Peggy Guggenheim Museum



 











Pet Cemetary





Original Pablo Picasso
On the Beach (La Baignade), February 12, 1937. Oil, conté crayon, and chalk on canvas, 50 13/16 × 76 3/8 inches (129.1 × 194 cm). The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, 1976, 76.2553.5. © 2013 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

GIGANTENORMOUS Santi Giovanni e Paolo church

Life at the Hotel Flora

Life at the hotel feels like home. Not only because of the physical atmosphere but more because of the warm friendly people who are taking care of our EVERY need. Nancy and I spend our evenings (and mornings) sitting in the reading room plotting, planning and visiting.

Tonight Vinicio made us some homemade vegetable soup for dinner. All meals seem to be accompanied with fresh rolls and breadsticks, parmesan cheese and olive oil; delicious!!! Vinicio has worked at the Hotel Flora for 33-34 years along with his beautiful wife Francesca. As the bartender, Vinicio's office is a small space just off the breakfast room and front lobby and he keeps our glasses topped and our stomachs full. It's a two barstool room and each night three or four gather in the small space sharing stories about our daily travels through Venice. Nancy's mom's painting is proudly displayed over the bar which gives it an even more personal feeling of home.

The bar and breakfast room are just off the hotel lobby overseen by our dear friend Giovanni. He is the "GO-TO" concierge and knows everything about anything in Venice. He calls ahead for any reservations that we need and find any other information to help us along our travels. I will forever think about the wonderful sound of Giovani's greeting "buon giorno" each time I enter the lobby and his smile as we leave our room key at the desk to venture off on some new treasure hunt.

Jean is another guest and artist from MA, who comes to Venice often and like Nancy who made this journey ten times, stays at the Hotel Flora every visit. We made friends with her right away. Jean came on this trip to find a place to sell her prints.

And who can forget Kelum. Kelum is one of the staff who makes sure we have our tummies full in the mornings and takes care of our needs in the bar in Vinicio's absence. Kelum is originally from Sri Lanka, where his wife and two kids live. He works in Venice and travels home a couple times a year. He makes the most delicous gourmet sandwich for a midnight snack.

Stephano was one of the morning waiters who serves our every need by filling our late's and cappuccino's the minute we sit down for breakfast along with our fresh squeezed blood orange juice and croissants.

 

 

 

 

You Can't Take The Ghetto Out Of The Girl!

I will always remember our adventure in Venice to Cannaregio where the term Ghetto actually originated from. This was yet another fun field trip today as we scurried around the city like rats in the night slithering along the sides of walls of the tall buildings, past other pedestrians and umbrellas, around corner after corner through some of the LONGEST and NARROWEST streets.

Quiet and away from the hustle of tourists and trinket shops we visited some of Nancy's favorite Venetian Artisans. Her friend Vittorio and Graziella were not in but I snapped a few photos through the window of the items in their shop. Notice the small bugs, bees, coral and other items in the picture; these are delicate hand blown glass. I was amazed that anyone could create something so small and intricate with human hands!  

Just down the way, her acquaintance Gianni Basso, a printmaker was busy working away on his antique printing presses. He was kind enough to let me take photos and a short video of the process. He sets up the print letter by letter and then copies the pieces one by one, touching each piece. His workshop was filled with interesting antique printing shop items, an original Pinocchio drawing and stacks of hand written letters from all over the world. Virtually unconnected from modern day internet and fax, the only way to place an order is through the mail or stopping into his shop. He is famous enough to have provided hand printed books for Angelina Jolie’s children. The floor where he has stands day after day, year after year, have two worn spots in the shape of his feet.  

A little further down the street I had the opportunity to meet the Venetian Glass Lamp Artisans. Nancy had purchased a lamp last time she was in Venice and brought a picture to share of the installed finished product on the other sideof the globe. Their craftsmanship is an incredible process as they create the wire frames and take them to Murano to have glass blown into the middle and expanding out the sides of the wire structures. One of the guys proudly holds up one ofthe red glass lamps, apparently a color that is very difficult to produce (I’mguessing the symbolism of the Red Goblet in the movie “Summertime”). I have a huge appreciation for these lamps and Venetian glass now. Twice today I heard that good quality Venetian glass is very durable, unlike stuff made in China.Look carefully at the wire and glass lamps in the pictures.

Out the door of the Lamp shop, I could see the main water from a new direction. As I walked down the sidewalk, I passed by some funeral stone shops, florists, and burial service providers. Another AH HA moment hit me as I lookedout the waterfront and into the distance to the Island of the Dead. Only the wealthy get a chance to rest in peace in this cemetery. 

On our way back to San Marco we had our usual stop at a random cafe for a glass of....me wine/ Nancy prosecco....and our small little bacari’s, this timeI had salmon lox-delicous! Next was the gigantenormous Santi Giovanni e Paolo church a stop at the middle of St. Marks square to see if the seagulls were still swimming in all the water.