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

Coincidences

After Church yesterday as it was so beautiful I stopped off at Bar Laguna on the Zattere for a spritz. Later Ian a friend from Church came by and joined me. As we were leaving the waitress said to Ian I know you, you live in the same apartment block as I do in Mestre. I introduced them to each other and said it took a foreigner to get neighbours together.

In the evening at Jeremy's tea party there was a couple I hadn't met before, the were from Shipley and of course asked where I came from. Oh their best friends lived in Cragg Vale, I wouldn't know them. When the said where they lived I knew immediately. The Methodist circuit and this couple are in dispute because they have moved grave headstones and made alterations to the graveyard without permission!

Small world.

Too busy to write

The week has been very musical after a dirth of concerts. Here is where I have been.

Monday night the Circolo was not in its usual place but at the UNESCO offices. The walk back included Piazza San Marco where there was no people but loud music. It was raining. I was on my way to The Hard Rock Cafe for a burger.

I was the only non American in the place, I was looking forward to a lovely soft bun, but it was the hard Italian brad, so all in all a bit disappointing

















Wednesday and Thursday evenings I went round to the Mensa, workmans' cafe where there was music as if it were in your living room. The lady with the long dark hair had organised it and the pianist was a friend, they played and sang. Then I went to the VJC. Thursday Liesl came along to sing, I met her through the pantomime and she is an opera singer. She got up and did a few numbers which was great.



There were quite a few students in from 6pm, they had many spritz's and had a great time.
Liesl singing

Frank, Liels husband arrived he had just flown in from Chicago and he is directing Sleeping Beauty next year so it was great to talk to him about the panto and my part.

Friday at 8.30pm I went to a concert of Vivaldi music at the recently reopened church of the Pieta where Vivaldi was the choirmaster. I have heard the Four Seasons played much better.

Saturday at 6pm I went to Casa Goldoni to see a performance of a day in the life of the carnevale at the time of Goldoni. It was illustrated with paintings, stories and music. Here is Liesl once again in her real role as am opera singing. Her fabulous shawl and jewellery was by Gualti a Venetian designer.

Here is Liesl again.

Saturday night I went to the Venice Jazz Club. Twice in one week because I went Wednesday too. That was the music of The Cotton Club, 30s and 40s. Last night was Latin and Bossa Nova

Such fun.

Federico also gave me T shirt for the raffle at our pantomime fundraiser in two weeks time.

Better photos than last time I took some

Nanny Pat a Cake

Nanny Pat a Cake is my part in next years' production of Sleeping Beauty.

The part is based on Nursie in Blackadder 11. As I hadn't seen this I have borrowed the DVD of the series and am now watching them.

New business cards will need to be made!