Today I went to Murano, an island just to the north of the main part of Venice. It is the centre of the Venetian glass making industry ( that part of the ‘industry’ that has not moved offshore to China). First I went to an old church called Santi Maria and Donato. It is quite old – dates back to the 7th century. It was initially dedicated to Mary, but then the relics of the body of St Donatus from Sicily were brought there and his name was added. ( I must read back – pre the vineyard church to read what other odd ways churches here have been named) Behind the altar are 4 huge bones from a dragon that this guy’s spit killed – or so the guide book says. I lashed out and spent 1 euro on a piece of paper that told me all about the Church, but it’s in Italian. The relevant part mentions 3 dorsal vertaebra and part of the vertebral column of a cetaceo – whatever that maybe – my dictionary is not up to large animals, mythical or otherwise. It had a lovely floor like St Mark’s – mosaics – sometimes birds and animals and sometimes abstract patterns. There are 11 th century mosaics on the walls. It was obviously used as a church. There was a pile of hymn books, a bible left on the altar and a large flat screen at the front ( sort of folded away but it looked like it hinged outwards) and 2 screens half way down each side aisle. I then went on a heater hunt. They were very discrete – hanging from the ceiling like modern chandeliers, but quite high up. They blended in with the colour of the wooden ceiling. At least I am guessing that the things I saw were heaters.
My next stop was the glass museum. They had a quite interesting display of how glass was made – both in the past and today. They had glasses, bowls, ornaments from different periods in different rooms. I donot think I followed the correct sequence , it was a bit of a jumble. The modern stuff was nice. There was really odd stuff from the 19th century. Then they had a fad of glass decorations for the centre of a dining room table. These decorations took the form of an outdoor garden, with little trees , urns, birds, animals, lawns, all sorts of bits and pieces. One of my books described them as ‘stupendously ugly 19th century decorative pieces’.
There are streets and streets of shops selling glass souvenirs that range in price from 1 euro – not made in Murano – to beautiful stuff that starts at 6 figures. The lady who came here last Saturday to change the sheets gave me the name of someone who is reputable. Who knows. As avid readers may remember from my last trip, buying things when I am away ( or at any time for that matter) for other people is extremely difficult. One of the reasons, I think, is that some part of me feels the need to make up to W, K and C for the years and years their father travelled and never brought them anything. I remember – he did once- he bought them a mug each and they used them and used them till the motif wore off, a different animal. Anyway, I went to this particular shop. Franca had told me it was mainly plates with some jewelry. There were no plates. I decided I was not leaving till I had bought something for 2 of the 3. I was pleased – it wasnot too difficult, but there was nothing suitable for the third!
Then I took a direct ferry back to the train station, where the slow ferry down the grand canal starts and got a good seat – well a seat with a good view but it was the coldest, most exposed seat on the ferry. I took some photos of the very grand, the grand, the not so grand now, and the falling down palaces. I also got a few more photos of different boats to add to my ‘water transport’ collection. I missed the photo of the interflora boat though.
I had been recommended a restaurant that was not open when I went previously, but I thought I’d try again. It was good – see food post next.
I came home to do some more embroidery, but I am disappointed. When I got my new glasses a few years ago, I was able to see more clearly than I can now, I think. Ah well, I have a nice window to sit near to watch the world go past.
Several times I have walked past the gates of the Arsenal, near here. Since the Middle Ages, battleships and merchant ships were built in the huge state dockyard that is called the Arsenale. It must have been an amazing place. In the late 1500’s when Venice and the Turks were fighting, 100 galleys every 2 months were produced. Apparently they had developed an assembly line sort of practice. There was over 60 acres and at its height there were 16000 workers – in pre-industrialised Europe. Huge.
Some random thoughts follow:
My fancy new travelling handbag maybe slashproof but it is not rainproof!
I can thoroughly recommend The Rough Guide series of maps. Folding and refolding repeatedly in the rain for 3 days would destroy most maps. Not this one!
Venice is a good place to learn that the journey is as important as the destination; and what your thought was the destination may turn out not to be anyhow.
It would be very hard to eat cheaply as a tourist in Italy if you did not eat wheat.
My hair gets dirty faster in Venice than in Canberra.
I am lucky – in 2 weeks I have experienced a range of weather from cold, misty and raining ( quite atmospheric) to yesterday’s bright sunshine, sit outside at a café with only a shirt on weather.
Venetian people ( dare I say housewives?) hang their washing on the line sorted. I have been looking and have never seen the sheets and towels muddled up. Like is next to like. They also rarely hang undies on the lines; on the few ocassions I have seen some they are always white. Mind you, I have seen several nice lingerie shops and I have never seen anything displayed that is not a light colour.
In the 10 days I have been wandering the streets I have only seen 2 obviously scarfed Muslim women. All the restaurants I have been to have had Italian front of house staff but several have had North African kitchen staff.
I reckon people on the ferries here are more considerate of elderly passengers than on the buses and trains in Canberra and Sydney.
I am really enjoying this apartment. It is bright, feels spacious and has a good outlook.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Day 9 Monday St Mark’s Basilica
I decided it was time to brave the tourist hordes and see the main sights (one of them at least) of Venice. I got to St Mark’s Square early and pottered around. It really is quite impressive from the outside. Water was gurgling up through the pavement in quite a few places – several in the foyer area of the Basilica so they had the boards out. They are about a meter wide and when a gaggle/swarm/pack ( what is the collective noun for a group of tourists? I think it has to depend on the country of origin – they display different traits) passes, you really have to stand your ground ( or rather piece of board) firmly. Maybe it happens after rain. When I got inside, I remembered how I felt in the cathedral in Milan- uncomfortable – with being herded along a particular path; with seeing people take photos despite many, many signs; with seeing groups of officials do nothing about said phototakers; with the constant loud hum of voices; with some people rudely pushing past. That said, the work that has gone into the mosaics which were everywhere was amazing. Everywhere you looked there was an intricately carved something – pillar or chair or screen; except the choir stalls were perfectly plain wood, no carving or embellishments of any kind. Maybe they are a new addition. The museum was interesting. It had some tapestries; fragments of old mosaics; Byzantine embroidered clothes, though these had been extensively restored and it was not clear what, if anything, was original; illustrated old books and a weekday altarpiece that was put in front of the one that was lavishly decorated with gold, silver and all sorts of precious jewels for services on weekdays. The fancy one was displayed on weekends. In the museum are 4 lifesized gilded bronze horses that were stolen in 1204 from Constantinople. They are probably Roman from the second century AD. They are well travelled horses. Napoleon took them to Paris in 1797, then they came back. They were on the façade of the basilica but are now inside and replicas are on the outside.
After I had enough of St Mark’s I went to a much smaller church – Santa Maria del Giglio. It had heaters amongst the pews, lots of twiddly bits – baroque – but a modern statue in light coloured stone dated 1985 next to the dark grey stone altar. It is the first time I have seen such a modern thing in a church here. In a little side chapel was a lovely Rubens painting, said to be the only Rubens on display in Venice.
I went to another church – San Stefano - gothic – only because I was in the area and was filling in time. I had bought a Chorus pass for 9 euro which gives you access to many of the churches in Venice without paying the normal entrance fee. Once you are past 3 churches you are ahead – so a quick nip into a church is OK. San Stefano had a nice ceiling of wood – like an upturned keel of a boat. There was another of Tintoretto’s last suppers.
I have written a few postcards but am having trouble buying stamps. Tobaccaios do not sell them, like in other parts of Italy I have been, you have to go to a Post Office which are either very full or closed each time I have passed one. More effort required.
I have just finished making a list of the things I would like to see in my last 4 days. There are too many!
After I had enough of St Mark’s I went to a much smaller church – Santa Maria del Giglio. It had heaters amongst the pews, lots of twiddly bits – baroque – but a modern statue in light coloured stone dated 1985 next to the dark grey stone altar. It is the first time I have seen such a modern thing in a church here. In a little side chapel was a lovely Rubens painting, said to be the only Rubens on display in Venice.
I went to another church – San Stefano - gothic – only because I was in the area and was filling in time. I had bought a Chorus pass for 9 euro which gives you access to many of the churches in Venice without paying the normal entrance fee. Once you are past 3 churches you are ahead – so a quick nip into a church is OK. San Stefano had a nice ceiling of wood – like an upturned keel of a boat. There was another of Tintoretto’s last suppers.
I have written a few postcards but am having trouble buying stamps. Tobaccaios do not sell them, like in other parts of Italy I have been, you have to go to a Post Office which are either very full or closed each time I have passed one. More effort required.
I have just finished making a list of the things I would like to see in my last 4 days. There are too many!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Day 8 Sunday San Giorgio Maggiore and Ca Pesaro
Yesterday's sunset over today's church.
There are interesting shade, reflections etc when the sun is shining in the canals.
Today for the first time I couldnot get onto the first vaporetto going in the direction I wanted to go. I gather this is not uncommon in the main tourist season. There were a couple of Italians behind me making disparaging remarks about tourists. I was very tempted to make a comment. San Giorgio Maggiore is a church, tower, monastery etc complex built on it’s own island. It is another of Palladio’s designs that are designed to be viewed from a distance. The church looks better from the water than close up. Some people say Palladio’s designs are cold and harsh, but I rather think they are restful after the busyness of other styles. There are 2 Tintoretto paintings designed for the chancel. They are quite dark ( in colour and content). One is the last of a whole series of paintings of the Last Supper that he did throughout his career, but it is interesting to see how the light falls on it. Since it was built the island has had a checkered life, including being headquarters of the artillery. A rich guy, Count Vittorio Cini bought it in 1951 and restored everything.
I then went to Ca Pesaro – a baroque palace built in the 1600’s for the Pesaro family. It has been the Gallery of Modern Art since 1897. I approached the palace from the land, as you have to, but all the palaces along the grand canal were designed to look sumptuous from the water – I have yet to take the slow vaporetto down the grand canal to take pictures of some of these places I have been to. Some of the paintings and sculptures were interesting and some weird – quite unfathomable to me. I would like to learn more about Chagall – there was a painting of his The Rabbai of Vitebsk that I liked.
The next place I wanted to see was quite close by but I had lunch first – probably the nicest food but the worst service. I couldnot work out whether he was deliberately ignoring me or was just absent minded.
The Ca Mocenigo is another palace built in the 17th century, but this one, inside, is much as it would have been in the 18th century. In many of the rooms there are models of people ( men, women and children) wearing clothes of the day – all lavishly embroidered. I smiled at one of the female models. Some cotton wool had been put down the top of her gown to give her a more rounded shape ( 2 more rounded shapes to be precise)
Over the last few days I have seen street sellers selling sprigs of what looked very like wattle – the small round balls with feathery leaves. Today is La Festa della Donna. I had seen signs and yesterday asked Franca – sort of like Mothers Day except its for all women. The street sellers were out in force today with this flower and many women were carrying some around. It was always done up in cellophane and a bit hard to see. I finally talked to a seller and he said it was called mimosa – I’m sure I’ve heard one of the wattles called that so I suppose it’s the same - and it's tradition to give to women you know.
I’d dawdled so that it by the time I got nearly home I felt justified in having a gelato ( almond ) and watching the descending sun over the lagoon.
I then went to Ca Pesaro – a baroque palace built in the 1600’s for the Pesaro family. It has been the Gallery of Modern Art since 1897. I approached the palace from the land, as you have to, but all the palaces along the grand canal were designed to look sumptuous from the water – I have yet to take the slow vaporetto down the grand canal to take pictures of some of these places I have been to. Some of the paintings and sculptures were interesting and some weird – quite unfathomable to me. I would like to learn more about Chagall – there was a painting of his The Rabbai of Vitebsk that I liked.
The next place I wanted to see was quite close by but I had lunch first – probably the nicest food but the worst service. I couldnot work out whether he was deliberately ignoring me or was just absent minded.
The Ca Mocenigo is another palace built in the 17th century, but this one, inside, is much as it would have been in the 18th century. In many of the rooms there are models of people ( men, women and children) wearing clothes of the day – all lavishly embroidered. I smiled at one of the female models. Some cotton wool had been put down the top of her gown to give her a more rounded shape ( 2 more rounded shapes to be precise)
Over the last few days I have seen street sellers selling sprigs of what looked very like wattle – the small round balls with feathery leaves. Today is La Festa della Donna. I had seen signs and yesterday asked Franca – sort of like Mothers Day except its for all women. The street sellers were out in force today with this flower and many women were carrying some around. It was always done up in cellophane and a bit hard to see. I finally talked to a seller and he said it was called mimosa – I’m sure I’ve heard one of the wattles called that so I suppose it’s the same - and it's tradition to give to women you know.
I’d dawdled so that it by the time I got nearly home I felt justified in having a gelato ( almond ) and watching the descending sun over the lagoon.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Day 7 Saturday San Zanipolo
I got off to a slow start today because Signora France ( the apartment’s owner’s agent) came around, as arranged, to do some light cleaning and change the bed. She is learning English so we talked for a while about children, grandchildren Venetian sights, London, etc. I tried to speak in Italian and she spoke in English. I had to revert to English more often than she reverted to Italian but it was interesting.
San Francesco della Vigna was on the way ( well, one of the many possible ways) to today’s main sight. It is way off the beaten track and I saw no other tourists in the time I was there. It is named because of the vineyard that it was built on. I like it already, I thought. ( Can you imagine in Canberra - St Fred of the Sheep Paddock) According to the book it is typical of simple Venetian High Renaissance style – I must do an architecture course- but has a newer façade built by Palladio. Palladio was a Venetian architect from 1508to 1580 who designed large buildings with simple, elegant, classical lines. They are usually symmetrical – this one is, but you cannot see it because of the neighbouring buildings. Anyway, inside was interesting. It clearly had active parishioners – there were heaters like in outdoor cafes scattered amongst the pews. (Maybe they weren’t so active but the inside of the churches has been noticibly colder than outside) I sat down to get out my book and the printed info I had to read. I glanced at the neighbouring side chapel – Per I Defunti. I always smile about that word – John, my late husband, in Italian is mio defunto marito as in defunct. In this case I think Departed would be a better translation. I wasn’t sure whether to giggle – John would have smiled at calling a church after a vineyard, and then the defunct word – but then I read another sign that said in Italian ‘Remember them in the hand of God’. Right, time to concentrate on the famous paintings and statues and things, not emotions. Which I did.
Zanipolo is the Venetian abbreviation for Giovanni and Paolo. It was huge. At much the same time that the Franciscans arrived in Venice and built the Santa Maria dei Frari I saw on day 3, the Dominicans arrived too. They also got given some land to build a huge church. Apparently these 2 groups have theological differences and do not always see eye to eye, so the land had to be a fair way distant. They had problems building too – the Dominicans wanted a roof like the Franciscans but had marshier land and knew then (1300’s) that the building would sink if they did so they had to come up with a different solution. The marble columns in the main doorway came from Torcello. There were lots of nice paintings and carvings. There are many tombs of the dead Doges. I am reading a book called With a Gemlike Flame by David Adams Cleveland. It is not high class literature, but it is about an art historian and a few others who discover a lost Raphael in Venice. The main character has written a book about the Lombardi family of sculptors – father and 2 sons. I have enjoyed looking out for their works
Back home, I enjoyed ( almost) leaning out over the balcony to bring the dry sheets and towels in. It is not straightforward. You have to pull the line, but take the pegs off and grab the garment in a coordinated movement and if you pull too quickly the garment can get caught up in the pulley. Then, in my case, every few garments you have to bring inside – the ‘balcony’ is about 2ft wide by 6inches deep and is up 2 steps from the kitchen floor - you cannot turn around once you are standing there. Mind you, it is a better view than thru the window. A large group of neighbourhood men were pottering over an engine of a boat. This reminded me that I have never seen a female driving a boat.
I spent some time this evening sitting watching the sun set over the other side of the lagoon.
San Francesco della Vigna was on the way ( well, one of the many possible ways) to today’s main sight. It is way off the beaten track and I saw no other tourists in the time I was there. It is named because of the vineyard that it was built on. I like it already, I thought. ( Can you imagine in Canberra - St Fred of the Sheep Paddock) According to the book it is typical of simple Venetian High Renaissance style – I must do an architecture course- but has a newer façade built by Palladio. Palladio was a Venetian architect from 1508to 1580 who designed large buildings with simple, elegant, classical lines. They are usually symmetrical – this one is, but you cannot see it because of the neighbouring buildings. Anyway, inside was interesting. It clearly had active parishioners – there were heaters like in outdoor cafes scattered amongst the pews. (Maybe they weren’t so active but the inside of the churches has been noticibly colder than outside) I sat down to get out my book and the printed info I had to read. I glanced at the neighbouring side chapel – Per I Defunti. I always smile about that word – John, my late husband, in Italian is mio defunto marito as in defunct. In this case I think Departed would be a better translation. I wasn’t sure whether to giggle – John would have smiled at calling a church after a vineyard, and then the defunct word – but then I read another sign that said in Italian ‘Remember them in the hand of God’. Right, time to concentrate on the famous paintings and statues and things, not emotions. Which I did.
Zanipolo is the Venetian abbreviation for Giovanni and Paolo. It was huge. At much the same time that the Franciscans arrived in Venice and built the Santa Maria dei Frari I saw on day 3, the Dominicans arrived too. They also got given some land to build a huge church. Apparently these 2 groups have theological differences and do not always see eye to eye, so the land had to be a fair way distant. They had problems building too – the Dominicans wanted a roof like the Franciscans but had marshier land and knew then (1300’s) that the building would sink if they did so they had to come up with a different solution. The marble columns in the main doorway came from Torcello. There were lots of nice paintings and carvings. There are many tombs of the dead Doges. I am reading a book called With a Gemlike Flame by David Adams Cleveland. It is not high class literature, but it is about an art historian and a few others who discover a lost Raphael in Venice. The main character has written a book about the Lombardi family of sculptors – father and 2 sons. I have enjoyed looking out for their works
Back home, I enjoyed ( almost) leaning out over the balcony to bring the dry sheets and towels in. It is not straightforward. You have to pull the line, but take the pegs off and grab the garment in a coordinated movement and if you pull too quickly the garment can get caught up in the pulley. Then, in my case, every few garments you have to bring inside – the ‘balcony’ is about 2ft wide by 6inches deep and is up 2 steps from the kitchen floor - you cannot turn around once you are standing there. Mind you, it is a better view than thru the window. A large group of neighbourhood men were pottering over an engine of a boat. This reminded me that I have never seen a female driving a boat.
I spent some time this evening sitting watching the sun set over the other side of the lagoon.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Food
At the beginning of my time here I compiled a list from my various sources of Venetian specialities, mainly odd seafood like cuttlefish and eel, to try. I am slowly working my way through the list, but it is not as straight forward as I thought. The cheaper restaurants – the ones behind a bar filled with workmen or students that I have been to twice do not seem to serve these dishes. The slightly more upmarket restaurants which have menus in the window in Italian, English, and sometimes French and German as well, sometimes do. At one of these, 2 courses, wine and coffee costs about 30 euros – about $60 – more than I want to spend. On the other hand, I’ve come all this way, and the difference between that and a cheaper meal that is usually similar to what I would cook at home that costs about 20 euros is not that much in the total cost of the trip. I have decided to just drink house wine – which is usually quite nice – rather than try some of the different types of regional wine. I sometimes take water and have a swig before I have lunch. A quarto (250ml) of house wine usually costs between 2 and 3 euros, but water often costs more because they only have big bottles of water – they rarely have smaller bottles.
I have tried so far :
Tiramisu
Apple strudel ( they have a lot of it here)\
An antipasto of different cold lagoon caught things – different sized prawns which have different names in Italian ( gamberetti,gamberone, and scampi), something that looked like a grayish prawn called a cicala, polipo or baby octopus and something that the waiter described as the milk of cuttlefish. These were little white balls about half the size of gnocchi and similar texture. I had taken too much of his time and it was stretching it too far to find out if and how it was cooked.
Fegato alla Venezia – liver ( I had calf’s liver but I have seen it described as veal liver in other places) chopped up on a bed of onions with polenta. The polenta was the consistency and colour of mashed pumpkin.
Seppia al nero con polenta – this I had at about 1245. It is now 6.15 and my stomach is still struggling . It is cuttlefish cooked in its own black ink. It was quite tasty but the sauce had really strong flavours. The fish itself was in strips about 5cm by 1cm and quite like well cooked ( i.e. not overdone and chewy) calamari. It was served with polenta but this time it was white and reminded me of blancmange in look and texture. See photo – it looked even less appetizing properly in focus.
They use raddichio quite a lot – I have been given it always in a salad.
I will continue trying things.
Day 6 Friday Ca Rezzonico
Not raining – sometimes sunny – see first 2 photos
Ca in Venetian is a palace – a huge house. This one is Baroque and, while it is now a museum, still has lots of the original furniture. Some rooms have a description of what they were used for. At one stage in its life it was owned by Robert Browning. One of my books said it had an exhibition of clothing – I could not find it. I saw the most amazing piece of furniture / staue/decoration that I have seen for ages. It was over 6ft high and about 3ft wide in ebony and rosecoloured wood of varying beautifully carved people and animals and some of these people were holding Chinese vases of different shapes and sizes at all sorts of odd angles – the vases were not all upright. It was most odd.
I went into a church that had a whole series of Tintoretto paintings about the life of San Rocco – the guy from Tuesday’s Scuola. Legend has it that he survived the plague and somehow that gave him miraculous healing powers and hence he became the patron saint of infectious diseases. That did not help him being captured in a battle and dying in prison.
I went to San Giacomo dell’Orio – one of the oldest churches in Venice, dating from the 9th century. It has been added to off and on since then, but it is still sort of homely, not lavish and gawdy (to my taste) like some . I had lunch out and then wandered back here.
I forgot – on my way to the Ca Rezzonico I had another ride in a traghetto. I was not entirely comfortable. There was lots of traffic in the Grand Canal, the water was a bit choppy, apart from the 2 oarsmen there were 3 other people who kept moving around as they took photos of each other ( they were Venetian, one had a visiting brother, so I suppose they knew what they were doing) . For 50cents it saved a lot of walking. See photo from a few days ago.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Day 5 Thursday Torcello
Nobody in their right mind would have ventured out this morning – raining, windy and cold. Just as well I’m somebody, not nobody. I walked half way across Venice ( from SE to N) to the ferry terminal to go to Burano. Walking was faster than catching another ferry, but not as dry! Burano is one of the northern islands, famous for its lace making, fishing and brightly coloured houses. (see photo). I’d left without my morning coffee, so as soon as I arrived in Burano I went into the first bar. It was the typical tiny place, a few tiny tables with a few elderly gentlemen there for the day, talking to anyone who would listen to them. In the time it took me to have a cappuccino and croissant, 4 separate workmen came in. They all had different drinks but all the drinks had alcohol in them. I had a bit of a wander and then caught the ferry to Torcello. Apart from the driver and his offsider, I was the only passenger.
Torcello was established between the 5th and 6th centuries and became a thriving place with a population that, supposedly, reached 20,000. Now there are 60 ( according to the book – I saw 4) people, a Byzantine cathedral and the church of Santa Fosca, a couple of restaurants for the hordes (? Maybe in summer) of visitors, many ruins of derelict houses ( though there are currently public works going on to clean the place up – judging by the equipment, there was no activity today) and the ferry terminal. Avid readers of this space may remember that I particularly enjoyed the Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna on my last trip to Italy. This church could rival several of them. There was a huge mosaic telling many different stories on the whole of the west wall and the apse was covered in different people. Quite a few of the mosaics had been restored in the 11th and 12th century – but they were still great. Unlike the churches in Ravenna, all the churches I’ve been to in Venice have had big signs – No photos. The attached church (see photo) was simple and peaceful. There is also a bell tower but the attendant told me that it was slippery in the wet and the weather conditions would have severely limited the view, so I passed.
Back to Burano for a late lunch, then ferry back to Venice proper, then walk home – ½ hour very brisk walk with only 2 confirmatory glances at the map. I'm getting better.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Day 4 Accademia
This morning I was up early so thought it was a good opportunity to get to the Accademia when it opened at 8.15 and avoid some crowds. There is a local market that sets up every morning in Via Garibaldi ( Via Garibaldi runs parallel to ‘my’ canal about 200m north. According to one guide book it is the widest street in Venice. It is where I have been in the habit of sometimes eating, buying food and strolling with all the other people ( just about all locals)in the early evening) Trouble is, at 7am, they were just starting to set up. I had my morning coffee and croissant on the way and got to the Accadamia at 8.10. The Accademia is a gallery which contains the largest collection of Venetian art in existence in 3 former interlinked religious buildings. There were 23 rooms. I had a few different sources of info and concentrated on, on average, 3 paintings per room – enough for me, though I did skip a few rooms full of dark gloomy paintings and 2 rooms were closed. They were arranged in roughly chronological order. I quite like Carpaccio’s paintings – sort of Brughel’ish – lots of detail. I even went to buy a book about him and his work, but they had none in English. There was a large painting by Veronese that took my fancy. It was commissioned as The Last Supper but was rejected and he was brought before the Inquisition because of the drunks and other hedonistic details. He was told to change the painting – he did – the title is now Feast in the House of Levi. Reminiscent of Caravaggio being told off for painting Christ with dirty feet. My timing paid off. Only in the last few rooms was there someone other than me. At 10.30, when I left, there were about 20 people plus a tour group of about 15 in the first room. It had started to rain while I was in the gallery so I caught the vaporetto home. For the first time I saw ticket inspectors. They had a little machine that they checked peoples imobs with.
After a very early sandwich, I set off again with a plan that started to go wrong from the start. I just missed a ferry – but that did not matter. I got to where I wanted to go in Dorsoduro, another of the sestiere – the only working boatyard that makes gondolas ( about 10 per year apparently) but it was too wet to take a photo. Never mind, I walked on to a shop that had been recommended to me to have a look before I go to Murano. They had beautiful stuff, but a bit out of my price range. Never mind, I walked on to a church that I had read about – it has 2 entrances, both the same but on different sides. Apparently it was built on neutral ground between 2 feuding families so had to have 2 entrances. ( What would JC have said about that?) It was closed and it was too wet to take a photo. (There are advantages in umbrellas) Never mind, I walked onto the next place – the church of Angelo Raffaele that Sally Vickers’ Miss Garnet was interested in. It was boarded up – very closed. Never mind, the next place was open – another church – San Sebastiano. It was being renovated and 2/3 of the paintings and things inside were covered or blocked off in some way. Never mind – time for coffee and something nice. I walked to the nearest large campo where there was sure to be something. The first place was too small ( I wanted to sit) , the second place was too fancy, the third was too full, the fourth was good – nice coffee, nice tiramisu ( apparently this originally came from Venice) . I had had enough churches and thought I would walk directly home rather than take a vaporetto. The most direct route made use of a traghetto but the closest one was not working. Never mind, I walked to the second, which also wasn’t working. Maybe they donot work in the rain?? I was pleased that I was not getting annoyed – just amused. This had taken me a fair way from the most direct route and I had to go further away to cross a bridge. There are signs on the major thorough fares to major land marks, but I was trying to avoid the major routes. It was raining more heavily and I was trying not to look too often at the map but on several occasions my navigation left a lot to be desired. While I knew my Gortex jacket was very waterproof, surprise, surprise my lightweight trousers were not. After a while my thermal pants got wet too. I stopped at a bar for a drink and finally got home about 5.30. Hopefully enough clothes will dry before tomorrow.
After a very early sandwich, I set off again with a plan that started to go wrong from the start. I just missed a ferry – but that did not matter. I got to where I wanted to go in Dorsoduro, another of the sestiere – the only working boatyard that makes gondolas ( about 10 per year apparently) but it was too wet to take a photo. Never mind, I walked on to a shop that had been recommended to me to have a look before I go to Murano. They had beautiful stuff, but a bit out of my price range. Never mind, I walked on to a church that I had read about – it has 2 entrances, both the same but on different sides. Apparently it was built on neutral ground between 2 feuding families so had to have 2 entrances. ( What would JC have said about that?) It was closed and it was too wet to take a photo. (There are advantages in umbrellas) Never mind, I walked onto the next place – the church of Angelo Raffaele that Sally Vickers’ Miss Garnet was interested in. It was boarded up – very closed. Never mind, the next place was open – another church – San Sebastiano. It was being renovated and 2/3 of the paintings and things inside were covered or blocked off in some way. Never mind – time for coffee and something nice. I walked to the nearest large campo where there was sure to be something. The first place was too small ( I wanted to sit) , the second place was too fancy, the third was too full, the fourth was good – nice coffee, nice tiramisu ( apparently this originally came from Venice) . I had had enough churches and thought I would walk directly home rather than take a vaporetto. The most direct route made use of a traghetto but the closest one was not working. Never mind, I walked to the second, which also wasn’t working. Maybe they donot work in the rain?? I was pleased that I was not getting annoyed – just amused. This had taken me a fair way from the most direct route and I had to go further away to cross a bridge. There are signs on the major thorough fares to major land marks, but I was trying to avoid the major routes. It was raining more heavily and I was trying not to look too often at the map but on several occasions my navigation left a lot to be desired. While I knew my Gortex jacket was very waterproof, surprise, surprise my lightweight trousers were not. After a while my thermal pants got wet too. I stopped at a bar for a drink and finally got home about 5.30. Hopefully enough clothes will dry before tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Day 3 San Polo
More mist and poor visibilty.I have taken quite a few photos of different boats – working barges, luxury canal boats, ambulance boats, fire boats etc. This morning in ‘my’ canal, garbage bins were being emptied into a rubbish-collecting boat. The workmen were visibly perplexed at why I should be taking photos. Later I passed several coast guard boats but there were many official looking people loitering and I chickened out.
I had my first ride in a traghetto today. There are only 3 bridges that cross the Grand Canal that winds through the centre of Venice. At various points along the canal you can cross for half a euro by standing up in a traghetto. This is a large gondola shaped boat with an oarsman either end and a maximum of 20 people standing.
Today I visited several places in the San Polo sestiere. The first was the church of Santa Maria dei Frari – a huge, plain Gothic church built by Francis of Assissi’s followers. It had some impressive paintings but I particularly liked the intricately carved wooden choir stalls. A funeral was starting as I was leaving. I went to visit another place – the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Scuolas in Venice were mainly built in the 13th century by lay groups of people for the charitable benefit of needy groups of people – the sick or ethnic minorities etc. They had rich benefactors who paid noted artists of the time to decorate the walls and often ceilings. The Scuola di San Rocco was one of these set up for the sick. St Rocco was the patron saint of infectious diseases so people believed ( hoped?) that if they gave money to the Scuola they would be spared from the plague. Tintoretto was commissioned to paint the walls and ceilings. After that I went back past the first church and the funeral was coming out of the church. The coffin was put into a waiting ‘hearse’ boat and escorted off by a boat rowed by 6 oarsmen, I reckon all over at least 60, in white and purple outfits. I then went to the Campo ( Square) of San Polo. It’s the second largest campo in Venice but is fairly bleak and boring. Mind you, it was a bleak, drizzling, grey, cold day. It was used for bull fighting.
After my afternoon rest, I went to look at a local church. It used to be the main church in Venice but is now in a quiet area surrounded by boat building yards and, for Venice, a fair bit of green areas. I then had a hot chocolate. Every bar advertises ‘ hot chocolate with cream’. I asked for mine without cream, but I still could only eat – not drink – half of it, it was so rich. I’m pleased I’ve tried it.
Day 1 and Day 2 Extra
Some Italian women wear nice well cut woolen overcoats. Many wear what look to me like knee length ( or longer) padded ski jackets. They come in several colours – black, black, black or possibly dark blue or dark brown.
Gondoliers look odd with a beanie under their straw boaters.
I asked a barman what Orzo ( which all bars feature quite prominently, but I have never seen anyone drinking ) was made from. We had exchanged several sentances in a mixture of English and Italian. He said ‘mice’. ‘Mice’? I asked. Si, Si he replied. What part of a mouse does one drink I thought. Then he said ‘Corn’ Ah, maize, I thought. Anyway, later I was wandering up and down the supermarket aisles looking for the washing liquids. There are about 6 bottles of liquid under the kitchen sink. Some are obvious what they are for, but there was not 1 that was obviously for washing dishes ( nothing like ‘sparkling dishes’, ‘clean glasses’, ‘kind on your hands’ written or in pictures) – so I thought it may become obvious if I found the section in the supermarket.
I came across the tinned vegetables and saw what from the picture was tinned corn labeled ‘mais’- an odd looking Italian word, which, when pronounced by an Italian would sound quite our ‘mice’.
During the 36 hours it took me to get from my house to my apartment here, I recorded times spent in 5 categories. I spent 63% of the time in the air, 16% at airports waiting, 10% in planes waiting on the ground, 7% at airports during something eg in a security queue, in a bus to change terminals , waiting to check in etc and 4% getting to Canberra airport and from Venice airport. How's that for trivia.
Gondoliers look odd with a beanie under their straw boaters.
I asked a barman what Orzo ( which all bars feature quite prominently, but I have never seen anyone drinking ) was made from. We had exchanged several sentances in a mixture of English and Italian. He said ‘mice’. ‘Mice’? I asked. Si, Si he replied. What part of a mouse does one drink I thought. Then he said ‘Corn’ Ah, maize, I thought. Anyway, later I was wandering up and down the supermarket aisles looking for the washing liquids. There are about 6 bottles of liquid under the kitchen sink. Some are obvious what they are for, but there was not 1 that was obviously for washing dishes ( nothing like ‘sparkling dishes’, ‘clean glasses’, ‘kind on your hands’ written or in pictures) – so I thought it may become obvious if I found the section in the supermarket.
I came across the tinned vegetables and saw what from the picture was tinned corn labeled ‘mais’- an odd looking Italian word, which, when pronounced by an Italian would sound quite our ‘mice’.
During the 36 hours it took me to get from my house to my apartment here, I recorded times spent in 5 categories. I spent 63% of the time in the air, 16% at airports waiting, 10% in planes waiting on the ground, 7% at airports during something eg in a security queue, in a bus to change terminals , waiting to check in etc and 4% getting to Canberra airport and from Venice airport. How's that for trivia.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Day 2 Cannaregio
The main part of Venice is divided into 6 areas or sestieres. This morning I went to Cannaregio, the more northerly one. Apart from the main pedestrian street from the railway station to the Rialto bridge that wanders through the southern part of Cannaregio there are few tourists. I wandered through back streets and along small canals. I went to a church – Madonna dell’Orto -(Madonna of the Garden). It is a medieval Gothic church, but quite light inside. Apparently it was first St Christopher’s, for the patron saint of travellers to protect the boatmen who ferried passengers to the northern islands. A statue of the Madonna was found in a nearby vegetable garden a century or so later. This statue had remarkable powers so they changed the name of the church. I hope not too many boatmen suffered from neglect. In the church there are several large paintings by Tintoretto who was a parishioner. The outside was interesting and not too ornate. See photo.
I visited what is referred to as the Jewish Ghetto. In 1516 all Jews living in Venice were confined to an islet in Cannaregio. The area was named the Ghetto after the word geto in Venetian – a foundry which previously occupied the site. The word has been used many times since! Nearby I found a nice café and had an espresso and jam-filled croissant for E2. I know of nowhere in Australia where you can get a croissant and coffee for $4. The best part – their toilet was brand new and included Public toilets in Venice cost E2.
I went to another church – Santa Maria dei Miracoli. Apparently a painter painted a picture of The Virgin and child and put it in a little niche in his outside wall to protect his home from robbers. The painting was found to have miraculous powers and so a church was built and the painting was put above the altar. I quite liked the church - quite small and light with lots of light shades of different marble.
I called it quits after that church and walked to the nearest vaporetto stop. I just missed 1 so had to wait a bit over 15 minutes for the next. The stop was right next to the hospital and the from the waiting pontoon you could see the ambulance boats. In the time I was there 2 left with blue lights flashing and 1 arrived and unloaded a patient.
I stopped at the nearest trattoria to my apartamento. I went in and found I was the only female apart from a waitress. All the other customers were local workmen. The previous night I had made a list of all the Venetian specialities I want to try but there was no printed menu and when the waiter rattled off all the options, none of them were on my list. I still had a nice lunch.
This evening I went out for a stroll with many other locals along the nearby shopping street. The street ends at the lagoon and when I got there discovered it is a bit tricky to take a photo before the setting sun goes behind a cloud juggling a chocolate gelato with gloves on. The result is attached. The mist is still hanging around the lagoon muting all the colours. It is cold.
I visited what is referred to as the Jewish Ghetto. In 1516 all Jews living in Venice were confined to an islet in Cannaregio. The area was named the Ghetto after the word geto in Venetian – a foundry which previously occupied the site. The word has been used many times since! Nearby I found a nice café and had an espresso and jam-filled croissant for E2. I know of nowhere in Australia where you can get a croissant and coffee for $4. The best part – their toilet was brand new and included Public toilets in Venice cost E2.
I went to another church – Santa Maria dei Miracoli. Apparently a painter painted a picture of The Virgin and child and put it in a little niche in his outside wall to protect his home from robbers. The painting was found to have miraculous powers and so a church was built and the painting was put above the altar. I quite liked the church - quite small and light with lots of light shades of different marble.
I called it quits after that church and walked to the nearest vaporetto stop. I just missed 1 so had to wait a bit over 15 minutes for the next. The stop was right next to the hospital and the from the waiting pontoon you could see the ambulance boats. In the time I was there 2 left with blue lights flashing and 1 arrived and unloaded a patient.
I stopped at the nearest trattoria to my apartamento. I went in and found I was the only female apart from a waitress. All the other customers were local workmen. The previous night I had made a list of all the Venetian specialities I want to try but there was no printed menu and when the waiter rattled off all the options, none of them were on my list. I still had a nice lunch.
This evening I went out for a stroll with many other locals along the nearby shopping street. The street ends at the lagoon and when I got there discovered it is a bit tricky to take a photo before the setting sun goes behind a cloud juggling a chocolate gelato with gloves on. The result is attached. The mist is still hanging around the lagoon muting all the colours. It is cold.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Day 1 – imob tessera
I had decided on Saturday that Sunday’s focus was going just to be getting what is called an imob. This is a smart card that you load with vaporetto rides. It was introduced , as far as I can gather, about 1 ½ years ago for Venetians and has, about 6 months ago, been changed to allow non Venetians access to it - at a price. It is quite cheap for Venetians, costs a bit more for residents of the Veneto and costs E40 for everyone else. It lasts 3 years. The thing is, without it, a vaporetto ride costs E6.50, occasionally E2.50, but with it, E1. 8 rides and I’m ahead. Another problem is that at most of the places where you can buy it, you apply and then you have to go back quite a few days later to collect it. I had read that at the Tronchetto office you can get it on the spot. Trouble is, Tronchetto is about as far away from where I am staying as is possible. I could always catch a vaporetto and pay but that was against the day’s rules.
The day started with a big ‘small pleasure’- I got my clean undies out of a drawer, not my backpack! Then when I set off along my street I saw the gentleman I had talked to the previous day. We chatted away – he has family in Melbourne who make gold jewelry. He kept telling me that Tronchetto was way too far to walk. He was 80 – I told him I was young! I stopped at the first transport office that I came to and asked if there were any places other than Tronchetto that I could get the imob on the spot. I was told the Piazzale Roma – a small fraction closer. I wandered on, had a cappuccino and croissant in a backstreet bar, talked to a spruiker for the gondoliers waiting to give tourists rides. He said the water level there was about 1 1/2m at the moment. At the height of the aqua alta it was 4m. I wandered on, took a few photos, looked in a few windows – saw a lovely jumper with a sale sign , but I’m afraid E500 is more than my budget. A few shops later I saw a lovely pair of shoes. They came in their individual little leather bag. I finally got to the transport office at the Piazzale Roma. It was a small office with 3 windows each apparently selling different sorts of passes. You pressed the relevant button in a machine (Medicare style) to get a number and then waited for your number to be called. There were about 20 people waiting, one irate gentleman pushed in and rapidly asked the lady behind one window something. Not if I don’t have to, I thought as I walked out. Where I had to go was off the edge of the map I was using ( good as it is, thank you Helen) and I saw an information office over the road. I went there and looked at the map on the desk and talked to the lady. She said that the machine for dispensing the imobs at the Tronchetto office had been broken and she did not know if it had been fixed. She was not sure that the office over the road issued them on the spot and I could not find that out without queuing. So, I set off for Tronchetto and began to realize why people do not walk to Tronchetto. I walked through a large building site, next to a large car park building and past some industrial looking places, but passed noone in about 2 kilometres. Not the most sensible thing to do. When I got there, it was a bright airy office with 2 attendants and noone else. The whole process took about 5 minutes. I had gone armed with a passport sized photo and was a fraction worried that they might query an Australian address and a British passport but they never asked to see any identification.
I stood there deciding what to do. I had been so focused on getting the silly little card that I hadnot thought past that. It crossed my mind to go back and tell the information lady that the Tronchetto office’s machine was now working, but only fleetingly. I caught the next ferry that came along and delighted in waving my card in front of the machine. I walked home another few kilometers . On the way I walked past a restaurant and tried to explain in Italian to the spruiker who spoke some English that I did not want to go to a restaurant that had a menu written in English or someone out the front trying to get customers. Neither my Italian nor his English were up to the challenge. I did find a place that satisfied my criteria and had a nice lunch.
I have tried to work out how far I walked, but the same map seems to have 2 different scales. More thought required.
I have just been out – it is evening and raining – in most of my clothes and that wasn’t enough.
I am sure I will get tired of writing of such inane details.
The day started with a big ‘small pleasure’- I got my clean undies out of a drawer, not my backpack! Then when I set off along my street I saw the gentleman I had talked to the previous day. We chatted away – he has family in Melbourne who make gold jewelry. He kept telling me that Tronchetto was way too far to walk. He was 80 – I told him I was young! I stopped at the first transport office that I came to and asked if there were any places other than Tronchetto that I could get the imob on the spot. I was told the Piazzale Roma – a small fraction closer. I wandered on, had a cappuccino and croissant in a backstreet bar, talked to a spruiker for the gondoliers waiting to give tourists rides. He said the water level there was about 1 1/2m at the moment. At the height of the aqua alta it was 4m. I wandered on, took a few photos, looked in a few windows – saw a lovely jumper with a sale sign , but I’m afraid E500 is more than my budget. A few shops later I saw a lovely pair of shoes. They came in their individual little leather bag. I finally got to the transport office at the Piazzale Roma. It was a small office with 3 windows each apparently selling different sorts of passes. You pressed the relevant button in a machine (Medicare style) to get a number and then waited for your number to be called. There were about 20 people waiting, one irate gentleman pushed in and rapidly asked the lady behind one window something. Not if I don’t have to, I thought as I walked out. Where I had to go was off the edge of the map I was using ( good as it is, thank you Helen) and I saw an information office over the road. I went there and looked at the map on the desk and talked to the lady. She said that the machine for dispensing the imobs at the Tronchetto office had been broken and she did not know if it had been fixed. She was not sure that the office over the road issued them on the spot and I could not find that out without queuing. So, I set off for Tronchetto and began to realize why people do not walk to Tronchetto. I walked through a large building site, next to a large car park building and past some industrial looking places, but passed noone in about 2 kilometres. Not the most sensible thing to do. When I got there, it was a bright airy office with 2 attendants and noone else. The whole process took about 5 minutes. I had gone armed with a passport sized photo and was a fraction worried that they might query an Australian address and a British passport but they never asked to see any identification.
I stood there deciding what to do. I had been so focused on getting the silly little card that I hadnot thought past that. It crossed my mind to go back and tell the information lady that the Tronchetto office’s machine was now working, but only fleetingly. I caught the next ferry that came along and delighted in waving my card in front of the machine. I walked home another few kilometers . On the way I walked past a restaurant and tried to explain in Italian to the spruiker who spoke some English that I did not want to go to a restaurant that had a menu written in English or someone out the front trying to get customers. Neither my Italian nor his English were up to the challenge. I did find a place that satisfied my criteria and had a nice lunch.
I have tried to work out how far I walked, but the same map seems to have 2 different scales. More thought required.
I have just been out – it is evening and raining – in most of my clothes and that wasn’t enough.
I am sure I will get tired of writing of such inane details.
Getting toVenice
The trip here went smoothly.
It was good to see Wendy, Isla and Lainie for an hour at Sydney airport.
My checked in bag weighed 10kg, daypack 2.5, handbag 2.5
I flew from Sydney in a new A380 with the comfiest airline seats I’ve ever had, and the best inflight entertainment I’ve ever seen –many, many movies. I started to watch Australia but decided to watch it later - the small scene does not do the scenery justice. The Duchess was the best of those I watched or started to watch. Main cabin did not appear huge – broken up into smaller areas with food stations and toilet blocks. It felt less cattle penish than other large aeroplanes I’ve flown in. Several times after meals they came around with peppermint tea or hot chocolate. I got my vegetarian meal at 7.20 – pity about having a glass of wine with my meal – I had to wait till the rest of the passengers near me got their meal at 8.15 to get my wine. I could have asked earlier I suppose but the system seems a bit wrong.
The new terminal 5 at Heathrow was an interesting building architecturally. It was quite easy to follow the signs to get to the right place. For all their talk of high levels of security I walked through the metal detecting archway with both my watch and shoes on. ( In Canberra I took off my watch and my shoes were still enough to set the machine off)
I find it very confusing when I am doing something to have a nearby conversation between 2 people both speaking a different language intrude into my brain.
By comparison with the QF plane, the BA plane I flew to Venice on was falling to bits inside. It was also only 1/3 full compared to the QF plane which was very full. (I had a wander and the number of spare seats was roughly equal to the number of people standing up). I read in the BA inflight mag an article about an organization called The School of Life which runs 2 day tours, presided over by Alain de Botton ( of Consolations of Philosophy fame and several other books) to Terminal 5 . There is an upmarket hotel attached to it. According to the School of Life, the airport is a good place for relaxation and contemplation! I’d never really thought about it before but there is an official definition of fog and mist. Coming into Venice the airplane captain said we would be pleased that the fog had been downgraded to mist because the visibility was above x ( I’ve forgotten) metres.
Venice airport is quite small. I walked off the plane at 12.55, straight up to an official who merely glanced at my passport as he stamped it, went to the loo to add a thermal layer of clothing underneath, collected my bag, walked straight through a door saying EU ‘nothing to declare’ ( nowhere was I given anything or did I see a sign saying what you were meant to declare) , (maybe there was an official at the Non EU door) walked briskly ( about 5minutes) to the vaporetto stop, bought a ticket and got on the vaporetto 2 minutes before it departed at 1.15. Not bad. The views of Venice as we approached were quite atmospheric in the mist.
I got off the vaporetto at the correct stop and walked to where my apartment is. I thought I had an hour to wait because the landlady ( who lives in Rome) had told me that she would ask her neighbour to meet me at the apartment at 3.30 - the time I would have got there if I had caught the next ferry. I wandered a bit, then sat and waited in the doorway. I talked to an old man who wandered past and then the next door lady who stuck her head out the window to see what was going on. At about 3.45 I rang the neighbour. She had not received the email the landlady sent about me. She came in about 10 minutes to let me in.
The apartment is on the first floor, is bright and has a nice feel about it. It has good views along a small canal and up a small street. There is a room with 3 windows, lounge , dining table and chairs and well-equipped kitchen. There is a separate bedroom with 2 windows and new but quite small bathroom. I have to be careful as I sit on the loo not to bump into the bidet. I can’t see how anybody taller than me (or with dodgy knees) would manage.
After a bit of sorting out I walked about 200m to the nearest street of shops to buy some food. I was quite tired and my Italian was not very good, but it will improve.
It was good to see Wendy, Isla and Lainie for an hour at Sydney airport.
My checked in bag weighed 10kg, daypack 2.5, handbag 2.5
I flew from Sydney in a new A380 with the comfiest airline seats I’ve ever had, and the best inflight entertainment I’ve ever seen –many, many movies. I started to watch Australia but decided to watch it later - the small scene does not do the scenery justice. The Duchess was the best of those I watched or started to watch. Main cabin did not appear huge – broken up into smaller areas with food stations and toilet blocks. It felt less cattle penish than other large aeroplanes I’ve flown in. Several times after meals they came around with peppermint tea or hot chocolate. I got my vegetarian meal at 7.20 – pity about having a glass of wine with my meal – I had to wait till the rest of the passengers near me got their meal at 8.15 to get my wine. I could have asked earlier I suppose but the system seems a bit wrong.
The new terminal 5 at Heathrow was an interesting building architecturally. It was quite easy to follow the signs to get to the right place. For all their talk of high levels of security I walked through the metal detecting archway with both my watch and shoes on. ( In Canberra I took off my watch and my shoes were still enough to set the machine off)
I find it very confusing when I am doing something to have a nearby conversation between 2 people both speaking a different language intrude into my brain.
By comparison with the QF plane, the BA plane I flew to Venice on was falling to bits inside. It was also only 1/3 full compared to the QF plane which was very full. (I had a wander and the number of spare seats was roughly equal to the number of people standing up). I read in the BA inflight mag an article about an organization called The School of Life which runs 2 day tours, presided over by Alain de Botton ( of Consolations of Philosophy fame and several other books) to Terminal 5 . There is an upmarket hotel attached to it. According to the School of Life, the airport is a good place for relaxation and contemplation! I’d never really thought about it before but there is an official definition of fog and mist. Coming into Venice the airplane captain said we would be pleased that the fog had been downgraded to mist because the visibility was above x ( I’ve forgotten) metres.
Venice airport is quite small. I walked off the plane at 12.55, straight up to an official who merely glanced at my passport as he stamped it, went to the loo to add a thermal layer of clothing underneath, collected my bag, walked straight through a door saying EU ‘nothing to declare’ ( nowhere was I given anything or did I see a sign saying what you were meant to declare) , (maybe there was an official at the Non EU door) walked briskly ( about 5minutes) to the vaporetto stop, bought a ticket and got on the vaporetto 2 minutes before it departed at 1.15. Not bad. The views of Venice as we approached were quite atmospheric in the mist.
I got off the vaporetto at the correct stop and walked to where my apartment is. I thought I had an hour to wait because the landlady ( who lives in Rome) had told me that she would ask her neighbour to meet me at the apartment at 3.30 - the time I would have got there if I had caught the next ferry. I wandered a bit, then sat and waited in the doorway. I talked to an old man who wandered past and then the next door lady who stuck her head out the window to see what was going on. At about 3.45 I rang the neighbour. She had not received the email the landlady sent about me. She came in about 10 minutes to let me in.
The apartment is on the first floor, is bright and has a nice feel about it. It has good views along a small canal and up a small street. There is a room with 3 windows, lounge , dining table and chairs and well-equipped kitchen. There is a separate bedroom with 2 windows and new but quite small bathroom. I have to be careful as I sit on the loo not to bump into the bidet. I can’t see how anybody taller than me (or with dodgy knees) would manage.
After a bit of sorting out I walked about 200m to the nearest street of shops to buy some food. I was quite tired and my Italian was not very good, but it will improve.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Last 'Old Burma Road' post
I arrived safely home last Monday week, October 20th . I was not well and struggled to do the necessaties before going to Perth last Thursday. I had a lovely relaxing time there and enjoyed John's elder brother's wedding. I have recently been reminded by several people that I have made no comments on the last days of my trip - so here goes.
From Dali we drove north to Lijiang through more mountains and river valleys, always with something new to see. Lijiang is another city built around an ancient old town with winding narrow cobbled streets, wooden buildings with interconnecting roofs and people living their lives being gawked at by tourists - at least there were far fewer tourists in the mornings. We visited the Mu Chieftain's house - lots of interconnected buildings, courtyards, gardens etc - quiet and peaceful. The highlight of Lijiang was the outdoor show we went to which I have written about previously.
We drove north from Lijiang, going higher and higher. The road was quite spectacular. We stopped on the side of the Yangtze and walked 2 1/2 km into Tiger Leaping gorge along man-made paths with other tourists, but not too many. After walking back to the bus we had lunch at a nearby cafe on the edge of the river with spectacular views. ( I had hoped to have some photos organised - maybe in a week or so)We drove on , higher and higher, to Zhong Xiang ( or Shangri La) in Tibet . As soon as we got onto the plateau the farmhouses changed - the Tibetan style is quite different. There were yaks and more pigs.
Our hotel at Zhong Xiang was quite atmospheric. There were 2 storeys of rooms and corridors around a central enclosed area with tables and a fireplace. Lots of wall hangings and old furniture and colourfully dressed staff. The heating was 'off' - so we wore all our clothes but the rooms had very cosy doonas. There was a party of Chinese tourists who were very noisy in waking each other up at 5.30 one morning. They were none too carefeful in which door they knocked on! Once again, there is an old town which is being extended to form a new 'old town'. It was in this extension of the old town that we found the cafe that I posted from before. While we were in Zhong Xiang we visited the Songstam Monastery - one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the area. Currently 800 monks live there. We had to climb quite a few steps. Half way up I was puffing, but that was the only indication I had that I was at about 3500m. Some others on our trip felt a bit off, so I was lucky. We visited a local Tibetan house and tried some cheese made from yak milk (quite nice) , some roasted barley seeds ( quite nice) and yak milk tea (not a taste I have any intention of acquiring) .
The flight from Zhong Xiang to Kunming over the mountains was quite spectacular. ( I think I have used that word before!) We had 1 1/2 days in Kunming, the capital on Yunnan, to do what we wanted. Apparently the museum that some of our group went to was excellent. I was not well so only ventured from the hotel to buy a book to read and spent the rest of the time watching TV and sleeping. Our flights home - Kunming to Singapore, Singapore to Sydney, Sydney to Canberra were ok.
I will try and post some photos in a week or so.
From Dali we drove north to Lijiang through more mountains and river valleys, always with something new to see. Lijiang is another city built around an ancient old town with winding narrow cobbled streets, wooden buildings with interconnecting roofs and people living their lives being gawked at by tourists - at least there were far fewer tourists in the mornings. We visited the Mu Chieftain's house - lots of interconnected buildings, courtyards, gardens etc - quiet and peaceful. The highlight of Lijiang was the outdoor show we went to which I have written about previously.
We drove north from Lijiang, going higher and higher. The road was quite spectacular. We stopped on the side of the Yangtze and walked 2 1/2 km into Tiger Leaping gorge along man-made paths with other tourists, but not too many. After walking back to the bus we had lunch at a nearby cafe on the edge of the river with spectacular views. ( I had hoped to have some photos organised - maybe in a week or so)We drove on , higher and higher, to Zhong Xiang ( or Shangri La) in Tibet . As soon as we got onto the plateau the farmhouses changed - the Tibetan style is quite different. There were yaks and more pigs.
Our hotel at Zhong Xiang was quite atmospheric. There were 2 storeys of rooms and corridors around a central enclosed area with tables and a fireplace. Lots of wall hangings and old furniture and colourfully dressed staff. The heating was 'off' - so we wore all our clothes but the rooms had very cosy doonas. There was a party of Chinese tourists who were very noisy in waking each other up at 5.30 one morning. They were none too carefeful in which door they knocked on! Once again, there is an old town which is being extended to form a new 'old town'. It was in this extension of the old town that we found the cafe that I posted from before. While we were in Zhong Xiang we visited the Songstam Monastery - one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the area. Currently 800 monks live there. We had to climb quite a few steps. Half way up I was puffing, but that was the only indication I had that I was at about 3500m. Some others on our trip felt a bit off, so I was lucky. We visited a local Tibetan house and tried some cheese made from yak milk (quite nice) , some roasted barley seeds ( quite nice) and yak milk tea (not a taste I have any intention of acquiring) .
The flight from Zhong Xiang to Kunming over the mountains was quite spectacular. ( I think I have used that word before!) We had 1 1/2 days in Kunming, the capital on Yunnan, to do what we wanted. Apparently the museum that some of our group went to was excellent. I was not well so only ventured from the hotel to buy a book to read and spent the rest of the time watching TV and sleeping. Our flights home - Kunming to Singapore, Singapore to Sydney, Sydney to Canberra were ok.
I will try and post some photos in a week or so.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
previously visited :Dali 11 Oct to 13 Oct
Dali – new lake, windy town. A large ‘new town’ built over the past 10 years or so and an ‘old town’ and , adjacent to the ‘old town’ a ‘new old town’ The local minority group are the I million Bai people. The women usually wear white with colourfully embroidered waist bands . There is a significant group of Moslems. Dali is the main place is China where marble is quarried.
We visited some markets and an old house of a Bai chieftain – 2 storey ( people lived downstairs, things stored upstairs) built around a central courtyard with bits added on. Now home of 8 families.
We visited a place where there are 3 pillar like pagodas.
We have usually been eating as a group and Ross decides what we will eat. Ordering food in most of the places is difficult. You either point to what you want from the made up dishes or you point to the array of fresh vegetables and , sometimes, fish or meat. On one day a group of 5 of us went to a local place and pointed to the vegetables we wanted. We had no idea how they were to be cooked. We had a delicious meal!
We visited some markets and an old house of a Bai chieftain – 2 storey ( people lived downstairs, things stored upstairs) built around a central courtyard with bits added on. Now home of 8 families.
We visited a place where there are 3 pillar like pagodas.
We have usually been eating as a group and Ross decides what we will eat. Ordering food in most of the places is difficult. You either point to what you want from the made up dishes or you point to the array of fresh vegetables and , sometimes, fish or meat. On one day a group of 5 of us went to a local place and pointed to the vegetables we wanted. We had no idea how they were to be cooked. We had a delicious meal!
Previously visited : Tenchong to Dali
Long day of driving through forests and more farming ( yet more bananas, bamboo, corn and rice ; some tea on higher slopes) land. Up and down. Spectacular scenery . New road – spectacular engineering feat. Crossed the Nujang River ( Salween in Myanmar) and Mekong River. As we approached Dali, the farmhouses became more prosperous looking. Our hotel in Dali was an interesting restored building in traditional style.
Previously visited - Tengchong 9 Oct to 11 Oct
Tenchong is a fairly remote city in SW China. The hotel we stayed in was fairly new, had grotty carpets, very odd English translations, had the word ‘Airport’ in its full name – the airport is yet to be built – was clean but noone spoke any English.
We visited the old walled village of Herschwin – narrow alleyways, interesting houses, the home of Ai Siqi – famous Chinese philosopher. It also had an interesting museum of Yunnan/Myanmar’s battle against the Japanese in the early 1940’s (?) and a large old library.
There were a group of people filming a movie called The Jade Phoenix with, according to our guide, 2 famous Chinese actors. We saw a group of actors dresses as Japanese soldiers waiting. ‘Action’ is a universal word.
We visited a peaceful war cemetery and attached museum and nearby waterfall
We visited the old walled village of Herschwin – narrow alleyways, interesting houses, the home of Ai Siqi – famous Chinese philosopher. It also had an interesting museum of Yunnan/Myanmar’s battle against the Japanese in the early 1940’s (?) and a large old library.
There were a group of people filming a movie called The Jade Phoenix with, according to our guide, 2 famous Chinese actors. We saw a group of actors dresses as Japanese soldiers waiting. ‘Action’ is a universal word.
We visited a peaceful war cemetery and attached museum and nearby waterfall
Previously visited : Ruili to Tengchong 10th October
We drove for a large part of the day through farming country with mountains quite close. The scenery was great. Lots of corn and rice. The rice on the flat parts looks yellowish and is being harvested and the rice on the slopes is still green. The terraces and flats make nice checkerboard patterns of different colours.
In this area of Yunnan there are many Dai people, quite a few of whom still wear their traditional clothes. We stopped at a Dai chieftain’s house. He was the magistrate, lawmaker and enforcer until the 1940’s and his house was a nice rambling conglomeration of many rooms for different purposes ( private and official) all linked together with nice courtyards here and there, ornately carved wooden screens, stone walls, really old bonsai trees etc.
In this area of Yunnan there are many Dai people, quite a few of whom still wear their traditional clothes. We stopped at a Dai chieftain’s house. He was the magistrate, lawmaker and enforcer until the 1940’s and his house was a nice rambling conglomeration of many rooms for different purposes ( private and official) all linked together with nice courtyards here and there, ornately carved wooden screens, stone walls, really old bonsai trees etc.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Shangri La
I am sitting in a cafe with a wireless connection in a new 'old style' Tibetan house with a few others. We went for a walk and stumbled on a place with an Italian coffee maker. It has been adjusted due to the altitude - 3300m
The drive here was stunning - far better than anything else we've seen.
I will try and post again tomorrow.
The drive here was stunning - far better than anything else we've seen.
I will try and post again tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Lijiang
We arrived here yesterday. The old town is a mass of stone and wood houses and narrow alleyways and wall to wall tourists and some locals . We walked up a hill and looked over the interconnected roofs. This morning we went to a nearby town, similarly old buildings but no tourists.
The highlight of the trip so far was a show we have just been to. In an outdoor stadium like thing (at 3100m) with the backdrop of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain ( 5500 m) we saw a performance of Impression Lijiang directed by the guy who did the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony. There were over 500 'actors' - many young men having a good time, not trained actors - from 10 ethnic groups, 100 local mountain horses. For 1 1/2 hours they told stories of the people and their history with dancing, singing, horseriding, drum banging, terrific music, elaborate costumes - but just their traditional clothes. Apart from 2 Germans we were the only non Chinese.
I am about to battle the hordes in order to walk to the postoffice. Please donot hold your breathe waiting for a postcard. It has been hard to find postcards, hard to find time to write in them, harder still to find stamps so I have only written a few.
The highlight of the trip so far was a show we have just been to. In an outdoor stadium like thing (at 3100m) with the backdrop of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain ( 5500 m) we saw a performance of Impression Lijiang directed by the guy who did the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony. There were over 500 'actors' - many young men having a good time, not trained actors - from 10 ethnic groups, 100 local mountain horses. For 1 1/2 hours they told stories of the people and their history with dancing, singing, horseriding, drum banging, terrific music, elaborate costumes - but just their traditional clothes. Apart from 2 Germans we were the only non Chinese.
I am about to battle the hordes in order to walk to the postoffice. Please donot hold your breathe waiting for a postcard. It has been hard to find postcards, hard to find time to write in them, harder still to find stamps so I have only written a few.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Lashio to Ruili in China 8 OCt to 9 Oct
This part of Myanmar - the northern Shan states – until the 1990’s was the heart of the poppy growing industry. Now there are acres and acres of castor plants which are used mainly for bio diesel to power generators in the many parts of this state that have no electricity.
We saw lots of bananas, corn, rice and bamboo. The highway – a 2 lane sealed road had many toll gates. There were many bullock drawn carts, converted tractors ( front half tractor, back half truck) and converted motor bikes all piled high with people and/or produce. We were gradually climbing.
There were several checkpoints before border. The guide and Ross would disappear for 30 minutes or so armed with sheets of papers. It took a while to get through actual border post. I ( and others) had made a mistake on our arrival form and they would not accept a form with anything crossed out. So we filled out a new form. Then we were told black pen only – there was nothing written ( in English anyway) to that effect on the form. Several of us had used blue pens.
Ruili, a town right on the border, was quite a contrast to anything in Myanmar. Everything seemed to scream ‘consumerism’ at me. The foyer was gaudy and tacky, rooms were nice on the surface but the paint was peeling off the walls inside the clothes cupboard and the hot water took ages to come through. There were large numbers of Chinese staying in the hotel but no one we saw who does not sound Chinese. I had boiled rice, a banana,and some grapes for breakfast.
We saw lots of bananas, corn, rice and bamboo. The highway – a 2 lane sealed road had many toll gates. There were many bullock drawn carts, converted tractors ( front half tractor, back half truck) and converted motor bikes all piled high with people and/or produce. We were gradually climbing.
There were several checkpoints before border. The guide and Ross would disappear for 30 minutes or so armed with sheets of papers. It took a while to get through actual border post. I ( and others) had made a mistake on our arrival form and they would not accept a form with anything crossed out. So we filled out a new form. Then we were told black pen only – there was nothing written ( in English anyway) to that effect on the form. Several of us had used blue pens.
Ruili, a town right on the border, was quite a contrast to anything in Myanmar. Everything seemed to scream ‘consumerism’ at me. The foyer was gaudy and tacky, rooms were nice on the surface but the paint was peeling off the walls inside the clothes cupboard and the hot water took ages to come through. There were large numbers of Chinese staying in the hotel but no one we saw who does not sound Chinese. I had boiled rice, a banana,and some grapes for breakfast.
Pwin Oo Lwin to Lashio 7 Oct to 8 Oct
We rode for 4 ½ hours in an old rickety train with open windows, hard seats, but with many colourful locals. Local woman and kids sold prepared food, snacks and dubious water to the passengers at the stations we stopped at. I bought 2 guavas for the equivalent of 5 cents. We crossed the famous (to bridge enthusiasts) Gokteik Bridge built in 1900 by the Pennsylvania Steel Company. The train crept over the bridge and we could all look down into the spectacular gorge.
We then spent another 3 hours on the bus. We did stop at a very typical roadside stall for tea and sat on the very typical plastic chairs quite close to the ground.
Lashio was, for us, just an overnight stop. It seemed a typical frontier sort of town. The hotel reflected this, though the sheets were clean. It was our least salubrious accommodation
We then spent another 3 hours on the bus. We did stop at a very typical roadside stall for tea and sat on the very typical plastic chairs quite close to the ground.
Lashio was, for us, just an overnight stop. It seemed a typical frontier sort of town. The hotel reflected this, though the sheets were clean. It was our least salubrious accommodation
Pyin Oo Lwin 5 Oct to 7 Oct
This town 100 km NE of Mandalay was a former British hill station. It has an interesting architectural mix of old British style houses, modern Burmese style houses and everything in between. We had fairly easy day, starting with a ride in a horse drawn cart to the markets. This is quite a common method of transport for the locals. We wandered around the markets looking at the fruit and vegetables. Our guide explained many of them. In the afternoon walked around the very well established botanical gardens, established in 1915 by a botanist from Kew Gardens. It was quite peaceful.
Mandalay 4 Oct to 5 Oct
There is a new ‘international’ airport at Mandalay built with the hoped for influx of tourists in mind which was opened last year. No international flights come as yet. Mandalay does not have the crumbly, decayed feeling of Yangon. It is dry dusty, filled with bicycles, but the pavements are still a major hazard for unsuspecting walkers. There is a hill overlooking the town that we went up. It had wonderful views of Mandalay and the nearby Ayeyarwady ( otherwise known as Irrawaddy) river. We visited the shanty town that springs up on the banks where boats are unloaded. We watched large barrels of molasses being carried off boats and up the bank and onto waiting trucks, pigs being manhandled from the larger boats, through the shallow water, up the bank and onto a truck etc. Kids played happily with their kites made from plastic bags amidst the trucks and mud.
We visited Amarapura, the capital before Mandalay, in order to visit the Mahagandayon Monastery. This was a very interesting place. There are currently 1300 monks living and studying there. We arrived just as they were lining up for their 2nd ( and last) meal of the day at 10 am. There were in neat rows, including the boys between 5 and about 10 years old in their white robes, then the novices from about 10 to 20 and then monks all in orange. We met about 4 senior monks – elderly gentlemen who oozed calm and contentment. We met some of a group of about 200 people who had travelled from somewhere in the north by train and bus for a day and a half to bring food for the monks as their annual offering..
We visited Amarapura, the capital before Mandalay, in order to visit the Mahagandayon Monastery. This was a very interesting place. There are currently 1300 monks living and studying there. We arrived just as they were lining up for their 2nd ( and last) meal of the day at 10 am. There were in neat rows, including the boys between 5 and about 10 years old in their white robes, then the novices from about 10 to 20 and then monks all in orange. We met about 4 senior monks – elderly gentlemen who oozed calm and contentment. We met some of a group of about 200 people who had travelled from somewhere in the north by train and bus for a day and a half to bring food for the monks as their annual offering..
Lake Inlay 2 Oct to 4 Oct
Lake Inlay is about 300 km NE of Yangon. It is about 22km by 11 km and surrounded by hills. It is very pretty. There are 17 villages on stilts around the edges. The local tribes grow many different fruit and vegetables on sort of mud islands. It is weird being driven in a long skinny boat through rows of tomato plants and seeing villagers in boats tending them and other crops. There are also many fishermen who have an interesting technique of tending their fishing net with both hands while standing and propelling their small boat with a leg wrapped around 1 oar. We stayed in one of the several fancy resorts that were built a few years ago when Burmese tourism looked like it might take off. Unfortunately it hasnot and the resorts looked mostly empty. I had a lovely room looking out onto a lush garden on the edge of the lake. The meals we had were really delicious – using the local ingredients in interesting ways.
Our local guide was Marlar, a member of the 1 million Pa-O people who live mainly in the hills around the lake. The Pa-O have a cooperative who own and run one of the resorts that we had a meal at. They put the profits back into their community – eg sealing roads to their villages. We visited a market – sloshed our way through mud up and down rows of unusual fruit and veggies, dodging colourfully dressed people in their tribal costumes. At one end were the bamboo merchants – about 10 wagons loaded with really long bamboo poles and at the other end were buffalo, cows and a pig. Apparently the buffalo are for hire.
We visited several villages and an orphanage with delightful children who sang some songs for us. All the travel, from village to village was by boat, sometimes at sunset or quite early and the different lights on the always still water were lovely.
A highlight of our time there was seeing the annual festival of Phaung Daw Do. 5 imges of Buddha are normally kept in the biggest of the areas pagodas. Once a year 4 of them ( 1 has to stay there in case the barge carrying the other 4 sinks) are taken around the lake to visit other Pagodas. The very fancily decorated main barge is towed by about 50 long boats being paddled by about 80 to 100 males between about 12 and 70 in age. Each boat is paddled – standing with 1 oar each - by members of one village and all the villages have a slightly different costume. Each boat is accompanied by what appears to be a tender carrying relief rowers and several often apparently overcrowded boats filled by the women of the village. Some of the accompanying boats hold small family groups with a little altar.
The timing of this festival depends on the moon and is linked with the end of the Buddhist lent. A slight downside for us, linked to the end of lent was the amplified chanting of a monk from a nearby pagoda. From 5am to 10pm he told us of Buddha’s teachings – but the monks speak a different language that other people do not routinely learn, let alone foreign tourists. So what was the point? ( Many of the local people only speak the language of their tribe, and only learn Burmese when ( and if) they go to school)
Yangon 30 Sept to 2 Oct
The airport at Yangon is brand new, despite the fact that the capital was moved about 3 years ago to Nay Pui Daw
Our local guide, Sno, pointed out many places on the way from the airport to the hotel that had been damaged by the cyclone. We stayed in the Strand hotel – to Yangon what Raffles is to Singapore – a restored old colonial building. It appears to be one of the few restored places. It has a lovely opulent feel – many staff, huge rooms, someone playing either a traditional harp like instrument or a zylaphone like instrument in the communal entrance / sitting area but with antiquated IT facilities.
Many of the streets are wide, tree lined, but with large old colonial buildings in a sad state of disrepair, often empty and overgrown with vegetation. Some are deserted government buildings.
The footpaths are appalling – large chunks of concrete missing or out of place. I went for a walk at dusk on our first night here but prudently cut it short. I found it impossible in the rapidly fading light to concentrate on where I was walking, dodge the many families who had come onto the footpath to cook their evening meal, keep a track of where I was on the map ( the numbering, naming system of streets seemed to change at intersections) and be vaguely aware of who was walking near me. Having said that, the people seem very friendly. There are only 2 or 3 postcard sellers outside our hotel. One walked a block with me. I stopped walking and said to her I would rather walk on my own and would buy a postcard before I left from her. She said ‘OK’ and left me.
About 80% of the people – men, women and children, wear the traditional longhi ( ankle length sarong like garment). All school children wear the same dark green colour , as do teachers!
People drive on the right hand side of the road but in mostly second hand cars from Japan with the driver on the right of the car.
We visited the Shwedagon Pagoda – a huge complex of many smaller shrines, temples, pavilions and statues around a large bell-shaped, gold leaf covered stupa. It is the most sacred of Buddhist sites in Myanmar. Many people ( men, women and kids of all ages and family groups) wander around or sit and quietly contemplate. The place as a whole had a very peaceful atmosphere. The only non local people that we saw were some people from other Asian countries visiting and a Spanish couple.
Dali, Sunday 12 October
We arrived in Dali yesterday. There are more tourists here than anywhere else so far. Most are Chinese. I have just sat down at a cafe with a wireless connection and will post , retrospectively, some of my observatipons of cities we have visited up to now.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Ruili, China
This afternoon we arrived in China after a really interesting time in Myanmar. I have some long posts composed on my laptop, but there is no wireless here. I am well.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Yangon
I have been here for 2 days. The internet connection is very dodgy and when I get to Yunan I will put a longer post.
Some impressions in no particular order :
Old crumbling colonial buildings, overgrown with vegetation or cyclone damaged
Intermittent , variable power supply
Opulent restored old hotel we are staying in
Extremely hazardous footpaths
Very friendly people
Schwedagon pagoda - peaceful huge complex of buildings around the central stupa . many people walking around quietly
People cooking on crumbling footpaths
Very humid
People on trip friendly
Some impressions in no particular order :
Old crumbling colonial buildings, overgrown with vegetation or cyclone damaged
Intermittent , variable power supply
Opulent restored old hotel we are staying in
Extremely hazardous footpaths
Very friendly people
Schwedagon pagoda - peaceful huge complex of buildings around the central stupa . many people walking around quietly
People cooking on crumbling footpaths
Very humid
People on trip friendly
Monday, September 29, 2008
Leaving Singapore
I am in the departure lounge waiting for my flight to Burma. I am well. More later.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Old Burma Road
I leave next Monday, 29 September on a trip to Burma and Yunnan.
For the itinerary, see http://www.gparts.com.au/itinerary_iframes/OldBurma/Old_Burma_itinerary.html
For the itinerary, see http://www.gparts.com.au/itinerary_iframes/OldBurma/Old_Burma_itinerary.html
Saturday, May 24, 2008
3 days old
Lainie has long fingers and feet,
but is not always ready to wake up.
Wendy , Lach and Isla are planning on bringing Lainie home tomorrow so I am going back to my home.
Friday, May 23, 2008
2 days old
She does have eyes.
Lainie quite enjoyed her first bath.
Isla supervising from a safe distance.
Isla in a 'new' playground.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
1 day old
Much the same as yesterday - I still havenot seen her eyes.
Introduction of Claudi Cat - the next favourite after Puppy
Maybe my baby sister is OK.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Lainie May
Lainie May was born at 2.30pm this afternoon - Wednesday. She is well - apparently she was exercising her lungs before even her feet were out. Isla was initially unsure - she and I arived an hour after Lainie was born. She preferred to watch TV sitting on Lach's lap. Isla brought Puppy with her and several times Puppy was interesed in Lainie. Isla and I went out for some food at 5 ish and she talked about Lainie a lot of the time. We left there at 6.30 ish got back here and Isla went straight to sleep after a bath.
Wendy and Lach are both happy and well.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Sydney
I am in Sydney looking after my first granddaughter ( picture taken a few weeks ago) while my daughter and son-in-law are at the hospital giving birth to my second granddaughter! I hope later on today to put some photos here - an easier way than sending many attachments - but I wanted to remind myself of the necessary passwords, so this is a test.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Home safely
I arrived safely home today. Yesterday I got to Sydney about 8pm , spent the night with Wendy, Lach and the delightful Isla ( I have been suprised at how much I have missed her) and caught the bus home this morning. Our disembarking at Sydney was delayed because we had to wait while a quarantine officer assessed a sick lady. We also were given a piece of paper saying if we got sick in the next few weeks make sure we told the doctor we had been overseas. I donot think, as a transit passenger in Bangkok, I was at much risk of bird flu, but it's good to see some measures that are being taken. I am about to go to bed and hopefully sleep, unlike last night.
I have already told a few people, but maybe I should express these thoughts here as well. Originally I set up this blog as a means of keeping my immediate family aware of where I was. When I realised that some other people were actually reading my ramblings I was pleased. It has helped, I am sure, me feel a bit connected still, in a funny way, to friends at home and hence a little less lonely. So, thank you.
Until next March - for my next trip to, I think, Venice and London and ??.....
I have already told a few people, but maybe I should express these thoughts here as well. Originally I set up this blog as a means of keeping my immediate family aware of where I was. When I realised that some other people were actually reading my ramblings I was pleased. It has helped, I am sure, me feel a bit connected still, in a funny way, to friends at home and hence a little less lonely. So, thank you.
Until next March - for my next trip to, I think, Venice and London and ??.....
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Basilica of St Ambrose and other endings
Yesterday afternoon I was very unsettled – not sure whether to go for a walk, what to do about dinner etc etc. I remembered that I had read about St Ambrose. He was sent to Milan in 374 to sort out squabbling factions of the Christian church after a bishop had just died. He spoke sensibly with great wisdom apparently. The people decided he would make a good bishop – trouble was he was not even a priest ( I’ve forgotten the correct term for those days) . It only took them 2 weeks or so to sort that minor problem out. He was a good bishop for a long time. There is a church that he built not far from where I was staying, so I thought I’d have a look. I walked in and felt really glad I had gone. It was very old – bits date from the church that Ambrose started in 386 and had been added to – very light, obviously a ‘used’ building ( there was a big poster of the community in Africa that the congregation supports) , locals wandering in and out outnumbered tourists, a large Byzantine mosaic covering most of the apse etc . I bought a pamphlet about the bits and pieces in the church and in it was another more general pamphlet talking about how a church was 2 things – a building ( it defined lots eg duomo, chapel, oratory, basilica) and the community of people who worshipped (in the building) together. It talked about how when you go into a church you should not treat it like a museum but let yourself be surprised by the half-light, the tall vaults, the perspective views, the silences that induce you to meditate etc. It said a bit more and then ended with “Come in and listen to it, this church has many things to tell you.”
I wished I had read this at the beginning of my 4 weeks, but then again it was an excellent way to finish and gave me plenty to ponder upon. Maybe I will read this pamphlet again when I sit in my first church on my next visit to Italy ( or, shock, horror, at home)
Just before I went into the church I had found a shop selling pieces of foccacia with interesting toppings and little cakes. I did not really want to sit in a restaurant – so I was pleased to find something I could take back to my hotel. A little later I came across a fruit shop and bought a nice big peach to have too. Just right.
Another good ending – in the Brera Art Gallery I looked at the paintings that my guide books said were noteworthy and the brochure that came with the audio guide. The last one on the list was commissioned by the Duke of Montefeltro , the guy who was the main guy who built up Urbino, the first place I went to 4 weeks ago. He was in the painting.
I am now in a lounge with 2 boarding passes. My checked in bag weighed 10.8 kg. I reckon my hand luggage is about 3kg. I’ve ditched a bit more stuff than I have acquired. There is a fair bit of space in my backpack and I have not spent as much as I thought I would. How sad is that? I’ll just have credit for next trip.
I wished I had read this at the beginning of my 4 weeks, but then again it was an excellent way to finish and gave me plenty to ponder upon. Maybe I will read this pamphlet again when I sit in my first church on my next visit to Italy ( or, shock, horror, at home)
Just before I went into the church I had found a shop selling pieces of foccacia with interesting toppings and little cakes. I did not really want to sit in a restaurant – so I was pleased to find something I could take back to my hotel. A little later I came across a fruit shop and bought a nice big peach to have too. Just right.
Another good ending – in the Brera Art Gallery I looked at the paintings that my guide books said were noteworthy and the brochure that came with the audio guide. The last one on the list was commissioned by the Duke of Montefeltro , the guy who was the main guy who built up Urbino, the first place I went to 4 weeks ago. He was in the painting.
I am now in a lounge with 2 boarding passes. My checked in bag weighed 10.8 kg. I reckon my hand luggage is about 3kg. I’ve ditched a bit more stuff than I have acquired. There is a fair bit of space in my backpack and I have not spent as much as I thought I would. How sad is that? I’ll just have credit for next trip.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Varenna
Varenna from water . Main part on right, ferry terminal on left. Orange building on the left at the ferry terminal is the hotel I stayed at.
Hotel from main part of Varenna
Duomo
This morning I visited the Duomo. My book describes it as a ‘late-Gothic wonder’ with 135 spires. It’s marble façade is shaped into pinnacles, statues and pillars, the whole held together by a web of flying buttresses.
For the first time in Italy my bag has been glanced into when I went into a church . There were many signs up – no photos – but no one to police the signs and many people taking photos. I found the flashes almost intrusive. I went up onto the roof - good views – you were sort of amongst the spires (and the other tourists).
On the way back to my hotel ( half an hour walk from the centre) I passed a shop selling upmarket small children’s clothes and nanny outfits – like in the movies – waisted demure dresses with little collar and cuffs and white apron with a trim to match the dress.
Tomorrow I leave for home. I will have to think carefully about my planned 6 week trip next year. I am currently too tired for safety and certainly not firing on all cylinders. Once I get my boarding passes tomorrow I can sleep off and on for many hours.
For the first time in Italy my bag has been glanced into when I went into a church . There were many signs up – no photos – but no one to police the signs and many people taking photos. I found the flashes almost intrusive. I went up onto the roof - good views – you were sort of amongst the spires (and the other tourists).
On the way back to my hotel ( half an hour walk from the centre) I passed a shop selling upmarket small children’s clothes and nanny outfits – like in the movies – waisted demure dresses with little collar and cuffs and white apron with a trim to match the dress.
Tomorrow I leave for home. I will have to think carefully about my planned 6 week trip next year. I am currently too tired for safety and certainly not firing on all cylinders. Once I get my boarding passes tomorrow I can sleep off and on for many hours.
Friday in Varenna
Those of you who are diligently reading will have realized that I have not written of last Friday – not one of my better days. The vaguely Manuelish (Fawlty Towers ) person who organizes breakfast is not comfortable with single guests. For the second morning in a row he asked me ‘2 or 4 people’ when I walked in – I relied ‘1’ in both English and Italian. He asked again ‘2 or 4’ . I started to get annoyed and told him, too loudly, in Italian and then English that I was traveling on my own. I should have laughed – certainly the other people already sitting were trying hard to hide their amusement. I sat down at a table set for one. Soon after another single person came in and the whole process started all over again. ‘Manuel’ got further confused when this new gentleman ( Ed) tried to explain that yesterday his wife was with him but she went home yesterday and so today he was on his own. He sat down on his own, then another guest ( an Australian named John) asked us both to join him and his wife (does this behaviour go with the name?). Ed and I both shifted our stuff while ‘Manuel’ was out of the room. When he returned, he was a bit put out!
After that I went for a walk to look at some gardens. One is attached to an old restored villa now used as a conference centre and the other to a hotel – Villa Cipresi. They were nice, but I was not really in the mood.
I then caught the boat to Bellagio – a nearby town on Lake Como. As my family know, buying presents for people ( and myself) causes me huge stress. I am not good at gambles and over the past few days have been starting to badly worry about what token I could buy for family members. Bellagio has lots of nice gift shops but I could not find anything that I was sure was right. I had decided to buy myself some gloves in Milan months ago, so I wasnot thinking of me. I struggled very hard not to get upset looking at everyone else walking around with lots of parcels –if they could decide why couldn’t I? - seems totally ridiculous writing it down now but that’s how it was. I went back to Varenna and needed to get money out ( to pay the hotel which only accepts cash despite wanting a credit card number to secure the booking). The 2 banks are about 1 km apart and for several reasons I walked backwards and forwards several times. I was not impressed with either the banks ( sometimes it seems that banks will only give you E250, despite how much more you want – but the message says something about a link failure when you ask for more ) or me ( I muddled my passwords trying different cards, not something I usually do) . I decided I deserved an icecream , so that was nice.
The day did end well though. ‘Manuel’ ‘s boss organizes people for dinner – she has less tables than rooms so puts couples together. She has 1 table for 6 that she put me plus 2 couples on. The other 4 were all from USA - a couple and 2 female friends. The lady, Pauline, who was sitting next to me was lovely. It had come out in conversation that both our husbands had died ( I hate, and try hard not to use, the n-less-window word) and some of her experiences and feelings were very similar to mine. So, in retrospect, not such a bad day at all.
PS The game I was watching is handball.
After that I went for a walk to look at some gardens. One is attached to an old restored villa now used as a conference centre and the other to a hotel – Villa Cipresi. They were nice, but I was not really in the mood.
I then caught the boat to Bellagio – a nearby town on Lake Como. As my family know, buying presents for people ( and myself) causes me huge stress. I am not good at gambles and over the past few days have been starting to badly worry about what token I could buy for family members. Bellagio has lots of nice gift shops but I could not find anything that I was sure was right. I had decided to buy myself some gloves in Milan months ago, so I wasnot thinking of me. I struggled very hard not to get upset looking at everyone else walking around with lots of parcels –if they could decide why couldn’t I? - seems totally ridiculous writing it down now but that’s how it was. I went back to Varenna and needed to get money out ( to pay the hotel which only accepts cash despite wanting a credit card number to secure the booking). The 2 banks are about 1 km apart and for several reasons I walked backwards and forwards several times. I was not impressed with either the banks ( sometimes it seems that banks will only give you E250, despite how much more you want – but the message says something about a link failure when you ask for more ) or me ( I muddled my passwords trying different cards, not something I usually do) . I decided I deserved an icecream , so that was nice.
The day did end well though. ‘Manuel’ ‘s boss organizes people for dinner – she has less tables than rooms so puts couples together. She has 1 table for 6 that she put me plus 2 couples on. The other 4 were all from USA - a couple and 2 female friends. The lady, Pauline, who was sitting next to me was lovely. It had come out in conversation that both our husbands had died ( I hate, and try hard not to use, the n-less-window word) and some of her experiences and feelings were very similar to mine. So, in retrospect, not such a bad day at all.
PS The game I was watching is handball.
Glove Man
Clarification – The glove man’s remarks made me smile not because I was thinking of the possibility of a new husband but rather the way of thinking that seems more prevalent amongst Italians of ‘ Ok, past is past, let’s enjoy today and see what tomorrow brings’
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)