How can one every see Venice though new eyes??We think that FROG BOY is one of the most refreshing new visions. He was temporarily covered with a glass cage to protect him from the fireworks of the Festival of the Redeemer. Normally he stands guard over the entrance to the Grand Canal.
Friday July 16 was clearly the hottest day we've ever experienced. Even Chuck's childhood in Bakersfield did not prepare us for 80% humidity (our sunglasses were fogging, the windows were dripping wet) and 111 (actually 111.2) degrees in the shade.
After waking early amidst a fog of humidity, we met the students at 11:30 a.m. in the Paizza San Marco to hand out museum passes and encourage them to explore the city. We headed for Ca'Pesaro - a modern art collection housed in a mansion on the Grand Canal: Sorolla, Chagall, Max Ernst, Klimt, Mattises, Rodins and paintings of friezes were breathtaking. Hard to get to, but searching and discovering is the game plan here.
In the afternoon we met Paolo and antiquarian bookmaker who engaged us in a completely over-our-heads conversation about the history of Venetian bookmaking and the need to perpetuate a dying art form.
Friday July 16 was clearly the hottest day we've ever experienced. Even Chuck's childhood in Bakersfield did not prepare us for 80% humidity (our sunglasses were fogging, the windows were dripping wet) and 111 (actually 111.2) degrees in the shade.
We got up at 5:00 a.m. to enjoy the unearthly quiet and get to the Rialto produce and fish market. Muscular boatmen were unloading the freshest of peaches, tomatoes, strawberries, plums - everything at its peak of perfection, plus the freshest fish, scampi, octopus, snails and seafood that you could imagine! It all gets shipped in and arranged with extraordinary care by vendors who have probably been doing this for generations. It is completely eye candy!!! Countless inspirations for paintings, and at least 280 photos later, we headed back to the hotel for breakfast.
Sliding, sweating and generally melting our way back to the hotel we freshened up and headed out with Academy faculty, Macy Chadwick and Carrie Ann Plank, for a "cena passegiata" (we made that up) sort of a progressive dinner involving apertivi, ciccetti, lots of walking, crossing bridges, missing gondola taxis (traghetti) and being smashed into vaporetti. Have you ever had dinner in a sauna? I want to remember the Bucatini, Squid in Ink and polenta, but all that comes to mind is the "decorative" rotating fan that mocked us.
Seems the entire world is on fire right now. Last I heard Arizona had temps of more than 116 degrees. New York has had it's second heat wave in three weeks, so we escaped to Maine. But it is hot here too; too hot for poor Nutmeg to do more than three laps around the yard. Our glasses fog the minute we escape the relative cool of the car. But blissfully it cools down at night. Nothing like that breeze coming off the ocean.
ReplyDeleteYour trip sounds just magical if not wilting. Can't wait to see your books. I want pictures of food too, not just boots and laundry. PLEASE. Talk about living vicariously. Might have to have a glass of prosecco tonight in your honor.
It is sunny and cool here in San Fran. Perfection in summer weather except when we see no sun, as we did today. Costco now has gelato for $1.50 for 3 scoops.I am sure this is in honor of your trip.Hugs, Gary
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