Feelings of the Day: You can’t control everything. Every decision you make and everything you don’t do creates a path into the future. You are the master of choices, but the world creates the slip n’ slides and walls that become manifest when those actions/not actions are made. You can resist and yell at the open sky or you can make the best of what you have to reach further to try a new thing or path. Surprise yourself.
Full Day’s Events: I was up early so after a bit of yogurt and blueberries I was off to walk the main streets that lead to the train station. It wasn’t the train I was seeking but spur streets to the South where I could take early morning photos of the Grand Canal. Those big streets I took were Strada Nova and via V. Emmanuelle.
I’ve always enjoyed this part of my trips, which I didn’t get to do in Rome, where hardly anybody is outside. The only people around, at just before sunrise, were those going to work, sweeping the streets, getting ready with carts to collect the garbage, setting up their cafe/bar, or people taking pictures like me. The rest of Venice were either still waking up or cuddling.
In the morning glow things look different and fresh. The light is tinted with a painter's palette and it would require the quick actions of an impressionist, or modern-day photography, to temporarily capture a particular moment that may not be exactly repeated. It was gloriously special and, unfortunately, a solitary activity. The lack of obscene mobs of crowds, standing in defensive lineman clusters blocking your path, and spewing smoke from vapes and cigarettes were dissipated by this early rise.
Heading back for apple-filled oatmeal, I then headed NE to explore the edge of the Castello district. Since the 700’s CE there have been settlements in this geographic area. From the 1000’s, more people started living around the Naval dockyard, which at the time became the largest naval complex in Europe: The Arsenale. It was this complex that enabled Venice to become one of the great powers of the late Middle Ages until Napoleon took the city in 1797.
After starting my walk, I passed by a lady who was cleaning the window of the most beautiful mask shop I had ever seen in Venice. Most mask shops, in tourist areas, look like cheap factory knockoffs or are “paint a mask” places. This one establishment exuded quality and tradition. I asked, through rough Italian and pantomime, if I could take a photo and she pantomimed I could once she was done cleaning. I happily admired the variety and beauty of what was before me until she finished.
During my explorations, and passing by the Church of Saint Mary Formosa (beautiful matron), I went in and checked it out. It had a lovely altar by Vivarini and another by Palma il Vecchio, regarded as masterpieces, but was otherwise clean of adornment and art. It was still worth the effort to see those two altars.
Going on a path that included the best way to navigate bridges and cover the individual islands, I stumbled upon Liberia Aqua Alta. It is a book store, with a gondola inside, that takes the Venetian name for the seasonal floods. When the bookstore is flooded, they bind up the waterlogged volumes on the lower shelves and refresh the back patio where you can pose on a staircase of water damaged books. They also have several store cats that wander around and on the books. This place was on my list to see, but was very busy, so I maneuvered through their wares and checked out the English book section. They had a good assortment, but I received more enjoyment from seeing the store, cats, and the patrons inside. I left to return to my path of discovery.
I had to end my afternoon excursion a little early because I was meeting a coven of like-minded people for an evening's gathering of calorie consumers. We met in the Dorsoduro district, a place I had yet to visit, in the campo S. Toma under the auspices of a DEVOUR tour. My wife and I had been on one in Madrid, two years ago, and recently had two experiences with that company in Rome. We both like the information they provide, the history/food lessons they give, and the food selections they choose.
Under the tutelage of Emanuela, and shadowed by a Canadian expat from Newfoundland (who stayed here after attending a Venetian university, fell in love, and stayed) who was now learning the ropes of being a DEVOUR tour guide. Over the next three hours we experienced cicchetti (small bites of types only found in Venice), pasta, and gelato. There was cicchetti of shrimp with vinegared onions and cod that had been beaten into smooth submission. There was also pork, prosciutto, mortadella, mortadella, salami, conchi (a type of thick bacon), soft bread sandwiched with parmazano (horse meat), pasta with anchovies and onions, and a final dessert of gelato of whatever two flavours we wanted. It was all yum and accompanied by helpful backgrounds and places to go. We also saw Banksy graffiti art. After the tour, and giving our review the next day, we were emailed other places to go in each district which was a bonus.
The walk home, over the Grand canal on the Accademia bridge and through the very large campos S. Stefano and Angelo, were a good way to walk off the calories. 14km, 8 flights, 6 previously crossed bridges, and 65 new ones walked.
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