A sad day in Venice

In my last post, I commented on the run of interesting, strange, odd, wacky, weird, almost unthinkable things that have taken place in Venice thus far this summer. Things were definitely going downhill, but today, things just fell off the cliff. Bad went to worse in a hurry this morning with the  news of a tragic accident on the Grand Canal just before noon.

Amidst all the usual traffic at the Rialto bridge, a vaporetto knocked into a gondola, sending a German family of five- mother, father and 3 children-  into the canal. The father unfortunately died at the hospital shortly afterward, having taken in large quantities of water. The small daughter suffered from a serious wound above her eye and was taken to the hospital in Padua for surgery. A tragic day for this vacationing family.


   (photo courtesy La Nuova di Venezia e Mestre)

I'm almost without words.

But believe me, there will be words today, tomorrow, in the near future as blame is bandied about by the police department conducting the investigation, the city government, you name it, everyone will have something to say. We'll talk about all that in the days to come.

Today, a life was lost, a young child seriously injured, a family forever changed, and I suspect one gondolier and one vaporetto captain will suffer nightmares for the rest of their lives. Words won't change those facts.

As small consolation, I strongly believe when your time has come, it's come. While I wish there were a way this day could be rewound and played over, with a different outcome, that isn't possible. We have to deal with the reality as it is.  As thoughts of this tragic event went round and round in my head all afternoon,  I was reminded of a similar event. A few years ago on vacation in the Dominican Republic, while attending the evening entertainment at the resort, we were all up on the dance floor doing the merengue, having a fantastic time.  Not far from me a woman slumped to the floor. The emergency doctor was called, everyone was in a panic. The woman passed away instantly due to a massive heart attack. Just like that, she was gone. Dancing one minute, dead the next. Her family made a statement shortly after the frightening incident- that their mother was having the time of her life, doing exactly what she would have wanted to do- dance.

I want to not forget that life is for living. Let's remind ourselves to get up and dance every day.

I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to the family.

Ferragosto! Closed for holiday!

For the last few weeks, the closed for holiday signs have sprouted up all over the city.  Everyone is headed to the mountains or the beach for the traditional Italian holiday -Ferragosto. While technically the holiday is only one day, August 15, Italians stretch it for almost the entire month.

This summer is having a run of "stuff" happening, much worse than previous years, in my mind. I cannot recall a year being quite as bad as this one. Not weather-wise, it's routinely hot and humid here. But I think the weather might have contributed to Venice going a bit mad. I think all the summer madness began when the ridiculous ticket booth, il Gabbinotto, was erected at the base of the Campanile in St. Mark's square. That incited quite a bit of indignation amongst the locals, for sure.  

 

Next was the cruise ship that came too close to the embankment near Via Garibaldi. As if Venice needed any more cruise ship bad news!!!  

There  was an accumulation of record breaking algae in the canals and unprecedented numbers of dead fish. Weird. 

There have been crazy fights between vu compra (the illegal handbag salesmen), the local vendors and gondoliers.  Also weird.

The huge purple inflatable statue has taken up residence on San Giorgio Maggiore until November. Yes, very weird.

Gondoliers have experienced a new run of bad press through the summer months including the poor treatment of a ganser (the guy who helps people get off a gondola), roughing up some passengers at Redentore night, and the reported bad language addressed at a regular passenger at one of the traghetto stations.  The result:  random drug and alcohol testing for gondoliers. 

In the last week we've seen numerous articles in the local newspapers relating to poor tourist behavior- sleeping in the streets, riding bicycles, going shirtless, and swimming in the canals. (By the way, Venice has several rules about proper decorum in the city- one of them is going shirtless.  Riding bicycles is an offense which carries a fine.)   

(photo from Il Gazzettino)

(photo courtesy Sebastiano Scomparin)  

Not to be left out of all the summer chatter is ACTV- the company that operates the vaporettos. The boats have been running behind schedule on numerous days; they have been unbelievably overcrowded; there have been altercations between tourists and the  workers on the boats, instigated undoubtedly by the crankiness due to those late arrivals and all those crowds;  and there have been staff on board boats checking tickets and writing out fines left and right.  The latest from ACTV is the new poster announcing fines for people on the docks without a valid ticket. 

And last but not least, just two days ago, an oil spill on the Giudecca canal near San Basilio that necessitated two days of clean up, probably caused by one or more of the cruise ships in port that day. 

I seriously believe Venice is overdue for a vacation.  I expect to see one of these Ferragosto closed for holiday signs hung on Venice's front door. 

Buon Ferragosto, Tutti!!!  

A visit from my family

My sister just spent  4 days in Venice, and now, I need a vacation.

Venice was the middle stop on a trip to Rome, Venice and Paris for my sister Charlotte, brother-in-law Steve, and their 11 yr old granddaughter Sophie.    I had been tagged by Charlotte to help  pull together the Venice leg of their adventure, since I lived here. I had worked hard on planning 4 days of activities that might appeal 11 yr old, and now it was show time.

We did all of the usual " touristy" things- saw St. Mark's square, the Rialto bridge, the markets, marvelled at the canals and little alleyways.  I walked their feet off and left them ragged at their hotel every evening! And in between all that we did a few not-so-touristy things as well.  We visited my favorite campos and stopped in at my favorite caffes.   Sophie got to meet a few of my friends. First stop was  Mauro Vianello's shop on Calle dei Morti where he created a couple of custom glass gifts for Sophie to take home. Mauro never ceases to amaze me, and I know he wow-ed Sophie! Grazie, Mauro for helping make this a very special visit for one little girl from New York.

We had a private glass blowing demonstration at Mazzucato's on Murano. A wonderful glassblower, Gianni, fascinated us by creating the most exquisite drinking glasses. Sophie purchased a ring made from glass, in the shape of a rose, just what she was looking for!

Next up was a one-on-one mask making session with Mario at Benor Maschere in Santa Croce.  Mario went above and beyond our wildest expectations as he gave Sophie tips on decorating her mask. And then, at the end, he lovingly did a little bit of touch up on her mask to make it an absolutely exquisite piece of art she will treasure for a lifetime.


The night we had dinner at La Terrazza , the restaurant at Hotel Bonvecchiati, I came away with another new friend. I won't be forgetting Fulvio, one of our delighful waiters, anytime soon, and I am sure I'll be back to visit him again and again. At one point in the meal I introduced myself to Fulvio, and explained that I live here. He responded with, "But I have never seen you before!".  As I was leaving Fulvio slipped me a note containing the name of a friend of his who owns another restaurant in town.

One afternoon, while trying a Spritz in Campo S. Giovanni e Paolo, my brother-in-law looked around and said,  "It just doesn't get any better than this, does it?"  I smiled, happy that this constantly working relative had been able to take a step back, and really enjoy a few moments in this beautiful city.

We saved a gondola ride for the very last night.  The heat of the day had left, there was a slight breeze even. All the  crowds had left the city for the day, and we just about had Venice to ourselves. An early evening gondola ride was the perfect way to end a visit.   Venice is a magical city. It's even more magical by gondola.

It is no secret that I love Venice.  To my great surprise, this week I fell even more in love.

More simple pleasures....

Yesterday, despite the high temperatures - 87 F that felt like 101- I experienced not  one, but three, simple pleasures, I couldn't wait to share here.  

First, I managed to eat lunch at one of my favorite little osteria's near the Rialto.  Just a wonderful serendipitous moment where I happened to be at the right place at the right time.  I love how the planets align for me like that- on occassion.  My lasagna con pesce (with fish) was divine- but the icing on the cake was the kiss on both cheeks I received from the owner as I was about to leave, followed by his cheery "Ciao, Amore!".  

Why was this so great?  I just felt like I had somehow slipped - finally- under that imaginary barrier. This man extending his salutation to me without solitiation on my part made me feel accepted, no longer the stranger, the outsider.  This is special.

Later in the day, I stopped for a cold drink at Imagina, one of our local caffe's in Campo Santa Margherita. While sitting outside sipping my Coca-light, I read the local paper, Il Gazzettino. There was a whole page article on recent happenings in the campo, a topic we've been following as it unfolds over the last week or so. There have been some recent changes in regulations regarding hours of operation for certain shops- the pizza shop, gelateria and kebob place have to be closed by 11 each night.  The problem is all the noise and trash in the campo made by the late-night party-ers.  But- the local beer joints can stay open.  Hardly seems fair to me that the gelato guy can't continue to be open, and is loosing some good business.  His customers aren't the ones drinking and being loud.  Also, the local police have been cracking down on the establishments in the campo about their outside tables.  The businesses need special licenses to have tables outside. Apparently they have applied to the city for the permits, but they have not yet been approved.  In the meantime, the tables have been put in the campo.  And the police are out assessing fines for this infraction- lots of them.  The bigger problem is that without the tables outside during warm weather, these new little establishments will be out of business in a month.  

Well, anyway, the article in the newspaper interested me, so I struggled through translating it.  I had a question about whether this situation impacted Imagina, where I was at the moment.  Stefano, one of the barista's, and I got into a great conversation about the article, and this whole predicament in Campo Santa Margherita.  The whole conversation was conducted in Italian!!!!   Simple pleasure  Numero Due (number 2)!!!  

And, last but not least- Simple pleasure #3.  Last night I took a few minutes to check out a fellow blogger's blog.  The day before, I spent a few hours with a family from New Zealand, showing them around some of my favorite spots in Venice. Their 9 year old son, Joseph, is writing a blog about his travels as a homework assignment. They are on a big trip, visiting several countries.  Somewhere during our time together the day before, Joseph mentioned they were planning a gondola ride the next morning. I suggested  he ask the gondolier if he could  try rowing. Sometimes, depending on the gondolier, they just might let you.  I can't help sharing this photo from Joseph's blog.  What do you think, did Joseph enjoy Venice yesterday???

Reading Joseph's blog was the perfect ending for my day. Grazie, Joseph!  You definitely made my day!

Christening a new gondola... Roberto's Varo

I've been waiting almost a year for this event- the launching of our friend Roberto's brand new gondola. I think I'm almost as excited as he is- no, not quite! But I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to share in the process. It's been like anticipating the birth of a new baby, watching the slow progress of the new boat over many months, as it transforms from just a pile of pieces of wood, to the stunning sleek gondola that sits waiting to be launched.

At the squero of San Trovaso in Dorsoduro, new gondolas are meticulously made by hand.



Below is the very first photo of La Maria II, Roberto's gondola. Now fast forward about 9 months .....

and here she is, waiting in the boatyard on the day of the Varo (launching). Family and friends are invited to share in the happy event. The boat is on display, everyone admires the workmanship of the boatmakers, and anticipates the moment La Maria II will slip quietly into the water.



The gondolier chooses the many elements of the boat, from the design of all the carvings to the fabrics used for the furniture. Here is the backpiece of the seat, a carving of Roberto's family crest.

Here the same crest is used on the front piece.



The fancy gold horses ....



the fero (metal ornamental piece on the front of the gondola),....




the fancy hood ornament,...



and the forcula (oarlock).







A bottle of Prosecco is tied to the back of the gondola, it's almost time....


But first.. food! Roberto has arranged a huge spread of delious food from Antico Pignolo- including traditional Venetian dishes of Baccala, Bigoli in Salsa, Sopresso and Pane, tramezzinos, and delicious deserts from Rosa Salva. And, lots of wine and Prosecco, of course.




At last, the moment we've been waiting for! The workers at the squero prepare the gondola to be slid into the water, placing rollers under the bow, and away she goes!



Roberto hops onto the back and takes her on her maiden voyage down the canal, testing out how she handles.


Family and friends in the squero cheering him on.

Roberto and his family all get in the boat, and he takes them off down the canals to St. Mark's square, which will be this gondola's new home. Mike and I also made our way to St. Mark's so we could greet them when they arrived. What a great day this has been. Another unique Venetian experience for me, one I realize may be truly a once in a lifetime event. To be able to watch the evolution of a gondola from start to finish has just added to my love of Venice, and all things Venetian. To be present at the time of the launch, and share in that celebration with the family- I'm not sure I have words for how honored I feel.

As we waited for Roberto and Marie to arrive back at ST. Mark's, my husband Mike caught this shot - it's the perfect image to end this blog. Ciao, tutti.

Witches in Venice- photos from the race today

I'd been waiting all week for La Regatta delle Befane, and wouldn't you know it, I got up late today! I threw clothes on, and did a silent little prayer as I hobbled to P. Roma in the hopes of catching a vaporetto. My poor arthritic knees have been killing me for several days, there is no way I could have walked to the Rialto in time to catch anything of the race. On big race days, all boat traffic is stopped on the Grand Canal, but I figured this wouldn't be the case today. I figured right. I caught the #2 and got off at the Rialto stop, just across the canal from the "reviewing stand" for the race. Fortunately, I didn't miss it entirely, but I did miss the actual race in progress, I arrived just as it ended.




There was a small crowd gathered, and sure enough, there was a big stocking hung from the Rialto bridge, just as I had read about. I was sad there wasn't a huge crowd, but on the other hand, this is to be expected. Venice isn't only sinking, it's shrinking. With full time residents officially under 59,000 now, it's no wonder the attendance at many of these traditional events declines year by year. This is the 32nd annual Befana's regatta, and although it was small, it was exciting to me just the same.



This boat of lovely witches is carrying a cauldron of hot chocolate to the other side of the canal, and behind them, on the foot of the Rialto bridge, is a chorus singing traditional Venetian songs! I made my way up and over the bridge to find that hot chocolate!

When I got to the other side, I was close to the reviewing stand, and there were the Befana's! These two smiling gondoliers had just rowed the course, and were now getting ready to leave. I caught them and asked for "una fotografia, per favore". Cute, aren't they??




This boat is one used in the regatta, with the witches broom in the front. It's not a regular gondola. This boat is a sandola, with a more squared off front and back, however it is rowed in the traditional Venetian manner, standing up.




After the race, all of the Befana's took the stocking down from the Rialto bridge, and carried it back down the Fondamenta del Vin. This is great- one of the Befana's (see the guy on the right?) was taking a photo on his phone of the others!














They have the huge stocking loaded up onto a larger boat, and are preparing to take it back to storage, over to the Salt Warehouse on the Zattere.
















I love this one.... no more words needed.


Away they go, rowing down the Grand Canal. Ciao, Befana's... until next year!!!

365 Days of Venice - the lone green gondola

Now that I am back home, and am not knee deep in citizenship paperwork, I can turn my focus to happier pursuits---- sharing little bits of Venice here on my blog. Here's my choice for today...

Gondola's in service must be black, so obviously this one has been "decommissioned" and is not used to transport tourists around Venetian canals. It's the only green gondola in Venice- so far it's the only gondola painted anything other than black that I've seen. It's moored on a beautiful canal not far from Campo Pantalon, in an area of Venice which is not on the normal tourist path.

I keep hoping that I will see this gondola being used, quietly gliding down a canal, but I haven't experienced that yet. Everytime I pass this corner, the gondola is in the same place. I wish I knew this gondola's story.

365 days of Venice - a little bit of winter

I've been down with a cold, so that's the cause of my lack of blogs for the last few days. Here's a photo I love... enjoy a little glimpse of Venice in winter.

365 days of Venice- on a back canal

Here's one of those scenes you come on quite accidentally while roaming the streets of Venice. Out of no where, you see this absolutely gorgeous sight. No people, just sunlight on the canal, and a beautiful gondola. You can't help but stop to look and savor the moment.

365 days of Venice - Gondola's!!

Gondola Facts:

Each one of the six metal sections of the metal front piece (called the "ferro" seen in this photo) represents one of the siesteres of Venice.

A gondola is 35 feet long, 5 feet wide and weighs 600 kg.

The degree of curvature of the boat is based on the weight of the gondolier.

It takes 2 months to build a gondola.

All gondolas must be painted black.

Gondolas have 6 coats of paint on them.

A gondola costs between 30,000 -65,000 Euros, depending on the additional options selected , for example cup holders.

The oarlock, called the forcula, is often considered a work of art, as each one is carved or sculpted specifically for the gondolier.

Each gondola is built using 8 different kinds of wood.

Gondolas in olden days also had a removable cabin or "felse" used to protect passengers from bad weather.

Every 40 days a gondola must get a new coat of varnish to protect it from marine growth in the lagoon.

A gondola typically lasts 15 years. It can be refurbished only once.

There are about 400 gondolas operated by the Venice Gondola Association.

When a licensed gondolier passes away, his license is passed down to his family.

Each year only 3-4 new gondolier licenses are issued. The entrance exam to become a gondolier is very rigorous and requires extensive training prior to the exam.

365 days of Venice - The City of Romance

I remember the day I took this photo. I was on the #1 vaporetto headed down the Grand Canal going back to the hotel. I looked up and was lucky enough to catch this scene. To me it was just a perfect image.

Couples come from all over the world to be married in Venice- and I know why. The city of romance is only one of Venice's many nicknames, but it is certainly appropriate. There is an air of romance here, you can feel it in your bones. There is no way to pinpoint what it is exactly, but it's there.

Maybe it's knowing that Casanova made his home here. Maybe it's the music that always seems to be in the air. Vivaldi is always playing from somewhere in the background. Maybe it's always seeing couples snuggled together in a gondola. Whatever it is, it's inevitable that you feel it. You cannot avoid it.

365 days of Venice --- Day 1

As I was going through pictures tonight, I realized we have thousands of pics of Venice and I should be sharing them. Showing a different one each day would be fun. And even more fun for me to select the perfect one to post every day. Looking at them allows me to relive the moment also, and I can't think of a better way for me to spend 5 minutes or so every day. So here goes........
If I were to pick a title for this one, I'd call it "Gondola Guys"





If you have never been to Venice before, let me just say that this is a very common sight. One I never tire of. Just as I will never tire of hearing the gondoliers calling out "Gondola, Gondole".
( That's "Gondola, Goldolas" in English ) The gondoliers in this picture are right in front of St. Marks and the Doges Palace. The gondoliers hang out at gondola stations waiting on customers. Trust me, there is no shortage of tourists wanting their gondola experience.

A gondola ride costs approximately 80-120 Euros for up to 6 people in the gondola. The price varies by a) length of the ride b) time of day and c) location of the gondola. The closer to St. Marks or the Rialto, the higher the price. Nighttime is more than daytime, and a ride of between 35-40 min is on the lower end, 60 minutes being on the higher end of the scale.

I am often asked if a gondola ride can be skipped. Heaven forbid, NO! Don't miss this! Skimp on food one day if you must, but don't miss a gondola ride. You see Venice from an entirely different perspective. You are transported to another place and time. It's quiet, it's serene, it's magical, its romantic, it's Venice!