The sound of sirens: warning tones of rising tides in Venice.
Dec 10, 2008 vita venexiàn
This is such a forlorn sound, especially recorded in my quiet calle, and hearing it echo beyond. I didn’t make it to the window in time to record the one air-raid siren preceded these, but the tones here indicate how high a water level you can anticipate, and are erie enough to give you pause. There is a sensation of being under seige…
The pops you hear throughout the short recording are raindrops spitting on the microphone. I’ll use a windscreen next time.
You hear only two of the four tones, any more mean higher water. I expect to hear all four of them later tonight, as the SMS notification I just received predicts 140 cm by 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. The water didn’t completely subside from the earlier tide, you see, and there’s a full moon, which only increases the effects.
Was heading out for pizza this evening with friends…l’abbiamo rinviato, needless to say…
Tags: acqua alta, venice
Stay away - don’t - stay away - don’t stay away!
Dec 2, 2008 vita venexiàn
Somebody said that somebody said that Mayor Cacciari said that people should stay away from Venice, “for some incomprehensible reason tied to some presumed danger.”
He intended it, evidently, for those few hours when we were up to our earlobes in the marea, and the city was just struggling to address the situation. He didn’t really mean it as a long-term sort of command, and is calling for some sort of companion press releases in English to help avoid the situation in the future.
“Far be it from me and any intention I have to invite who-knows-who not to come to Venice; and even worse, to over-drammatize the situation.”
I translated his comments, of course.
Tags: acqua alta, cacciari, flood, venice
Concerto Domani - Free concert tomorrow!
Nov 19, 2008 events & offerings
Associazione Culturale Musica Venezia
is proud to present a:
Renaissance Concert Celebrating 500 Years of Fondaco dei Tedeschi
Thursday, November 20
Musica Venezia proudly presents a ITALIAN & GERMAN RENAISSANCE CONCERT on Thursday, November 20, celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, Venice’s German cultural and commercial center.
The original “fondaco”, or warehouse building, was used as a commercial center, a palace, and the restricted living quarters of German merchants from the 13th century through the Napoleonic and Austrian rules. During that time, Venice fostered the Renaissance and became a city where the business of the world was transacted, and the German merchants played an important role. As savvy traders, they had their own fleet of ships laden with wine and oil lining the Grand Canal to fill the “fondaco” with their wares, and aided greatly in building a flourishing economy to sustain cultural endeavours. Currently, the building houses the Venice headquarters of the “Poste Italiane.â€
The concert is a tribute to the history and heritage of Germans in Venice, and the independence represented by this true Italian Renaissance landmark. The performance will feature beautiful pieces by Italian, German and Flemish Renaissance composers before 1550 including Jacob Obrecht, Andrea Gabrieli, Hans Judenkuenig, Jacob Obrecht, Adrian Willaert, and Marco Cara. The instrumental ensemble includes a talented specialist in early keyboard music, Marija Jovanovic on spinet, accomplished artist Pier Paolo Ciurlia on lute, and flautist, Carolina Putica performing preferred selections.
The concert will be at 6 p.m. at the Chiesa Luterana at Campo SS. Apostoli, and it is free and open to the public.
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Concert location: Chiesa Luterana at Campo SS. Apostoli
Concert time: 6 pm / 18:00
Tickets: Free admission, open to the public
Information: 041.528.1631
Detailed information:
Tags: music concerts, venice
You might be Venetian if…
Nov 6, 2008 about venice
You have a dog.
.
You have a dog, and you take it everywhere in giro: to the post office, in your boat, to the fresh market, into bars and restaurants, where it sits at your feet or on your lap as you chat.
You don’t walk the city with a camera or a map.
You give directions that include the bridges to cross but rarely the name of a calle or campo, and likely couldn’t name many unless they are principal thoroughfares or something you walk yourself on a regular basis.
You don’t try and board the vaporetto before the other folks have gotten off.
You don’t throw trash on the ground, but you throw your cigarette butt in the canal.
You never use the term Zanipolo to refer to SS Giovani e Paolo.
You’d never consider sitting on a bridge, a fondamenta, any steps, or in general eating anything anywhere except your house or a locale that serves food, and although are horrified at people who do, but would never consider saying anything to them.
You have no problem, however, informing someone in no uncertain terms that it is not acceptable to place garbage on the calle or fondamenta on a Sunday, knowing full well it won’t be picked up until Monday, and that we will have to smell your refuse all day long. It’s simply bad manners, maleducato. (Hanno anche ragione poi, feel free to follow their lead).
You know exactly how long it will take to get from San Stae to Rio Terà Secondo, from Via Garibaldi to Campo S.M. Formosa, from the Fondamente Nove to the Miracoli, and so on.
You’re rarely, if ever, late.
You have your own approach to navigating past endless groups of visitors who saunter 4-wide across narrow calli (as they don’t understand that there are people behind them that have to be somewhere).
You not only wear brightly colored pants of orange or green, you look good in them.
You’re familiar with the city, but with few of the hundreds of hotels and ad-hoc lodgings that have sprung up (and continue to spring) in recent years.
You look at a €100 price tag and think, “200.000 lira!?!”
________
(Hoping this will be an on-going list.)
Tags: venetian life, venice
Keeping an eye on the Grand Canal
Sep 16, 2008 about venice
Check out ARGOS , the new system for keeping watch over the Grand Canal. It’s pretty self-explanatory, and quite fun. Just like any congestion map, colors on maps to indicate the amount of traffic and the speed, and the closed-circuit cameras provide expansive views up and down the length of the Canal…and a lot clearer than the available web cams. The new Ponte della Costituzione is specatacular viewed from above, in fact.
Whether or not we can get them to issue tickets to the boats over the speed limit, that’s another thing entirely…
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Tags: grand canal, transportation, venice
“Quarantine” is a Venetian word? Sì.
Jul 25, 2008 Instructions for Use, events & offerings
It’s from quarantena, the period of 40 days that cargo and merchandise arriving from faraway lands was sequestered on the island of Lazaretto Nuovo. All sorts of treatments were applied to the goods held in storage there in the hopes of extinguishing whatever bestie might be lurking that could potentially carry the dreaded bubonic plague to the city. Venice was decimated by two major plagues barely fifty years apart (1576 and 1630), a factor which certainly contributed in no small part to the Republic’s eventual demise.
Ardidos: Caffè e non solo
Jun 28, 2008 eat, drink, food, yum
It’s what many places try to be, but miss the mark. A classy locale tucked away under the Ca’ Gottardi, Ardidos makes a lovely addition to the Cannaregio neighborhood (in fact, the other day owner Beatrice and Cantina co-owner Francesco were vying for who had the longest salame…this can only be a good omen for the rest of us). Ardidos is contemporary and warm decor; elegant yet casual ambience; friendly staff, great food. A nice place to be.
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Owner Beatrice is una foresta: an interior designer from Milan who, contrary to most bar owners, never served a cup of caffè in her life. The degree to which the space inspired her is evident in every angle of the brick-ceramic-glass-steel-wood decor that includes a number of exotic touches; Barbara, Stefano and other friendly staff expertly supplement Beatrice’s (pronounced Be-a-TRI-ce) lack of serving experience. Small but not cramped, a candle-lit cortile in the back allows for crowd overflow, and even offers a canal-side table for a truly Venetian repast (reserve in advance). You can snack on everything from affettati of fine salami e cheeses, choose among wines from prosecco on up; elect to sample an Ardidos caffè from all over the world, by the cup or the kilo; they even serve fresh juices and smoothies (frullati e centrifughe)…their specialty.
Tags: bars, Cannaregio, eateries, venice, wine
Ready, set, row! Vogalonga 2008.
May 9, 2008 events & offerings, viva la voga
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.
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Alza remi!
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Tags: venice, viva la voga, vogare
The Fenice takes the 5th.
Mar 17, 2008 vita venexiàn
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…
Abbiamo vinto! First race, first place in the all-woman amateur regata in mascareta.
Mar 12, 2008 vita venexiàn, viva la voga
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.
No matter, though…we WON. I have no idea how, but it was one of the most delicious, exciting, breathtaking experiences I have ever had. Amelia was amazing as a provina (at the front): young, strong, and determined; it was all I could do to hold our mascareta on course (”Where’s the bouy? Non la vedo!” “Dritto! Sempre dritto!” Straight ahead!). After a come-from-behind partenza, we were in second place when we managed to round the bouy with a big swousche, cutting in between the bouy and first-place boat which had swung wide. We took the lead (oh, Serena, forgive me), and then managed to not to lose it between there and the finish.
Che soddisfazione. This ridiculous, giddy grin will simply not leave my face. Every time I believe I have dreamed it, I go check on the bright red, hand-sewn, first-place bandiera rossa, that remains my proof. Perhaps in the next race, someone will cut us off, or we’ll have a weak start, or scontrare up against another boat at the start to cost us time and the race. But for now…
Abbiamo vinto! Evvia!
Tags: venice, voga veneta
