would have won the tea and biscuits Jen had donated!

The event raised over Euros 1000 .

The books, the raffle prizes and Alberto and Andrea who were in charge of the bar.

I met up with a few people who were in the last pantomime that I hadn't seen this time so that was good. Next time I meet everyone it will be the first day of rehearsals. I don't plan to come out for the read through in October, but hope to SKYPE into it.

Five years of scaffolding

Here is the famous Accedamia Gallery which has been under restoration for five years. The scaffolding began coming down last week and the building has reemerged, it is beautiful.

Once the ugly corrugated metal cover at street level (which is plastered with posters) is removed the area will look so much better.

I shall look forward to seeing it next year.

Life is a minestrone

When Jennifer was with me she was amazed as to how many people spoke to me so it made me think. It is quite a list. Here are just a selection.

There are the people I met on my first stay, mostly from St George’s and staff in shops and bars. Last year I got to know so many more people who were involved in the pantomime. Many of these people have been in town during this stay and it has lead to a wonderful social life, it will be quite a shock when I return home.

Last year I also got to know more people at the Italo-Brittania Circolo, especially those who came to see the pantomime. This year I have spoken to many more people and now really feel part of the group.

Venice is a small city and because virtually everyone is on foot you tend quickly to begin to recognise people. I have also learnt that sometimes Venetians don’t speak because they know by sight so many people it would be one long “buon giorno”.

But it is lovely when people you recognise speak. On at least two occasions the staff who ensure you have a valid ticket at the busier vaporretto stops have said buon giorno as they recognised me. On the street between the Zattere and the Accedamia there is a man who plays (loosely) the violin, he says buon giorno to everyone but to those he knows with more feeling. Last week he was playing his violin with his umbrella up the morning it was snowing. I often put a few coins in his case, more in the hope he will stop playing. Last week he was sat on a seat in the campo and another man was playing the accordion. When the violinist saw me he was shouting buon giorno and waving!

Particularly when I walk along the Fondamenta and go into the shops at Palanca I see the same people. A couple of Sundays ago as I was walking down a narrow calle I heard footsteps behind me then the comment of what a beautiful day it was – the lady from the post office. We had also seen her during the week in the coop. I had two items and she had a trolley full and was in front of me, but when she saw who it was waved me in front. I regularly get buon giornos from the coop staff both in the store and when they are outside at the rear unloading.

I had seen a very tall lady with a short severe haircut walking her dog. One evening she was in Bar Palanca with her husband and we chatted. Last week I saw him on the vap and he talked and said he was going away for six weeks. I have subsequently found out he is a famous German actor who has won many awards including an oscar for foreign film.

We had fun at the ice cream shop when I was trying to leave a potato masher there for Jane. I wasn’t getting very far when mother arrived, she has served me in the shop and I was greeted like a long lost daughter with a kiss on each cheek! Eventually an American lady came buy who spoke Italian and enough was understood for me to leave it there. This was after great examination of what is was. The Venetians don’t eat much mash potato.

All about the fund raiser later today. Off to church.

Me, the bite and the weather

Last night I began to feel much better. I woke this morning feeling a different person, the bite looked much improved and when I opened the shutters the sun was shining. What a good start to the day.

For the last six days the weather has been grey or very wet so today it felt wonderful to go out and feel the sunshine on me. The weather looks set to be very good for my last few days which I now feel will be great.

I have just been up to the market to buy some beautiful glace fruit for my Christmas cake and a huge lump of parmesan cheese to bring back with me. These will bring my luggage weight up to its allowance I think!

What to keep on your window ledge!

Here on Burano most have lovely pots but the are also a good place to air trainers!

Window ledges are an extension to your small apartment. Some are used purely decoratively while others are for storeage. Italians buy loads of oranges for freshly squeezed juices and during winter it is an ideal place to store them.

Next to my apartment there is student accommodation and their ledges are amazing - dirty frying pans, beer, storeage boxes the list is endless.

Back at my laptop

This week has not been great. A week last Monday I got a bite, matter came out and I expected it to heal. But numerous visits to the farmacia, cream, cold presses and hot salt presses failed to make it better.
I did ask on Tuesday if I should take some antibiotics but he said no. Yesterday he said I needed some and had to see a docotor at the hospital emergency room. I called two friends and Rosie met me there. It was going to be a long wait they were mobbed. Then she remembered a doctor who would visit you, so we rang her and arranged to meet at Palanca in the bar. It was a terrible day, so wet I was soaked. After she had taken a look we went into the farmacia and in the back they let her clean it for me and I took away peroxide to continue cleaning to remove hard scab and let out the poison.

Today I didn't feel any better and called her. She rang the hospital but it was a Bank Holiday and there was no one on duty to lance it for me so I have to go again tomorrow. She told me to get some different anti biotics too. I take the first in half an hour.

I couldn't believe how ill I felt, I don't think I could have got myself to the hospital earlier but I do feel brighter now. I got a toasted sandwich when I went for the tablets and had a short walk. I really hope they are kicking in and I will feel better.

I was having two new friends over to dinner tonight but I had to cancel which was a shame.

I must be feeling better as I couldn't be bothered to write anything for a few days. I have a couple more ramblings I want to write about so i shall start on those, something more amusing!

Further catch up

The new moon last Monday in Campo Santa Maria Formosa and mimosa. It was taken after my circolo tour of the palazzo Grimani. I need to go and get ready for tonights' talk on training opera singers then out to dinner with a friend.

I am also selling raffle tickets for the panto fundraiser on Saturday. Sold E55 in 24 hours!

The Africans are selling small bunches on the street.

Pigeons having a bath in a fountain in San Marco

Each of the capitols on the pillars around the Doge's Palace are different. We had an interesting half hour studying them. Back at my apartment I have a book published in 1924, A Wanderer in Venice, and each are explaine. We should have had the book with us!

The light on the water at bacino San Marco

We enjoyed the opera La Boheme, especially the set and costumes. The Fenice does like to be slightly risque with them.

Thursday evening we went just over the Acedemia Bridge to San Vidal to see a performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. I have been before and the group, eight of them are very good.

Jennifer wanted to go to Murano, the island where the glass is made. It takes over an hour to get there even taking the no change vaporretto. We got off at colonna and went to see a demonstration of glass blowing. I could probably do it myself I have been so many times I have taken all my visitors. It is E5, cheap compared to if you take the offer of a free taxi to one of the specialists. You are then taken into the showroom where all the VERY expensive glass is on show and there is a hard sell.

At least here you can watch and walk away.

The glass starts as a ball and is made into a horse!

Catching up

I have had a friend, Jennifer staying this week so have been busy out and about and no time to write up the blog. The weather improved dramatically from last week and so she has seen the sun. Tuesday evening we went to the Junghans Theatre round the corner from my apartment to a show from which pantomime would have originated. It was in Italian, rather bawdy but wonderfully acted, their timings were perfect. it was about twins separated at birth, one went to Constantinople and then grown up they met in Venice. There were women dressed as men, men as women and it was all rather complicated but certainly different.

We have also been to La Fenice to La Boheme and a concert of The Four Seasons. I also tried to find slightly more unusual visits - The Greci Museum of Icons, Ca' Rezzonico, glass blowing and the supermarket. I think she is also amazed at how many people I know!

Tonight we are going for a pizza and Jen leaves in the morning.

I will be straight back to clean and prepare a meal for my visitors Saturday evening.

Burano and Torcello

I always enjoy a day on the Islands of the Lagoon and they are interesting whatever the weather. Last week I went twice. I wanted to go to the island of the Franciscan Monks but the Tuesday although it started of sunny the wind came up and the small boat was unable to go out.
Burano nestles in the lonely expanse of the northern lagoon and is the most islands colourful of the lagoon.

It is distinguished from a distance by the tall dramatically leaning tower of its church. In contrast to the desolate Torcello the island is densely populated, its waterways lined by brightly painted houses.

It didn't really matter because after having a delicious lunch of my favourite - lasagne I walked around and took photographs and then took the ferry over to Torccello.

Views of Burano

After having lunch and a walk around Burano I went off on the ferry to Torcello.

The canal leading to the church at Torcello has been under repair for the last fifteen years and it is great now to see it finished. Here is the end of the canal, a view through the loggia at Santa Fosca and the facades of the duoma Santa maria della Assunta and Santa Fosca.

Torcello was the first island in the lagoon to be inhabited in the 5th and 6th centuries and grew into a thriving colony with palaces, churches and a population thought to reached 20,000. Now there are just a few houses, restaurants and 48 people living there. I also saw several for sale signs so anyone wishing to live in a remote spot with thousands of visitors here's your place!

It is only eight miles accross the lagoon but it takes a full day. I set out at 09.45 and it was 7pm when i finally walked through my door, exhausted!

San Francesco della Deserto

Here is the boat "Traghetto" to the island of San Francesco della Deserto.

The island is only inhabited by nine Franciscan monks and you have to get someone with a boat to take you over there. A leaflet gives you a guide through the courtyard, church and garden where there is said to be a tree said to have sprouted from the staff of St Francis of Assisi!

Leaving Burano and arriving at the Island

Here are two photographs of the monastery

A sculpture in the garden.
A view of the swamplands which is how all the islands in the lagoon looked when they were first inhabited.

A statue of St Francis in the garden