This trip has truly humbled me.

I have seen much of Italy and the country's majestic beauty has left me speechless.

I remember wondering around Roman ruins just slightly over 24 hours earlier, contemplating on art, life and all my earlier travels.

Like the day before I was in Pisa, gazing at the Leaning Tower, and the day before in Venice, and the day before that, wondering around Turin, and before that, climbing the Swiss Alps... and the list goes on.

But the actual contrast and culture shock (if that is possible, after 24 days of travel) is that I was at work at my desk and then asked to go for the company's Oktoberfest with two editors.

I remember consuming copious amounts of alcohol and talking about work with the editors and colleagues and then feeling like I have fallen into my old pattern of life here as though nothing has ever changed.

But I know something has changed. And that was me, still thinking about the beauty that exists in other parts of the world, like Rome, which is laden with unspeakable treasures, and I am rendered mute.

And I know I can never look at the world the same way, ever again.

Renaissance Venice was astonishingly good at PR - the city sold itself as a place of unique harmony, freedom and prosperity, specially favoured by God. Should we take the Venetian publicists at their own estimation? How did the ordinary man or woman in the street manage on a day-to-day basis? Given the gulf that existed between the poor who pledged their children against loans and the rich who carried a fortune in clothes on their backs, how did society hold together? What was the social cement? We present here evidence and invite you use them as a starting point in thinking about possible answers to these problems. There is difficulty in knowing anything about the poor and illiterate, those who lived on the margins of society, for they were powerless to tell their own story; it was the literate elite who recorded what was inevitably a partial and prejudiced account of the lives of the poor.

[video] Pink Floyd - Money (Venice 1989) Guigui31b on youtube

So, off we went in our super glamourous water taxi to our semi-glamorous B&B.  Larry, one of the owners, met us at where the taxi dropeed us off - and thank god...  There is no way we would've found this place on our own.  This city is a maze...

Had something of a near-nervous-breakdown as various electronic gear I'd brought (SIM card for phone, electrical adapters, etc.) failed to operate in the prescribed manner - very frustrating, but semi-resolved by the next day.

We went out to dinner and got quite lost quite quickly - which after being en route for the previous 16 hours was something of a nightmare...  And once we did manage to find the place we were looking for it was full...  But we did manage to find another place in the guidebook and had a pleasant albeit unremarkable meal.

After dinner (and two bottles of very good, very inexepensive vino), we had a lovely and leisurely walk back to Corte 1321, our B&B.  At this point, we'd cast off most of the apprehension that tends to accompany showing up in a foreign city - the stroll home was wonderful.  We got a bit lost, but enjoyed every moment of wandering up the narrow streets and crossing bridges...  A perfect way to end a long day.

Venice Farmers Market Detail

 

Day: Friday

Hours: 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Location: Venice Way &
Venice Blvd

City: Venice

County: Los Angeles

Manager: James Murez

Office Address: 804 Main St.,
Venice, CA 90291

Phone: 310-399-6690

 

 

 

What's Fresh Right Now

•       Walnuts
•       Winter Squash
•       Pomegranates
•       Beets
•       Grapes
•       Limes
•       Asian Pears
•       Mushrooms
•       Mandarin Oranges
•       Green beans
•       Honey
•       Chinese Broccoli
•       Tangerines
•       Spinach
•       Brussel Sprouts
•       Persimmons
•       Avocadoes

 

 

Venice is one of the community's fortunate enough to have a Certified Farmers Market (CFM)!  Supporting your local Farmers Market not only gives you the freshest fruits and vegetables but it's also a way to give your local small business owners the support they need to stay in business in an age of large chain stores. So, go on down Fridays between 7 am and 11 am to the Venice Farmers Market this week and every week!

 This message is supported by James90210 on Active Rain, Localism and all other blogs.

 

[caption id="attachment_204" align="alignnone" width="445" caption="Holiday Decorations Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade 2007"][/caption]

Please give us a call at (949) 675-0551 with any questions when planning your holiday cruise and/or check out our website: www.christmasparadeboats.com

The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is the premier Christmas event not only for Orange County and Los Angeles but Southern California. This year marks 100 years of history for the Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade and is viewed by over a million people each year, the Newport Beach Christmas Parade of Lights is not only the oldest but largest boat parade on the West Coast.

Newport Landing offers cruises in the parade which are very popular for company holiday parties. Along with the novelty of having a holiday party that is actually cruising in the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade , a holiday cruise is a great choice for cost conscious groups. There are some important details to know when planning your holiday cruise.

[caption id="attachment_237" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Company Christmas Party 2007"][/caption]

While Friday and Saturday night of the Christmas Boat Parade are the most requested dates for company holiday parties, the other days of the parade offer some distinct advantages. Parking can be especially challenging during the Friday and Saturday nights of the Boat Parade. We always recommend prepaying with the Newport Landing parking structure for parking. Another great option is to rent a bus and come in as one group. Unlike Friday and Saturday, the other nights of the parade offer all of the décor and parade happenings with less of the congestion traveling to the Balboa peninsula. Once the parking has been solved for the rest is smooth sailing.

When planning your Newport Beach Holiday Cruise the topic of food and what format is the best for maximizing your experience. Sit down dinner options are popular, but we find that buffets or even hors d’ oeuvres allow for more mingling and the flexibility to move around the boat to view all of the festivities. An added plus with the buffet option or hors d’oeuvres is the cost per person is usually much lower than a full sit down dinner.

[caption id="attachment_195" align="alignnone" width="320" caption="Holiday Party Decor 2007"][/caption]

Along with the food come the drinks. A full service bar with bartender is included with every cruise. The question for many company holiday planners is how to structure the bar. An open bar or unlimited available drinks for your guests can sound like a very expensive proposition, but in reality rarely is. Most guests on a holiday cruise are not going to abuse complimentary drinks either for fear of later embarrassment or just as good form. The result is on average, open bars result in about 2 drinks per person. For guests that can push the drinking envelope we can provide a drink package with a fixed cost regardless of what is consumed. Other options include drink tickets or drink credit after which the guest pays or just a cash bar option. But for the added cost the open bar is a nice gesture and a good cost/benefit decision.

[caption id="attachment_264" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="One of hundreds of decorated boats in the parade 2007."][/caption]

A simple yet often overlooked detail that adds value during the holiday cruise and long after is pictures. There is nothing that creates more buzz than taking pictures of the parade, décor, and most importantly the guests. Pictures capture the moment and with all of the visuals and guests that are in a different element the resulting photographs take on a presence of there own. A number of companies that have come out with us were surprised and how long after the holiday season the pictures of their holiday party were the topic of discussion in the lunch room. And for those companies inviting key customers or vendors sending pictures to them even via email is a great way to tie the event into a long lasting memory. Nothing fancy is needed and sometimes is nice to have several individuals with digital cameras (recommended type) and you get a different flavor of photos from each individual.

We have several other suggestions to make the most of your holiday cruise event, but if you touch on the topics above when planning your holiday cruise you will be well on your way to a fun and memorable holiday company event.

Please give us a call at (949)-675-0551 with any questions when planning your holiday cruise or check out our website http://www.christmasparadeboats.com

Late, as always...here are picture of Italy from a few weeks ago...just for you, mom.

Venice

Gondolas

From the canals of Venice, Gondoliers for Obama: Part One. And Part Two. Bellissimo! [via designobserver]

]]> http://oddtag.wordpress.com/?p=512 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:34:48 +0000 OddTag http://oddtag.com/2008/10/06/like-an-italian-workday-like-what/ [txt] Venice Biennale Review - www.archinect.com

The Venice Biennale has an overwhelming presentation of design that is not overly coherent. Forget trying to see it all. Take it in like an Italian workday; expresso, then one hour of exhibit, followed by another espresso and brioche, followed by the next hour, and so on. Or take a break over at the Stalker/ Osservatorio Nomade exhibit and have your I Ching foretold, like architects such as Peter Eisenmann, who I've heard ritually does this. I am taking with me from the Biennale a hazy memory of craft, digitization, urban solutions and a reading of good fortune for the year.

[img] Lavoro Mattutino Venezia - Mercato di Rialto - raiadiff on flickr.com

One of the most well-known international festivals, the Venice Carnival is a festival of colorful mask. The streets of Venice are full with people in masks. The Venetian Carnival still follows the traditional way of celebration. From your holiday apartments or hotel apartments you can have a complete view of the Carnival.

On the painting front, this week has not been the best - although I really enjoyed painting Snow in Venice on Monday, acrylic on 300 gsm paper. Venice is a special place to me, my fella and I went there many years ago on Valentines Day and I'd love to go back and paint it some more

I enriched the colours just a little when I painted this scene and was very reluctant when it come to putting the snow flakes on. Imagine putting a dab of white right in the middle of a building you just spent ages getting right! Scary, but once I'd put one on I couldn't stop - it gathered a momentum all of it's own and a snow storm resulted - luckily you can still see the picture beneath!

I'e put it on my site for sale as a limited edition print

Carole Russell Art

This is a doco Venice - Loved to Death  from Journeyman Pictures http://www.journeyman.tv/  is the website and the docos there cover the world.

Everyone keeps on asking if I'm excited about Venice.   Yes!  But I'm also starting to feel slightly obsessed.   I mean looking for images and videos of Venice on You Tube has to say that I don't have anything better to do with my time.   Last night at dinner my child asked me if I had started packing yet because last time I went away I had my bag packed months in advance.    In truth no, I haven't started to pack.   Does this mean that I will be loaded down with inappropriate clothing because I haven't spent the time agonising over every little item?  Or is it an indication that I'm feeling a lot more relaxed about the whole thing?     I have spent time thinking about essentials - so what are they?   Good shoes and boots for walking, comfortable and yet stylish (!) clothes (probably all black), camera, overcoat, phone with global roaming, sketch book and tea bags!

[caption id="attachment_71" align="aligncenter" width="449" caption="Giant Blue whale sighted Fall 2008."][/caption]

Looking for things to do checkout http://www.newportwhales.com/ for more information on whale watching in Southern California.

Newport Landing Whale Watching has served southern California for over 20 years providing whale watching and dolphin cruises. Year around cruises view many varieties of whales including the giant blue whale, which attains lengths over 80 feet, several types of dolphin, seals, and all sorts of other marine life. Each cruise is a unique experience; you may never know what you might encounter. A recent cruise encountered a huge pod of killer whales numbering over 30 killer whales including adults and young, definitely a trip of a life time.

[caption id="attachment_68" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Killer Whales Sighted Just Off Newport Beach"][/caption]

The waters surrounding Newport Harbor offer deep nutrient rich waters which attracts all types of marine creatures. The Laguna Beach coastline is just south of Newport Harbor and offers some of the most beautiful coastline of Southern California. The gray whales another whale very commonly seen on our cruises seem to enjoy the beauty of the Laguna Beach coastline as well with many whales spotted just a couple hundred yards off of the beach. Most of our whale watching cruises take in the scenic backdrops of Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, and Huntington Beach. Due to the geography of the orange county coastline and the protection of Catalina Island, the ocean conditions are incredible calm and comparable to a fresh water lake this allows whale watchers to fully enjoy the amazing viewing experiences.

Our primary whale watching ship is 65 feet in length with a large upstairs sundeck, wrap around outside seating, snack bar with food and beverages, indoor seating with large windows. Our whale watching ship was designed just for viewing marine life. Plenty of other amenities guartees to make for a very comfortable and exciting trip. Captains & crews have backgrounds in marine biology and are incredible knowledgeable providing details on marine creatures, environment, and eco systems.

[caption id="attachment_69" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Bottlenose Dolphin numbering in the thousands."][/caption]

Newport Harbor is located in Newport Beach and only minutes from Los Angeles and Orange County. Whether for an individual looking to join one of the general admission whale watching cruises or a group wanting to reserve a private trip exclusively, Newport Landing takes great pride in sharing the magical experience of our whale and dolphin cruises.

For more information go to http://www.newportwhales.com/ or give us a call at (949)-675-0551.

It is extremely strange to be on the Biennial premises while the air is still cold and wintery. Even if you have visited the Biennial a dozen times as an art critic, it is always in June or August. Letting an exhibition act upon you in an unheated pavilion when the temperature is only ten degrees proves to be a special experience no matter how wonderful the Venetian light is. However incidentally, you instantly become aware of this fascinating Venetian light not to mention the Austrian Pavilion erected in 1934 according to the plans of Josef Hoffmann, one of the most beautiful buildings designed by the architect and on the Biennial premises.

[img] shop window - oddtag on flickr

Check the videos of the Round Table Discussions and the Speed Date Marathon. Also pdf versions of The Book are available (alas, only printer friendly versions)

La Fiera del Rosario, o meglio “le Fiere“, rappresentano un momento nevralgico nell’economia del Veneto Orientale, oggi come nel passato. Non è facile datarne l’origine: i documenti arrivano fino al 1814, anno a cui risale il manifesto ancora oggi esistente e intorno al 1860 si considera la Fiera già di “antica tradizione”.

Alcuni elementi la fanno risalire la Fiera del Rosario alla Battaglia di Lepanto contro la flotta turca (7 ottobre 1571): la vittoria fu consacrata alla Vergine del Rosario e la sua celebrazione si sovrappose a fiere e feste pre-esistenti.
La compra-vendita del bestiame e di sementi o lo scambio di derrate alimentari, collocano la Fiera del Rosario di San Dona’ di Piave nella tradizione dei mercati medievali. La Fiera conserva la centralità del Foro Boario, oggi Piazza Rizzo, simbolo della vecchia Fiera del Bestiame. Si trattava, però, anche di un’occasione per incontrare “foresti”: mercanti di fuori, imbonitori, giocolieri, vagabondi e saltimbanchi, e non erano esclusi giochi e truffe.
La tradizione della Fiera del Rosario si esprime anche con una gastronomia “dedicata”: la polenta, “el folpòn” della Fiera, “cicheti” da passeggio, “anara nostrana” e la “trippa in brodo”, tipica del giorno di mercato, il lunedì.
Oggi la Fiera del Rosario non è più solo un punto di arrivo per le attività economiche del territorio, ma rappresenta un trampolino di lancio per le Aziende locali. Da tempo si parla di una moderna area fieristica adatta ad ospitare vari tipi di manifestazioni, anche musicali.
La Fiera Regionale del Rosario che richiama decine di migliaia di turisti e abitanti del triveneto nelle strade di San Dona’, perciò è considerata la più grande festa del posto.

EVENTI IN CITTÀ

dal 26 settembre al 12 ottobre

• LUNA PARK - Via Pralungo

26 settembre

• XIV FESTA DELL’ARTE
  Associazione Arch+Art - Parco della Scultura in Architettura di Via Vittorio Veneto

dal 27 settembre al 12 ottobre

• MOSTRA “ELOGIO ALLA BELLEZZA FEMMINILE”
  Inaugurazione: 27 settembre ore 18.30. Corte Leonardo del Caffè Letterario e Sala Metallica

28 settembre 9.00 / 19.00

• ZIOGANDO INTE A STRADA - Via XIII Martiri

2 ottobre - ore 21.00

• CONCERTO CON IL CORO SWINGFONIKER DI GELSENKIRCHEN A CURA DEL CORO MONTE PERALBA
  Sala Auditorium del Centro Culturale Leonardo da Vinci

dal 2 al 12 ottobre

• LUNA PARK - Piazza Rizzo

dal 4 al 6 ottobre

• MOSTRA “ROSA DEL DESERTO” - Piazzetta delle Entrate
• MERCATINO DELL'ANTIQUARIATO - Piazza Indipendenza
• MOSTRA ESPOSITIVA DELLE ASSOCIAZIONI - Via Pralungo

5 / 6 ottobre

• MERCATO STRAORDINARIO
• MOSTRA MERCATO DELL’AGRICOLTURA • MOSTRA TRATTORI D’EPOCA - Viale Libertà

12 ottobre

• 14^ FESTA DEA POENTA - Piazza Indipendenza
• MOSTRA MOTO STORICHE - Via Battisti

25 ottobre - ore 17.00

• INAUGURAZIONE MOSTRA “YOSUKE ASHIDA”
  Sala Metallica del Centro Culturale Leonardo da Vinci - ingresso libero

La Fiera del Rosario, o meglio “le Fiere“, rappresentano un momento nevralgico nell’economia del Veneto Orientale, oggi come nel passato. Non è facile datarne l’origine: i documenti arrivano fino al 1814, anno a cui risale il manifesto ancora oggi esistente e intorno al 1860 si considera la Fiera già di “antica tradizione”.

Alcuni elementi la fanno risalire la Fiera del Rosario alla Battaglia di Lepanto contro la flotta turca (7 ottobre 1571): la vittoria fu consacrata alla Vergine del Rosario e la sua celebrazione si sovrappose a fiere e feste pre-esistenti.
La compra-vendita del bestiame e di sementi o lo scambio di derrate alimentari, collocano la Fiera del Rosario di San Dona’ di Piave nella tradizione dei mercati medievali. La Fiera conserva la centralità del Foro Boario, oggi Piazza Rizzo, simbolo della vecchia Fiera del Bestiame. Si trattava, però, anche di un’occasione per incontrare “foresti”: mercanti di fuori, imbonitori, giocolieri, vagabondi e saltimbanchi, e non erano esclusi giochi e truffe.
La tradizione della Fiera del Rosario si esprime anche con una gastronomia “dedicata”: la polenta, “el folpòn” della Fiera, “cicheti” da passeggio, “anara nostrana” e la “trippa in brodo”, tipica del giorno di mercato, il lunedì.
Oggi la Fiera del Rosario non è più solo un punto di arrivo per le attività economiche del territorio, ma rappresenta un trampolino di lancio per le Aziende locali. Da tempo si parla di una moderna area fieristica adatta ad ospitare vari tipi di manifestazioni, anche musicali.
La Fiera Regionale del Rosario che richiama decine di migliaia di turisti e abitanti del triveneto nelle strade di San Dona’, perciò è considerata la più grande festa del posto.

EVENTI IN CITTÀ

dal 26 settembre al 12 ottobre

• LUNA PARK - Via Pralungo

26 settembre

• XIV FESTA DELL’ARTE
  Associazione Arch+Art - Parco della Scultura in Architettura di Via Vittorio Veneto

dal 27 settembre al 12 ottobre

• MOSTRA “ELOGIO ALLA BELLEZZA FEMMINILE”
  Inaugurazione: 27 settembre ore 18.30. Corte Leonardo del Caffè Letterario e Sala Metallica

28 settembre 9.00 / 19.00

• ZIOGANDO INTE A STRADA - Via XIII Martiri

2 ottobre - ore 21.00

• CONCERTO CON IL CORO SWINGFONIKER DI GELSENKIRCHEN A CURA DEL CORO MONTE PERALBA
  Sala Auditorium del Centro Culturale Leonardo da Vinci

dal 2 al 12 ottobre

• LUNA PARK - Piazza Rizzo

dal 4 al 6 ottobre

• MOSTRA “ROSA DEL DESERTO” - Piazzetta delle Entrate
• MERCATINO DELL'ANTIQUARIATO - Piazza Indipendenza
• MOSTRA ESPOSITIVA DELLE ASSOCIAZIONI - Via Pralungo

5 / 6 ottobre

• MERCATO STRAORDINARIO
• MOSTRA MERCATO DELL’AGRICOLTURA • MOSTRA TRATTORI D’EPOCA - Viale Libertà

12 ottobre

• 14^ FESTA DEA POENTA - Piazza Indipendenza
• MOSTRA MOTO STORICHE - Via Battisti

25 ottobre - ore 17.00

• INAUGURAZIONE MOSTRA “YOSUKE ASHIDA”
  Sala Metallica del Centro Culturale Leonardo da Vinci - ingresso libero

If you thought the story ended with the inauguration you were wrong.

It seems that people keeps to tumble down on the glass steps, not because they are slippery but because some steps are  twice the width.

Calatrava has proposed to replace some glass steps with some more visible (in "trachite" I really don't know the English traslation), but until now the Venice administration doesn't want to spend more money...

Stay tuned

We immediately started exploring- hoping to eventually end up at our hotel. Of course, we headed in exactly the wrong direction. Every corner we turned took us to a dead end or water.

We eventually made it to our little hotel, which happened to be only steps from where we got off the bus. After dropping off our stuff, we sat down for a Cappuccino ... the best in the world (but almost as good as my dad's).

We eventually found our way to San Marco Square and to the southern side of the island

Apparently, Venice is sinking, so all of structures with any height are leaning as you can see in this next picture.

We decided to pick up a litre of wine from one of the many wine shops, where they serve the wine from big jugs into a bottle of your choice.

Our self-portrait:

Pretty sunset over the canal:

Venice at night, still gorgeous:

Self-portrait #2:

We then had an amazing pasta dinner and got brutally destroyed by the euro-us dollar exchange rate (about $1.50 = 1 EURO), it was still delicious regardless.

After dinner we were faced with the task of again finding our way to our hotel. A lot easier said than done. 40 minutes later we found ourselves at the complete opposite side of the island. This next picture sums up our evening experience: lost with a litre of wine and a map.

Day two we decided to explore the farther reaches of Venice. We happened upon the more residential areas which was really neat. The streets (or canals) were lined with clothing lines and the boats were of a more useful type than the gondola.

We happened upon a really neat architecture exhibit. I would tell you more about it, but the sign was in Italian.

We made it all the way to the eastern-most tip of the island where there was another leaning tower.

We flew home Sunday morning over the Alps and they were spectacular! I am so excited to be visiting the Swiss Alps in November. Someone told me a while ago that Venice was overrated and I entirely disagree! This is a city that everyone should visit at least once- there is no other place like it. It is so amazing to me that all of these amazing places are so close to me, here in Prague. As far as travel is concerned, the sky is the limit... or maybe my bank account is.