photo courtesy www.skiptomylou.com
Welcome back to Karen's Countdown to Christmas - Italian style! It's Day number 9 (nove).
Do any of you have advent calendars you use every year? Do any of you buy the ones made out of cardboard that have a chocolate candy behind each door? I particularly loved the one I'm featuring on today's post. This suits my style, and I really like that each day is an ornament to be hung on the tree. Something like this might just make an appearance in our house next Christmas.
Today I've chosen to write about something that has become very meaningful to Venetians who live in the city, something that in recent years has become a harbinger of the holiday season.
An ice-skating rink (about 400 sq. meeters) is constructed in the middle of Campo San Polo It's the perfect location in the city, central to everyone. This year, the skating rink opened on December 6, and will remain open until February 17, including the entire Carnevale season.
This is the poster that is hanging in almost every vaporetto stop around the city, announcing not only the ice rink in Campo San Polo, but also the one in the center of Mestre.
I stopped in the campo yesterday and was gratified to see so many families and children enjoying themselves on a beautiful, sunny winter afternoon. In a city that doesn't offer any winter sporting activities, ice-skating is a novelty that is quite irresistable. For the few short weeks the rink is in operation, it's a very popular spot.
Just look at these smiling faces! You know they are having a blast out there on the ice.
I came across a video of the grand opening of the rink in 2011. That year the center of the rink had a spectacular "sculpture" in the center that was lit up each night, and my favorite local musical group Ska-J performed live that night. In the last few years, we haven't had anything quite so memorable, and no light sculpture either!
Video courtesy Venezia Marketing
If you are in Venice over the holiday season, I hope you will take time to enjoy yourself in Campo San Polo. I've included a link for more information.
Buon Natale!
