We've moved from Baltimore, Maryland USA to Venice, Italy in pursuit of living our dream!



Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Carnevale is in the air!

 When the calendar flips to February, I look forward to the telltale signs all over Venice that it won't be long before Carnevale arrives in full force.  Confetti and streamers on the streets is one of my favorite harbingers of what's to come.

Carnevale is one of the special events in Venice that I could not wait to experience first hand when we moved here. In all the years we'd been vacationing here, we always managed to miss Carnevale, since our month was always mid-March to mid-April.  Upon  arrival, we'd notice confetti still in all the cracks of the stones on the street, a sign of all we'd missed.  Having experienced Carnevale first-hand, this is now one of my favorite times of the year.

Last year, some happy party-goer stuffed a handful of confetti into our mail slot. On the inside of our door is a mailbox with a plastic  window in it. I never removed the confetti, I've looked at it every day as I leave the house. It puts a smile on my face every time. This year, I have already purchased  my own bags of confetti and streamers!


When  frittelle begin to appear in all the  the windows of the local bakeries, it's another sign that Venice is getting ready for Carnevale. These delicious little morsels- well, ok- they are not so little- of fried dough, raisins and pine nuts with delicious fillings of crema, zabaigone, fruit, ricotta cheese, or just plain (called Frittelle Veneziana) are only available during the Carnevale season in this part of Italy.  Ricotta filled frittelle are my favorites, but I have not turned down a frittelle yet if offered one! I've been known to eat 3-4 a day. This year, I've been a very good girl and have limited my intake to one per week.  Frittelle sell for 1 - 1.50 Euro in most bakeries- one of the best inexpensive treats Venice has to offer.


8 comments:

Yvonne said...

I love the idea of that confetti in your mailbox. And, those darned fritelle look so good! I was reading about the fun Flight of the Mouse regatta, a bit of a spoof on the Flight of the Angel, I understand! They both sound like such good fun.

Woot! Party on!

karen said...

Yvonne- I plan to attend the flight of the mouse. I am pretty positive that event did not take place the last few years, so it should be fun.

I also love the confetti in my mailbox.

Frittelle will still be in the bakeries when you arrive, you won't miss having a few!

Michelle said...

Boo hoo! I want Fritelle too!
But I'll be leaving before they arrive...early January 2013.
Michelle

Unknown said...

Temptation! No to ice cream but yes to fritelle. I don't blame you. You can have ice cream all year. We are in Venice next week and I intend to succumb to temptation on both fronts - it's not Lent yet!

karen said...

Andrew- I suggest you have frittelle often!! Stop at every bakery you pass and taste to your heart's content. Definitely find Tonolo's bakery, in the San Pantalon area- this one is a winner! Hope you have a great visit.

Unknown said...

Thanks Karen. I'll look out for Tonolo's. Looking at the facade of S.Pantalon, left or right?

karen said...

Andrew- Tonolo's is not in Campo San Pantalon, but down the street. If you stand facing the Church of San Pantalon, there is a street to the right of it. Follow this street to where it meets another street. Just at the end , Tonolo is on the left side. They are closed Mondays.

Unknown said...

Thanks Karen