The Vogalonga is this Sunday, May 11th, 2008. Keep an eye out, we’ll be four (likely worn-out by the time you’d spot us) women in white skirts and a totally tricked-out sandolo. We’ll be one of about 1,500+ boats, if past years’ enrollments are any indication…there are over 50 folks from our remiera alone. There’ll be oared-powered boats of every size-and-shape, with the non-Venetian boats easily out-numbering the locals. The best part: no motorized traffic of any kind from the early a.m. ’til almost 3p. Venezia di una volta…

The course is 32 km, just under 20 miles. I never thought I’d be in any sort of marathon…but I can’t resist. Please keep your fingers crossed for sun and not-too-much wind (we’ve already calculated the tide will be rising as we head back from Burano. No rest for the weary). If we make it to Murano though, we’ll be set.

p.s. There’s a great representation of the route, along with a wonderful historical recount and more info on vogalonga.it (there’s an English version, don’t worry). There’s also a great animated, arial youtube presentation posted by user vongalongavenezia…look for the hi-res version on youtube itself.

The first thing I did when I awoke this morning (excited to head for the remiera, as we were in caorlina to accompany the Doge in his Buccintoro for the Festa della Sensa) was to check the results of the 134th Run for the Roses.

People ask, what do you miss about the States? It’s not dryers, it’s not garbage disposals; it’s certainly not having a car. It’s things like the inevitable tearing up along with 150,000+ Churchill Downs attendees as the band tunes My Old Kentucky Home prior to unleashing twenty powerful three-years-olds to pound their hearts out in a race some call the most exciting two minutes in sports.

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They sound so confident…I hope they know of that which they speak.

First of all, I just ran across an excellent new (beta) site focusing on contemporary Venice (yes, there is one). Ben trovato, veneziadavivere. I’ve always like the pub, now you’re virtual. Uuu-ra! (They have an entry for the Festa della Sensa that we’re rowing in tomorrow. I’m happy they still consider that contemporary.)

It was on their web site that I found this, talking about wiring (or wi-fi-ring, you might call it) all of Venice. Seems so logical, the city is nothing if not compact. Logic would be only part of what it would take to implement this in the end, however…I only hope the rest of the factors fall in place.

Spring of 2009, they say. Sarà da vedere…

We’re all familiar with the stupenda, increasingly-popular Vogalonga, the “race” (held this year on May 11) in which any and every type of oar-powered boat may participate. (I’ll be in caorlina with five other women, in the requisite white attire traditional for any regata). This upcoming Friday, April 25th however, the weekend of the Festa della Libertà, the Festa di San Marco, and the Festa del Boccolo, there’ll be an added event: Vogo e Ti Defendo: I’ll row, and defend you.

Organized by the rowing clubs of the city and lagoon, this civic demonstration and mini marathon is reserved only for the Voga all Veneta, and is designed to highlight the increasing threat and continuing damage that the augmentation of motor traffic (from taxis to transports to high-powered outboards to monster cruise ships) has on existence on not only the delicate lagoon environment, but on the practice of one of the most historic and uniquely Venetian activities ancora vissuto today, the Voga alla Veneta.

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VinItaly shouldn’t last a long weekend, it should last a month. Even if you had five whole days to spend tasting wine, it would be impossible to sample even half of those that are represented there, and likely to bring on raucous case of gout to boot. Besides, it’s not just about tasting an individual wine, it’s about learning first-hand from the producer their background, philosophy, and approach; the vinification process and challenges of their particular area, region, and terrior, and, in general, just facendo due chiacchiere, which usually bubbles as effortlessly as a Scolca spumante about halfway into the second bicchiere. If VinItaly went on for at least two weeks, for example, you could stop by four or five times, for perhaps for a few hours, tasting, say, Franciacorta one day, hopping over to Puglia or Sicily another, Friuli or even Alsace another, and…well, you get my point.

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I’m beginning to understand the logic behind the Venetian system dei numeri civici, the addresses that only the postino knows for sure. Pity the poor traveler who arrives thinking that he can even get help on the street by asking, Can you tell me, where is San Polo 2825? Boh. Should he have a name of a calle or fondamenta that’s not too obscure, we can more likely point them in the right direction; perhaps they have a bad map that can give us a clue. Too often, though, they arrive without even a phone number…which means inevitable wandering, with luggage, sometimes in late evening, before finally, hopefully, locating their destination. Forza, su.

However, if you’re only moving (as I did, for the fourth time in less than four years, and more often than in the prior twenty), the numbering system comes in quite handy for updating folks with your new address, particularly if you don’t change sestiere. My last three homes have all been in Cannaregio, and indeed, each time I have moved, I have only had to change the sestiere number. There’s no street in the address, so that isn’t a concern; the zip was the same, and certainly the city. So…Cannaregio 4989 went to Cannaregio 2865 and then became finally (and this one should do it for some time to come) yet another number just around the corner from Tintoretto’s home. My U.S. folks are grateful for not having to learn how to spell yet another unfamiliar Italian word incorrectly (Miseri-who?).

I doubt that was any sort of consideration when the system was established secoli fa, but we have to look for some sort of silver lining, yes? All I can say is, thank heaven for VeniceExplorer and TuttoCittà. We’d never be able to find our way around otherwise, as even Google maps and ViaMichelin still haven’t quite gotten the whole Venetian picture.

The convenience of the numbering system notwithstanding, I praying to the Venetian dei that this lighter, loftier, appartamento recently ristaurato — that’s also one floor up with una porta sola, a highly-prized feature here — remains my home for some time to come.

How many times can you hear Beethoven’s 5th Symphony performed live? As many times as Yuri Termirkanov will conduct it for you, that’s how many.

Poor Sara was not well on Saturday evening, and SMSed me once again that afternoon with the availability of her Fenice subscription ticket. Needless to say, I didn’t hesitate to accept.

That evening the theatre was as full as I’d ever seen it. Not SRO, but close enough. They performed the 5th and the 6th symphonies, the latter of which I had never heard live. I feel terrible she had to miss it, but what a treat it was. I will take her some cioccolatini when I return her ticket. Hardly the same, though…

I didn’t get to participate in last fall’s all-woman regata della voga alla veneta (rowing with one oar, standing up, facing forward). Regate rowing races are held throughout the year for every sort of oared craft and combination of rower. The more serious competitors – referred to as agonisti – compete in those; we are instead called esordienti, or something akin to rowing debutants. We are women of all ages: single, married, widowed, moms, working professionals, and students; all passionate about the voga for the challenge, the exercise, the chance to be on the lagoon, the camaraderie and sheer allegria that are all natural by-products of participating this very-Venetian rowing tradition.

Last Saturday was the first of this year’s series of regate for us esordienti. It was March 8th, the Festa delle Donne, and we were in 8 mascarete: the lighter, more agile versions of the Veneto lagoon craft. My rowing partner (names are drawn to form the pairs that pilot each boat) was Amelia Coco, a young Venetian woman who’s studying to be a veterinarian at the University of Padova. Thanks to intemperate weather conditions ranging from wind, fog, and even a four-day bora with gusts of up to 40 kph lashing across the lagoon, in the weeks prior to the race we only had four opportunities to get used to each other as rowers.

Abbiamo vinto! Evvia!

Like so many things these days, Carnevale’s just not the same. The famous and otherwise well-endowed rent stupendous costumes to wear to prestigious, expensive, commercialized balls. We donned our own fanciful costumes, rather impressed with ourselves, but found we were in the distinct minority in giro, it was only when we attended some party or other that we found ourselves once again in the company of fantastic strangers. We missed the old days (except for the cold).

In any case, it’s tranquil city the day after martedì grasso and the end of the festivities, and Venice has another year to decide what sort of party it will throw l’anno prossimo. I do hope more folks opt for going incognito. It’s what makes Carnevale, Carnevale…isn’t it?

€6,50 Single water bus fare.

May be purchased in advance or on board. This ticket is good for one 60-minute journey on the Venice network (does not include Alilaguna airport transport or the Fusina or Clodia lines). It can be purchased at any ticket booth or on board. Do let the attendent know you need one as you board, to avoid the possibility of a €30 fine.

• €14 - 12 hours
• €16 - 24 hours
• €21 - 36 hours
• €26 - 48 hours
• €31 - 72 hours

• €18 - Three-day Youth card, issued only upon presentation of the Rolling Venice Card (€4, ages 14 - 29), for purchase from any HelloVenezia vendor. See Venicecard.com for complete info.

Conference Card, Student, and organized groups - special requests.

Discounts for groups of various types. Reserved in advance through the offices of HelloVenezia, +39 041 2424. Valid from 1 to 8 days.

CartaVenezia

If you are a frequent visitor to Venice, you might consider the CartaVenezia, or long-term pass. It’s a significant investment if you’re not a resident of Venice or the Veneto (€40), but you can save money in the long term for individual tickets and pass prices, although they’ve risen, too). See the ACTV site for complete information (scroll down to CartaVenezia).

For complete info on transportation and events, contact HelloVenezia at +39 041 2424 from 8a to 8p daily (English spoken). There’s a website too, but it is in Italian.

Nikki, a fashionable pirate, was the provina of our sandolo, and Gabriella was at the helm; Adele won the I Dream of Jeanne double prize as we followed the big, red peata up the Canal.

A proposito, for the corteo on Sunday, look for 4 women in a sandolo. Io sono mora - they’re all blonde except me!

This Sunday, January 27th, to do their part to inaugurate Carnevale, the area remiere will form a Corteo (procession) of traditional Venetian rowing craft, from caorline to mascarete, cruising up the Grand Canal. The procession will commence at 10:15 at the Punta della Dogana, and will have at its center una peata, one of the largest barche a remo there are (see the video of the frozen canals in the post below). For the procession, the peata will serve as a floating stage for acrobats, musicians, and even flamethowers. As is the tradition, all us vogatori will be in costume and si fermeranno along the way for refreshments, at the Salute or the Accademia or the Rialto, until they reach the Fondamenta Cannaregio around midday, where they’ll halt public transport for the festivities. There’ll be bancarelle serving traditional Venetian Carnevale fare. (Fritelle, anyone?) Head that way yourself to take part in the festivities, boat or no boat, it will be as Venetian as you can get these days, and a great contrast to the subsequent 17th century reenactments to follow as Carnevale progresses.

On a recent Sunday morning I rowed on the Canal with friends (no corteo), and it was perfect: few taxis and no transport boats, only the normal vaporetti and other vogatori taking advantage of Canal quiet.) In contrast, this should be quite a spectacle; keep your fingers crossed that the weather holds.

Do take lots of photos (I’ll be the one in the costume).

A footnote: Out of respect for the families of the two workers that suffocated in the hold of a freighter in Porto Marghera a few days ago, the Saturday morning festivities that normally launch Carnevale in Piazza San Marco have been rescheduled. I understand that the volo del Angelo (which won’t be an angel at all, as you may have heard) will fly instead on Sunday. Mi par giusto.

For official Venice Carnival 2008 info, check the official Venezia Carnevale 2008 website.

I have the most resourceful friends. Two of them live in Florence, and are a “set,” even though they are not married (to each other or anyone else), and live in case separate. If you met them, you’d think they’d been sposati for eons; and although they’ve been a couple for some time now, it has seemed that way to me from the second day of their relationship. When you think as much as I do of Gabriella and Roberto, you’re happy not only that they’re friends of yours, but that two such extraordinary people managed, however it occurred, to find each other.

Aside from being resourceful, these two are also curious and exuberant travelers. Sicilia, Zanzibar, Istanbul, Cuba, China, Greece, Denmark? was it? and all over Europe, anywhere, independent, group if necessary, whenever they can manage it. Even in this they are well matched: when she can escape the demands of her position as the long-time owner of a translation/interpretation business, Gabriella is willing to go anywhere, and Roberto is perfectly happy even to drive her there (while she naps, usually), at least for destinations not too far afield. They’re economical travelers as well, characteristically, as they feel it’s a way to get a truer feel for the culture — that being a primary reason for their traveling in the first place.

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Actually, they will be Line 1, Line 2, and the new Line 3, with Line 3 being reserved for use by those in possession of a CartaVenezia or Tessera di Abbonamento. Either of these will now set you back a healthy €40 for a new issue, with tickets and passes to be purchased in addition to that. If you hadn’t picked up yours for the original €10, you have unfortunately missed the boat. I wonder whether this is in reaction to too many tourists opting for the Abbonamento instead of the VeniceCard or regular hourly passes (I’m just gossiping, of course; I have nothing remotely official to support my suspicions). With this rate hike, though, it’s certainly no longer economical to opt for an Abbonamento unless you are truly a frequent visitor or here for a long stay.

There was a ridiculous lamentation for “the poor tourist” over this new line recently in the London Herald Trib. Macchè. The “poor tourist” will have at least one vaporetto departing Piazzale Roma every ten minutes, certainly enough to get them where they want to go. It’s just that now, when a group of travelers’ enormous luggage blocks the front seats that are meant for the elderly, the former will be spared the disapproving looks of the Venetian vecie (and perhaps an accompanying schiaffo or two delivered by same. Manca mal).

Don’t forget, if you have any questions about the vaporetto, lines, tickets, and All Things ACTV during your visit, never hesitate to call HelloVenezia at +39 041 2424.

I was afraid this footage that Marisa passed along wasn’t getting enough visibility…although looking closer, this youtube user has a begun posting a series of Venetian archival film, and it’s just marvelous (just look how calm that water is). This is from when vaporetti were vapor-powered?

For post-Epiphany, we’re repeating the Britten Ceremony of Carols with harp accompaniment and additional vocal solos. The free concert is offered by the Scuola di Musica Giuseppe Verdi, and will be held in Venice:

• 6p, this Wednesday, January 9
• at the modest venue of the Foresteria Valdese, which is housed in the Palazzo Cavagnis (the Valdese Cultural Center)

The address is Castello 5170 it’s just over the bridge at the end of the Calle Santa Maria Formosa just off the Campo (not far from the famosa Mascareta).

I’d forgotten to mention the harpist in the previous announcement. Lei è bravissima, and it would be worth attending if only to enjoy her performance.

Although our harpist is professional, we are not; what we lack in polish…oh, we just love to sing. (Yesterday’s rehearsal went quite well, I would say…)

The Sunday before I headed for the States for the holiday, our choir convened to perform Britten’s Ceremony of Carols at a lovely church in Ca’ Savio all the way up on Cavellino (complete with a brilliant harp accompianiment; we’re repeating it on January 9th in Venice somewhere if anyone’s around). Following the concert, the church offered us a rinfresco downstairs; after an hour’s rainy travel in motonave e bus coupled with a rather intense rehearsal and concert, refreshments had definite appeal.

Now, being a) American and b) from the south, and the Bible Belt to boot, you can imagine my delight and surprise when, among offerings of Fanta orange, tè freddo, and sparkling water, was sparkling Prosecco as well. How sane is that; Catholics are such practical sorts.

A sip of prosecco is just the thing to quench a singer’s thirst, I’ll have you know. I felt like I was getting away with something, though, as I come from a country were alcohol in and of itself is suspect, and furthermore, a region where even if you have a social gathering at your own house, you wouldn’t think of serving liquor if you’d invited folks from the choich. Or if you did invite them, you’d never think to bring out the hooch until every last one of them had moseyed on out the door. Whew, I thought they’d never leave.

Of course, it was almost impossible to explain to my friends there why this charmed me so, as they would never get the joke. You don’t serve prosecco in churches? Ever? Why not?

Got me (but we all know how I am). Can’t wait to tell the folks back home - or maybe I just did.

Gondola, schmondola. Last Sunday, September 29th, the Remiera Cannaregio held their first ever all-woman regata for its own members, le Donne NeroVerde (thus the green shirts). I didn’t feel confident enough to participate, and although I regret it, I would never have gotten these great pics to share with the gang if I had. The majority are not pros, or agoniste — heck, we’re not even Seria B — although you’ll easily spot the more experienced among them. They are instead enthusiasts in the truest sense of the word, as you’ll see by the looks on their faces. Che divertimento.

We’ll have to find another photographer the next time though, perchè la prossima volta, ci sono anch’io (I am so there…)! For maximum effect, play the soundtrack as you view:

If you’re a frequent visitor to Venice or are coming for an extended period of time (a month or more), you may want to look into applying for the new imob smart-card pass with a tessera di abbonamento.

Here are some to-the-best-of-my-knowledge application FYIs.

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I must let anyone know who might be in town and might be interested, that the two excellent musicians who exhibit such extraordinary patience while instructing us to sing, and accompanying us while give it our best efforts will be performing in their own right this Sunday at 9p, in the beautiful Palazzo Ca’ Zenobio. The Palazzo is behind and down the fondamenta from the Campo San Margherita; its spacious gardens, grounds and palace are worth a tour with or without music. And the music? Mozart, Schumann, Rossini, Bellini. The usual stuff…extraordinarily performed. It’s free, but if you’d like to attend, best reserve a spot by calling +39 347 421 5867; here’s a map to the Palazzo.

I couldn’t begin to describe this unforgettable evening: Morricone’s exquisite strains lilting, lifting, and coaxing closely-held emotions out of you to be swirled away on evening breezes, mingling then with those of all the other enraptured concert goers that filled the square. I don’t think there never was a more appropriate event for the Piazza and its evocative environs. Bravo, Maestro.

(A practical aside: it was during the tension-laced urgings of the Untouchables that we first noticed the acqua making its entrance up through the slots in the Piazza pavement…and pooling right under the lighting cables. The engineers inspected the scene quite regularly during the evening, not sure whether to be pro-active or just see how the situation might unfold. “è Venezia,” says one to the other. “che vuoi fare.” It’s Venice. Whaddya gonna do.)

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This is the way owners of Irish B&Bs greet you on arrival: You’re welcome, they tell you. It’s utterly disarming, charming…and you believe them. Below is a slideshow summary of a frantic five days along Ireland’s dramatic west coast, touring both popular and some lesser-known sites (Cliffs of Moher, Aran Islands’ Inisheer, the Burren, along the coast to Galway), then across to Dublin on our final day where we departed for Venice at 6a.

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The massive center section of the Ponte di Calatrava, the fourth bridge over the Grand Canal that will connect Piazzale Roma with the Ferrovia (train station), was ported up-rio just before midnight on Tuesday, August 7th, before numerous fans and revelers (along with some less-than-enthusiatic onlookers), all positioned along the Canal at their outpost-of-choice to take in the spectacle. As for us, we waited at the Accademia Bridge for our first glimpse, then once the procession had past, maneuvered ourselves to below the Rialto as Calatrava & Co. maneuvered themselves around the first curve. We then tracked the bridge and its entourage under and beyond the Rialto (by far the most difficult passage, I think), and then, as we arrived in the Campiello Remer for some parting shots, I heard a voice overhead: Nen, Nenna! It was Liviana, gathered with some friends in an empty apartment (she rents them) above the Canal. Vieni su!

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Track the installation progress of the new bridge via the nearby hotel webcam. Mille grazie, Marisa…

If that link doesn’t work, try this one.

Managed another scapata down to Firenze and Val d’Elsa combining business and pleasure, with one of the pleasure parts being a second Saturday morning scapata to abandon the Florence forno for the rugged Tuscan shores south of Livorno. Roberto and Gabriella make this a habit when they can’t slip away for longer, and I learned it indeed makes a great half-day getaway.

We were on the road by 7a.m., to beat traffic and make sure to be able to find a roadside parking place once we arrived. We stopped on the way out of town for un caffè, because, well…it’s necessary, that’s all; un tappo obbligatorio. As I was trying to decide on a brioche with or without marmellata, I heard some discussion of my name. This is normal anytime I tell someone come mi chiamo., as although it is only three letters, the vowel sound is wholly unpronounceable in Italian: nin? nenna? nahnna? Com’è? goes the conversation, always. Explaining that it’s short for Nancy seems to provide some relief, but I become Nancy from then on (who’s Nancy?).

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Hope to write a brief Redentore rundown at some point, as this year, having enjoyed the shorter (but well-choreographed) fireworks from the bacino theatre in barca was a completely different experience. In the meantime, I like these foto malfatte almost more than the decent ones (photographing fireworks are not easy in a bobbing barca, I’ll have you know).

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There’s another Spritz though, that I simply can’t get enough of. It’s furry, this one, weighs several kili, and has four legs. I was not happy when I had to move again in the fall of 2005 (the second move in as many years), but one of the positive aspects of the move turned out to be this Spritz; Spritz the Cat.

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This gallery has been moved to the blog gallery, or click “more,” below…

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A friend who saw the last post just sent this article, describing it as “compelling, well-written, and of course, terrifying;” it does seem an appropriate addendum to the fountain rant. So many travelers are curious as to whether the lagoon water here is “clean”…this article seems to put things in perspective a bit:

www.bestlifeonline.com

Don’t worry, we’ll be back to cats and cicchetti very soon…

. . . and not only can you drink it, it’s quite tasty, actually.

The other day, I was on the way to the San Marcuola vaporetto stop, following a traveler down the broad rio terà that runs behind the Ghetto. He was outfitted for the day with a medium-sized backpack filled with, oh who knows, traveler stuff; but on opposite sides of his sparkling-new, expertly-engineered pack were hoisted two 1.5 liter bottles of water, pronte to relieve his thirst at a moment’s notice. They made my packless back hurt just looking at ‘em.

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A couple of friends I had not seen in years let me know they would be in Ravenna for two weeks at a language school, and after much organizing and reorganizing we managed to make a plan to connect for an overnight in Ferrara, a point halfway between us. I had not visited to Ferrara since I studied in Bologna over a decade ago, and remembering how much I liked it, was delighted to have both the excuse and the time to return.

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