Sunday, June 23, 2019

Report from Venice

RHYS BOWEN: I'm reporting in after spending the last glorious week in Venice.  I fell in love with this city when I was a child. For several summers my parents rented a little villa outside Venice. We'd drive across the causeway, my parents would give me some money and say to my brother and me, "See you at five" and we were off and free for the day. We went everywhere, back in the days when there were few tourists, which meant that I now know a lot of short cuts across the city!

This time we stayed at the Pensione Accademia which was my aunt's favorite hotel--an old palace with a splendid garden in which breakfast is served. She recommended it as it was one of the few gardens with shade in a hot city. It really is lovely. The only downside is it's on the wrong side of the Accademia bridge, meaning a lot of steps to climb every day. (52. I finally counted the steps)

Venice is not for the unfit or lazy. It requires a lot of walking, a lot of steps up and down bridges, and over uneven pavements. Each day we've put in over three miles on my Fitbit, and that doesn't count the steps up.

Other observations: Venice is a city of bells. They ring at odd times, not as one would expect at noon or 6 p.m. So many churches and all of them have bells that ring out--celebrating a saint's day? Who knows. I love to hear the sound floating across the water or waking me in the morning.

Venice is a city of birds. Swallows swoop overhead, seagulls shriek and squabble and pigeons land hopefully near our breakfast food. The hotel employs a little man with a spray bottle to drive them off.

It is a city of shops: the regular sort of tourist shops, of course, but also really interesting and different shops. A shop devoted only to pens--impressive pens, old fashioned pens. A shop dedicated to marbled paper and handmade books. One with primitive carved wooden dolls. Where else could such items make someone a living?
And of course jewelry and leather goods--such amazing leather in brilliant hues. Soft leather purses for 20 Euros and designer purses for 2,000. Murano beads, coral and cameos, and such stylish clothing (at a price!) How do Italian women manage to look so good? A plain linen shift and they look like movie stars. And they walk on cobbles in high heels!

And above all, it is a city of art. There are so many art galleries, exhibits and almost every open space has a piece of ancient or modern art in it. It's as if the whole city is one big art gallery.
Venetians say that the high tides in winter are not as dangerous as the constant speedboats and barges that eat into foundations. There are so many water taxies--all, it seems, driven by handsome and lean Italian men. I'm amazed that they all seem to be occupied as the fares are certainly not cheap. It cost us 60 Euros from the station--about a five minute ride. And they add on for extra people, luggage etc etc. But then they are cheaper than gondolas! And really the only way to get around if one has suitcases and doesn't want to drag them over bridges and onto packed vaporettos.

It's been a magical week. I've done lots of research for my upcoming book. It's amazing what the words "I am a bestselling author and I'm doing research for my next book, set in Venice," will do. I spend a morning in the historic library in the Museum Correr in St. Mark's square, being attended on by librarians bringing me a constant supply of books--all in Italian. By the end of the morning I was goggle eyed but had a lot of good info.

Now it's onto the next stage, heading up the Rhine to Amsterdam and then back to Paris for a couple of weeks. But Venice still has a special place in my heart.

24 comments:

  1. What a lovely trip; and such wonderful pictures. Thanks for sharing it with us . . . .

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  2. An unexpected tour for a Sunday morning. Thank you, Rhys. I was in Venice only once, decades ago. It was an entirely romantic weekend, the end to a summer tryst, but we didn't even dent the surface of all the art and offerings.

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  3. My parents did the same thing, eons ago. I held on to the turquoise shell necklace I bought for years. Those were different times. I cannot wait to read this book now that you have given us a peek behind its process.

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  4. I'm very happy for you Rhys, you seem to enjoy your journeys.
    All I know about Venice, I've read it in Donna Leon's books but I'm looking forward to enjoy your version of the place.

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  5. Venice stole my heart when we visited in 2017. The early November weather wasn't bad and the summer hordes were gone. One evening we stood on the Accademia Bridge watching the boat traffic before a Vivaldi concert in a nearby church. On perfect, sunny day the vaporetti were on strike. We hiked across Venice to the only vaporetto running, and made it to Murano for a blissful and crowd-free day. Fortunately, the vaporetti were running when we returned to the train station. Our hotel was in a maze of alleys near Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti's Questura. I looked for Brunetti when we were in the area. Looking forward to reading your fictional character's Venice.

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  6. Thanks for the tour, Rhys! I think even lifetime Venetians could discover new things every day in that mysterious city of islands and water.

    When my daughter and I were there three years ago, she brought along a scavenger hunt for us to do together, in addition to our tours, as a way of seeing more than just the highlights. We only managed to find three of the eight spots, but it was fun, and educational. Neither of us knew what caryatids were before then. And Venice was where we discovered the joys of an afternoon Aperol Spritz, with potato chips, while taking a rest to people watch.

    Although your hotel sounds wonderful, we did not stay in Venice, but out on Lido. It was much quieter and not crowded, and we could walk to the sea and dip our toes in. Our hotel was just a couple of blocks of flat ground from the vaporetto station, and it was very pleasant to take the boat back and forth with people who lived on Lido and worked in Venice proper. We had to plan our day carefully, though, because it took about 15-20 minutes each way, and running back and forth was not on.

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    1. I had to look that up, Karen! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caryatid

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    2. And once you know what they are, you spot them everywhere.

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  7. Venice is magical, no doubt about it. We were there in 1969 and several times since, and each time I am fearful that it will somehow have been ruined by time or pollution or flood waters or too many tourists and tour boats, and it is always magical... though seems like every time we go someone is on strike. (It's a lot more walking when the vaporettos are on strike.) Thanks for sharing, Rhys!

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  8. Oh so fabulous! Love hearing this —and what a joy to see you so happy! And cannot wait to read the book!

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  9. Thanks for the leisurely Sunday tour of Venice--love the little man with his spray bottle!

    I might find the art overwhelming--like a character in one of Alexander McCall Smith's stories upon her first trip to Italy. CAn't wait to hear more as your trip moves on!

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  10. The latest and most popular sport in Venice: dodging cruise ships. Damn!

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  11. Thank you for this, Rhys! I, too, only know Venice from Donna Leon's books, but I am hoping to make it there in the next few years. I am eager to read your book that will include Venice.

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  12. Thank you, Rhys, for the tour. This is the only way I will ever see Venice! Looking forward to your book!

    DebRo

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  13. My only experience of Venice was realized in 2015 on a trip to mark my 65th birthday. I had four wonderful days there, staying in a charming little hotel just past the Danieli. A small group of friends did a walking tour of locations from the first 3 Leon books, with a nice long people-watching break at a cafe at the foot of the Rialto bridge. The last 3 days were on my own, at my slow pace but I too noticed and was amazed by the array of shops (luxury bed linens! tableware! wallets and small purses! stationery! ...) How much stationery does one need to sell to afford the shop rents? I had coffee, tea, wine and snacks at Caffe Florian on various days, with the iconic orchestra playing in the background; went to the Guggenheim, Murano, Burano, the Lido, the Arsenal, ... yes, touristy things but soul-filling to experience in person. I even found a lovely little yarn shop a few squares away from La Fenice Opera House. I was exhausted every day from all the walking but even in my arthritic and pained condition, it was all worth every step. I would love to be there right now.

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  14. Thank you, Rhys, for the armchair tour of Venice. I remember the vaporetto when we arrived in Venice. It is my favorite city in Italy, mainly, because there are no cars! I was surprised there was a McDonald's there! I remember walking around Venice and it was easy to get lost. I remember seeing a masked performance there at night. I saw Cafe Florian. Our stay in Venice was too brief. I think we were there one or two nights. It was part of a 14 day tour of Europe and yes, it was a budget tour.

    Have you read Donna Leon's books set in Venice?

    Look forward to reading your novel set in Venice.

    Diana

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  15. Venice sounds amazing, with its bells and bridges and art. I'd love to visit someday. Laurie King's last Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes book was set there, and it was such a magnificent setting to read about.

    I have been absent here on Jungle Reds for the past week. I took a trip to see my son and then spend time in my hometown to see more family and friends. It was a wonderful week of catching up and enjoying meals with some of my favorite people on the planet. Sadly, my visit included two of my friends struggling with cancer, one of whom has been hit hard and fast and isn't doing well at all. Then, on the way home, in talking to my husband on the phone, he told me that our sweet doggie Coco was sick. By the time I got home, she was having trouble walking or getting around, hadn't been eating, and had to be helped outside to the bathroom. She took in a good amount of water, which was encouraging, but early this morning Coco passed away, with my husband sitting on the back screened-in porch with her. Husband is still crying. They were such great buddies in the eight months we had her. She was a rescue, a senior, who was twelve when she died. I can say that her last days were filled with two people who adored her and who will miss her terribly.

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    1. Oh, Kathy, so sorry about Coco! Sending you love and hugs.

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    2. Kathy, I hope you can take comfort in knowing that you gave Coco a wonderful end of her life.

      Big hugs, my dear.

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    3. Thanks, Debs and Karen. I am happy that we gave her the royal treatment the last eight months of her life. It's amazing just how in love you can fall with them in that time.

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  16. Glorious, Rhys! Thank you so much for sharing your adventure. I adore Italy!

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  17. Rhys, what a lovely post. I haven't been to Venice since my first trip to Europe with my folks in the late seventies. I adored it, and am determined to get back!

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  18. Kathy, so sorry about Coco. Hope your friends are better soon.

    I've never been in Venice. To be honest I prefer cities with more greenery but I'm always happy to hear about people's trips.

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  19. How delightful to have your book with a setting in Venice to anticipate, Rhys. I stayed for a week 6 years ago in a palazzo's apartment where Casanova stayed with his family as a young man. We took a walking tour with a woman who Donna Leon officially designated as tour guide for places her Brunetti frequents. I'm dying to go back soonish...while still spry enough to handle the terrain.

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