Saturday, April 25, 2009

Venezia Love




In 2006 I was lucky enough to stay for a September week in Venice before travelling to points further South. The actual people that lived there were back from holiday and it was the most gorgeous architecture I've ever seen. I can appreciate buildings that are a few hundred years old and still standing (since in Texas, almost everything has been built in the past 150 years), but in Venice even the mundane apartment buildings and storage spaces usually have awe inspiring histories. If you go, don't miss the Correr museum for an awesome Roman statuary collection. They recently opened a new interesting museum about plague victims found on Lazzaretto Vecchio, so much history here.

Of course, the Romans had not settled here, they were further to the South in Araminium (Rimini, the Adriatic port with ocean water as silty and disgusting as the Texas coast unfortunately). But, many places I looked at in Venice showed a nod to the neo-classical and Roman influences. A marble sculpted statue head over a doorway, ancient style cornices, mosaics and reliefs... And, it is amazing to walk the streets at night without car noise or exhaust, everyone walking.

If anyone wants to rent a second floor out on an old palazzo, call me, I'll quit my day job and be on the first flight out, for real!!

Venice to me is fragile in its aging beauty. It won't last another 100 years because of the rising sea levels, and despite the bluster from the citizens about the sea of tourists and typical local government squabbles, I saw in some of the citizens there the sad awareness of how things will go. I could live here making art and making trades forever and be happy, I think.

For Soda and Candy, I promised a post of the most bizarre shoes I have ever seen anywhere created at a shop in San Marco. I was passing by back to the hotel and had to take a picture.



Italiana:
Mi Amo Venezia!!!!!!!!!!!!!

27 comments:

  1. *sigh!*

    If I could go anywhere ... it would be there.

    Italy is top of my wish list

    Hope you're having a great weekend, Eric :)

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  2. :)
    Kate, good to hear you are not anti-Italy. I'd have to spend obscene amounts of time and resources trying to convince you otherwise.

    Weekend's 60% fun + 40% work stuff, could be better. You are fabulous as always?

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  3. I feel the same way about Venice. It's cool to have such a history. I think you left out one of the biggest draws. That is watching James Bond either driving a hoovercraft gondola through the plaza or sinking entire buildings.

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  4. Oh no convincing needed here. I love Italy and everything about it.

    I'm just about peachy thanks, Eric :) Been making the most of our lovely weather

    Don't work too hard :P x

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  5. Girl Interrupted, not even a little bit of convincing? Even if just for my benefit?
    What, a sunny day in East England? And it's cloudy here for a change.
    *grumble* still working...

    Chaka, I can't believe I left that part out!!! But all the gondolas I saw when I stayed there were the generic non-name brand non-hovercrafty kind.

    Dr., what would you wear with those shoes?

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  6. Well I guess a little convincing might be enjoyable :P

    Yes, (I'm about to jinx England by saying this, I just know it) we've had 2 weeks of the most glorious weather, very warm and sunny, it's been absolute bliss :) (now watch it cloud over and start to piddle down)

    Those shoes would be best worn with a birthday suit, imo :P

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  7. \/\/( )( )T!

    The weather up there is what keeps me from wanting to charter a boat on the East Scotland side. Lots of little neat-o islands, but I'm paranoid about weather and the ocean up there. Tortola was fun though, every day about 33c and calm. If you fall in the water in BVI, you have more than 5 minutes to get out. Also, not sure if my ASA certs would transfer to RYA.

    Imagine the reaction of the clerks if someone came out of the dressing room with just these large flesh colored shoes? Maybe also a conical party hat for added shock value...

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  8. oops, I meant the West Scotland side... good thing I'm not navigating or I'd be toast. (Skye Yacht Charters was the company I was looking at before).

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  9. Hee hee hee! I could actually see Dr Zibbs wearing those shoes. And wearing them with pride!

    :-)

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  10. I am very jealous that you got to spend a week in Italy...even if it was almost 3 years ago. I would love to to there...it is a close second to visiting England, but of course we have that boat/money problem going on here...sigh. I will live vicariously through you and G.I.

    Those shoes are hilarious! Please Please Please tell me that you purchased them and are going to wear them in a picture for your next post!!!

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  11. Hey Lopez, it was three weeks there and it is such a great place mostly because the people are so nice, never mind all the history, art and culture. You guys will go someday I'm sure. And at the moment, I'm kind of living vicariously through the special and lovely G.I. and others because every morning I think I'm waking up on the wrong continent. I didn't buy the shoes, unfortunately :(

    Cora - thanks for stopping by. It's been great fun reading about you and Scope!

    The shoe store is in San Marco North of La Fenice in case no one has bought that pair yet.

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  12. Sono molto geloso che tu hai visitato quella città.

    (I am very jealous that you have visited that city!

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  13. also, those shoes are pazza! (crazy)

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  14. Che figata! S&C speaking the Italian!
    S&C, we'll have to get some folks together for their Carnivale sometime.

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  15. Maybe a fez and a bow tie? :P

    Scotland is beautiful, and one of the few places that has areas that look just as stunning in rain as in sun ... which is just as well, considering their climate lol

    And 9 followers! Yay Eric! :) I knew me and Lopez wouldn't remain alone in our fondness and admiration of you for long :P

    You and the lovely Lopez need to come visit England and me! :) x

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  16. Kate I'd like that... the visit you part... not so much the shoes, fez & bowtie thing.

    Lopez will always be my first bloggy follower, so I'll always have a special place in my bloggy heart for her, haha.

    Good night all x

    -ps I was going to mention that I'm missing my normal dosage of G.I. posting lately, but I see you just did

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  17. Is that hair I see on the toes??

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  18. Frogs, no I think they are shoelaces (could be wrong...) Thanks for stopping by!

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  19. Guess what? ...

    It's cold and raining here today :( ... told you I'd jinx it!

    Hope you're having a sooper-dooper Monday :)

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  20. You did Kate, but you can be smug that here it is pouring buckets with huge lightning... an hour drive this morning :(

    Hope you are having a relaxing morning without rainy-time job interviews or anything stress-y.
    x

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  21. Venice is a wonderful, uniquely beautiful place. I love that you can get so easily lost in those narrow, trafficless streets yet always find something beautiful. Like those ornate, curved little bridges that traverse the canals or some fabulous little boutique next to a home made pizzeria restaurant. Also, the whole "no cars" thing is just wonderful! Nearby Verona is also worth a visit if you ever get a chance! Full of old Roman ampitheatre remains and old architecture.

    Those shoes are scaring me. :)

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  22. Vegetable Assassin, thanks for stopping by. Yes, I can tell you've spent some quality time there. I can't wait to go back, and there is a breccia pernice scurra (rare marble) quarry near Verona, so I've been meaning to stop by that city.

    If I were wearing them, I'd forget they were on and would try to put on another larger pair.

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  23. Those shoes are amazing! Venice is on my to-do list next trip to Italy I can afford. So far, I've only managed Florence, Lucca, Siena and Sicily. But Venice looks incredible.

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  24. Hey Anna, sounds like you've hit all the cities I haven't yet in Italy. I just want something simple in Venice like on www.italyperfect.com/venice-san-marco-apartment/serenata.html. And maybe a storage magazine place...

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  25. Vorrei lasciare un saluto a tutti dall'Italia. :)

    Greetings to all from Naples

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  26. :) Anna! Benvenuto! :)
    Il tuo blog è uno dei miei favoriti, sei un scrittrice meravigliosa... Mi auguro che la visita di nuovo.

    Everybody, Anna is a favorite Italian blogger with ecclectic interests and a knack for writing about them.

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