photo courtesy www.newford.org.uk
Day 20 (venti)!
Believe it or not, I selected each of the Advent Calendars I was going to feature on these blogs way back on December 1. I chose the calendars, and assigned them each to a day of the month. I got a huge chuckle today when I opened the file for today's blog and took a look at this calendar, because what is behind door number 20 is the annual Babbo Natale Regata in Venice!
How perfect is that! Babbo's for the Babbo Natale Regata. What a great coincidence.
The Babbo Natale Regata is one of my favorite events of the season in Venice.
For the last several years, on the last saturday before Christmas, the city holds a special regata on the Grand Canal. The requirement for anyone rowing in the regata, either as a competitor or one of the boats in the corteo (parade) is that everyone must wear a Santa Claus (Babbo Natale) costume. I
Usually, I take up a spot near San Zaccaria vaporetto stop to watch all the Santas rowing. This year, I got to don one of those fantastic costumes myself! The Pink Lionesses in Venice (of which I am now a member), suited up at the Bucintoro rowing club along the Zattere.
Even the boats are decorated!
We've all arrived at Ca'Foscari. A very happy bunch of Babbi !
Festive boats!
Buon Natale!
2 comments:
Dear Karen, I love your blog, especially now, counting down to xmas! I will be in Venice in January and I hope there will be some of the xmas atmosphere left. I will definitely visit the ice skating at San Paolo to feel even more at home (being Dutch) ;-). Last spring I kept a blog myself about paper in Venice; maybe you would like to have a look: http://janinevosdemooij.blogspot.nl/2014/03/papier-in-venetie.html (the english translations are at the bottom).
Ciao, Janine
Thanks, Janine! And thanks for your link to your blog. I love Venetian paper. Do you know the paper shop Rivolutus on the Rialto bridge? The owner is a lovely lady.
Hope to see you in Venice soon!
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