Feelings of the Day: Sometimes you move against the group, sometimes you do the same thing as others, and sometimes you all have to stand in the same line. What’s popular is always better, right? Oscar Wilde said it best, “Be Yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” So, WHO are you and what are YOU doing?
Full Day’s Events: Today I aimed to finish off the San Marco district and then move onto the Castello district. I started earlier than usual, 815am, because I woke up early. The increase in tourist density, and the UV levels would be low, so I could be outside longer.
The district of San Marco's Northern area was more administrative, legal, and political. There were many city administrative buildings of all kinds, including some 70’s modern ones, and in parts it felt like another European city. Interestingly, there were a lot of lawyers' offices and law buildings near a street named Avvocati. When I went to the Southern section of this district, it became a nice residential and hotel area and the East was filled with luxury storefronts heading towards Saint Mark’s square. I also saw small groups of people, wearing sports gear, jogging in place or past me to Saint Mark’s square. More on that odd occurrence later.
The choice to start early was a good one. Being out this early meant a good pace and by 0930 I had moved onto the Castelllo. As I had already been to the North West part of Castello, I knew it was inhabited and enjoyed by many more Venetians than tourists. When I entered this district again it was early, so I pulled back the pace a little. The further East I went, moving from bridge to bridge and island to island, I enjoyed lingering and seeing the real daily lives of its inhabitants. Hugging and chatting as they meet, gesturing to each other across a canal, inviting friends in from their window, and seeing them enter a bar/cafe with warm greetings and being served their favourite drink without asking for it. Speaking of which, the further East I went the cappuccinos and pastries were cheaper and better tasting. Very important when drinking lots of water while walking and then having to use the bano (washroom), because then you can use the bano in the cafe for nearly the same price as the public toilets.
Remember those joggers. I encountered them, and more besides, when I was nearing the island where Franciscan monks reside - by the frames of two stripped away oil tanks - in S. Francesco della Vigna. There was a run/jog/walk today along the circumference of Venice! Fortunately, the organizers had safety guides that helped non-participants move across or against the flow. I took refuge in the monastery, for a time, as there was a sign inviting people in to enjoy the silence. BTW, it's rude to visit a place that says to enjoy the silence while walking around and arguing with the people you came in with.
As I finished a section of Castello, I began to get hungry and headed South to avoid the conga line of fitness. As I turned the corner to the Arsenale, and the bridge I needed to go to a recommended place to eat, I saw the throng slowly undulating over that bridge. Good thing a helper saw my reaction and gestured for me to keep going. Another helper, on the bridge, made the throng move to one side and I got across without trouble. Nice.
By now I had been walking for around 3.5 hours and 9.8 km. My food destination had nobody there, as it was early for locals to have their lunch at just before noon. My lunch was at a place on Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, Snack Bar Castello. I ordered the Insalata Nizzarda: spinach, olives, tomatoes, tuna, egg, and artichokes. After the half-hour lunch I was ready for more walking.
So, Giuseppe Garibaldi is a BIG deal in Italy. He was one of the most important men for implementing the unification of Italy into a republic and did it with well-directed generalship and appropriate statesmen. That is why you will find every city, and town, in Italy has streets and parks named after him. The street is also wide. Very wide. The widest in Venice for one important reason; it was a canal that was filled in by order of Napoleon. He wanted a long, 350m, walkway for the people to enjoy. Of course, several buildings, including churches and a convent, had to be destroyed to do it. It is a street that feels different because of the people who have lived in this environment as well. They seem to be happier and call out with boisterous voices because of the large space. The long park, Viale Garibaldi, had a statue of the man with a multitude of turtles in a pool around its base and tall trees lining the way.
Along nearby Fondamenta S. Giuseppeare several cloned apartment blocks had a certain charm to them that made me smile. It seemed like a nice island to live on.
Briefly before leaving this area, I went to the National Pavilions of the Biannual Art International of Venice, an event started in 1894 on parkland in one building and expanded in the decades since to include other countries. There was even a Canada pavilion and that, and the other structures were my goal. If only the three-metre-high fence wasn’t around the entire pavilion area. It seems that work is being done on the pavement throughout so the entire area was closed. Darn.
I moved onto Saint Helena Island, which at one time was not connected. There is an interesting pattern of large apartment blocks on this island with a large swath of parkland on the West and South. I rarely saw anyone here so they were either at work or stayed indoors. There were also no bars or cafes open here either. It was a little creepy.
The last island of the day was Saint Pietro, with a namesake church that had a castle here as early as the 6th century. The castle is long gone but does have a very large church and sizeable park with a half dozen people reading physical books. I could see the appeal as it was very quiet except for chirping birds.
Unfortunately, I needed a bathroom and there were no cafes around. I started back, hitting bridges and one bar on the South side of the Castello district, and got home at around 230pm.
I had a nap, a shower, worked on my travel diary, and made a pork sauce pappardelle pasta for supper. Today I also had many sneezing fits and a nasal drip. I have pollen allergies and the city of Venice, with so much water, has mold problems. I never thought much of it until the next day. 16.3 km, 10 flights, 4 previously crossed bridges and 61 new bridges walked.
No comments:
Post a Comment