SILENZIO SILENCE!!!!!

As promised to those I was supposed to do the Big Climb in Seattle with on Sunday, I said I would find a tower in Venice and climb for you, so Nancy and I headed over to San Giorgio an Island across from St. Marks which from the church tower is literally a BIRDSEYE view of all of Venice!
If you can, close your eyes and imagine how glorious the sound of music is in the Basilica San Giorgio Maggiore. The church is grand with the marble floors, walls and ceilings that reach into heaven..the acoustics are amazing!!!!... AND THEN.... "TOUGH LOVER" by Christine Agulera starts blasting from your IPhone and you can't seem to turn it off. I'm sure the glorious sound of Christine could be heard for miles....GREAT ACOUSTICS!!!! I got a few frowns.

Unfortunately the stairs were closed and we had to take an elevator up, sorry girls!
I must say, the view from the top was another AH HA moment for me. I just stood there for the longest time even though it was very cold and windy. From one side, I could see the hedge maze directly behind the church. From other views I could look for miles and watch all the water traffic and red tile roof tops.

We came back to drop a few items off after shopping a little and visiting Peiro Melorin an artisan jewelry maker who specializes in metal art work. Nancy proudly sports yet another new ring, I think I found her only possibly weakness in life. Rings! On our way back through St. Marks, I got a first hand view of the square under water and the elevated walkways in use.
After we dropped our things off at the hotel, we headed back to the water buses for a ride up past the Rialto area to a restaurant that Nancy has been talking about since we got here, La Zucca. I think I'm falling in love with the food here!!! Today's lunch was Flan Di Zucca con ricotta, artichoke pumpkin lasagna,
Tagliiatelle con punt areole E broccoli E pesto pomidori secchi. I know RIGHT??? It was fantastic!!! Lemon something and cafe late's for dessert. Did I mention WINE!!! That just goes without saying in Venice.

 

The Enrica Whirlwind!

On our way to the Rialto this morning we caught this shot of a service boat maneuvering its way through a narrow canal and under the low bridges. It's unbelievable how they use these small waterways as the only mode of transportation since there are no other vehicles. Imagine using a hand truck to move your boxes of goods up and over bridges with sets of stairs and then blocks of narrow streets. We saw furniture being moved the other day, and it would make me think twice about buying anything that I had to transport from a store to an apartment.

We met Enrico Rocco (a well known cooking instructor) and the others at the bottom of the Rialto Bridge this morning. The tide was high and you can see from one of the pictures how the water is making its way into the streets. A common problem in the sinking city of Venice.
Our small group made our way around the market following Enrica as she gave us a lesson in buying our goods for the delicious creations we were about to assemble a few short hours. Scorpion fish, hop vines, red prawns, tiny artichokes, eggplant and cheeses, sauces and herbs!!! Part of the class syllabus included a stop at all'Arco, an old enoteca, for the traditional early day glass of prosecco and bacari. Bacari are small tasty nibbles that I see all over Venice displayed in glass cases --- they come in a variety of different types from artichoke, salami, fish, vegetables and tomatoes or other yummy combinations of toppings. It's customary to stand in these shops and have an early day lunch with a glass of the bubbly --- especially for the local workers. Next stop was a wine shop where we were given a lesson in local spirits.

Our toes were nearly frozen by the time we got all the way through town from the Rialto market and back across the Academia bridge to Dorsoduro. Her home is family palazzo right on the canal which has been turned into beautiful contemporary apartments. Enrica has the choice living space, one flight up.

 

Cooking was fun as we spent the entire afternoon preparing one or two dishes at a time eating a little here and there. Artichoke salad, eggplant with cheese and sauce, frittata with hop vines, fish with tomatoes and Greek olives and yes wine to accompany the dishes. Simply delicious!!!!!

http://www.enricarocca.com/index.php?modulo=cooking-school&light=true&id_cooking=19&id_cookingR=