Architecture – Page 20 – slightly weird

11th October 201816th October 2018

Romantic Venice?

Tuesday to Thursday, 9 to 11 October, 2018

We’ve been to Venice before many years ago. At that time we weren’t very experienced travellers. I remember arriving and immediately seeing the Grand Canal and taking the vaporetto (a motorised ferry barge-like vehicle, one of the only ways to get around Venice) to our hotel. That hotel wasn’t so easy to find and the room was very old fashioned but it had a canal right under the window and, by peering out carefully, we could see the Rialto Fish Market. Venice was packed with tourists when we were there then. I’m fond of telling people that I felt I was in Epcot (not that I’ve ever been) instead of the real Venice.

So when we decided to go back – Krish really regretted not buying a mask the first time so – we thought we’d go in October when it was quieter.

Our train took three and a half hours to get to Venice.

**We went through pretty Verona on our way to Venice**

**A great reminder that Venice is coastal as you arrive**

The station had had an overhaul but it was obvious right away that there were tons of people in town. As we left the station, thankful we didn’t have to take the vaporetto this time, we walked straight into the crowd. The place was teeming and we were already wondering if we should have come at all.

**Leaving the station, with the Grand Canal straight ahead**

**Heading away from the station, watching the crowds grow**

We got off the crowded main street from the station towards the Rialto Bridge and St Mark’s Square as soon as we could. Immediately, you can feel the change. The streets are rough, the houses are simple, the bridges aren’t so grand and the canals are much narrower. This was more like it.

We were staying over in the Jewish ghetto and we knew from last time it would be quieter. Our directions weren’t very clear but Krish is a great navigator so pretty soon we found the place.

The New Ghetto Gate - our street — **The New Ghetto Gate – our street**

**Walking down our street towards our flat**

Our Airbnb was called Romantic Cannaregio. So was it? No way but there we were! (My review is included at the end, if you’d like to read it. Rewriting it here might actually depress me.

**Romantic? This is not what I mean by hole in the wall!**

We ended up not being great fans of Venice. I think it’s somewhere everyone should see. It’s quite remarkable in many ways. However, it’s overrun by tourists, it’s very expensive and it just doesn’t seem like a real place, as noted. We were very lucky to be staying close to where real people lived and having the energy to walk around and explore. It’s a pedestrian and waterway city, with all of its inhabitants getting around in their various motorboats, as comfortable on the water as they are on land. Be prepared to walk your feet off even if you can afford the daily fare pass of 20 Euros a day!

**However, about ten paces from our front door, this WAS romantic – throughout Venice are these gateways that are open to the water, for boats to be boarded and climbed out from**

Despite many misgivings, I took over 400 photos of the place. It’s definitely picturesque and I knew that from the last time. I’m going to divide my thoughts into various chapters and share some photos that show Venice as I saw it.

So here are my chapters:

Venice – the streets and the people
Venice – canals and bridges
Venice – doors and windows
Venice – Food and shopping
Venice – the Ghetto

My review for Romantic Cannaregio:
I was disappointed with my stay here. First off, we got no real directions or instructions. Based on the descriptions, I was led to believe that someone would meet me or be in touch once we arrived. Instead we had to navigate our way to the flat (which isn’t easy to find when you aren’t used to the Venice geography) and there were no real instructions on how to use anything. In retrospect the photos do show the place as it is. However, I think some very good lighting was used to show it looking brighter and more relaxed than it was. In fact, it was dark and airless, with a hard white tiled floor that makes it look clinical. There’s a large piece of a wall missing in the living room, the couch is extremely hard and slippery so impossible to relax on. The fridge dripped water constantly onto anything we put in there. The bathroom light wasn’t working and was so small, it was difficult to turn around. We had to really explore to find any soap etc. As well, whenever we showered, the bathroom floor got a small flood. I had hoped there really would be romance since we went to Venice for a special anniversary but it’s tough to do when you can’t even sit together in your own space without sliding off the couch. This is one of the only places I’ve stayed in that had no tourist information, such as a map, or an idea on where to shop or eat locally, etc. Finally, a real killer of romance – printed pages stuck on the walls with a little bit of info/The Rules. I felt like I was staying in a hostel or prison. The only saving grace was a comfortable bed and the location – within the ghetto area, which is interesting, charming and somewhat away from the constant sound of luggage being pulled around, and the staggering throng of tourists in the centre of the city.

11th October 201816th October 2018

Venice – the Ghetto

Tuesday to Thursday, 9 to 11 October, 2018

We were staying in the New Ghetto. There’s the new ghetto and the old ghetto. The story gets a bit confusing. At any rate, the Ghetto of Venice is the oldest in the world.

In medieval times this part of the Cannaregio had a getto (foundry) pronounced jetto in Italian. Eventually the German Jews’ pronunciation took over, with the hard G it has today. From the 16th to 19th centuries it became the Jewish quarter. By a 1516 decree, all Jews were locked into the gated island of the Ghetto Nuovo (New Foundry) from sunset to sunrise. At night only doctors were allowed to leave, since they were known to be very good at their art. During the Spanish Inquisition in 1541, there was no place to put everyone and so people moved into the upper storeys. The conditions were awful.

Numbers kept growing and the Ghetto was extended into the neighbouring Ghetto Vecchio (Old Foundry). This creates the confusion where the older Jewish area is called the New Ghetto and the new is the Old Ghetto. At any rate, we were in the New Ghetto, on a street called Ghetto Novissimo.

When Venice fell to Napoleon in 1797 Jews were free to roam and the ghetto was briefly renamed the Contrada dell’unione. It didn’t last long – just six moths. In 1866 Venice joined Italy and Jews were emancipated. Then when the Nazis occupied Venice, many escaped but 246 were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Only eight of these survived.

In 1797 the French army of Italy, commanded by the 28-year-old General Napoleon Bonaparte, conquered Venice, dissolved the Venetian republic, and ended the ghetto’s separation from the city. In the 19th century, the ghetto was renamed the Contrada dell’unione.

Today, the Ghetto is still the main Jewish cultural area of Venice, although only a few of the some 450 Jews of Venice live here. There’s a museum, synagogues, and shops that sell food and Judaic items. The wooden gate surrounds are still there as reminders of the days when Jews were prisoners of the island.

Bridge linking the old and new ghettos - showing the gate remains — **Bridge linking the old and new ghettos – showing the gate remains**

**The way out from the ghetto, with the gate remains**

**The campo (square) of the Old Ghetto**

**Always sad to see the degree of protection on any Jewish site in Europe**

On our street in the New Ghetto, on many of the door frames were indentations. They gave me pause.

They were unmistakably where mezuzahs (a parchment inscribed with religious texts and attached in a case to the doorpost of a Jewish house as a sign of faith) had once been. Had the tenants left and taken theirs with them? Had the tenants been turfed out? Had the mezuzahs been taken out to hide the inhabitants’ faith? Had they been removed by bigots? I don’t know but the indentations are there to remind us who first lived there.They had been there since the houses were built, imbedded as they had been in the frame.

An interesting article in the Guardian

My Venice Chapters

Venice – the streets and the people

Venice – canals and bridges

Venice – doors and windows

Venice – Food and shopping

Back to Romantic Venice?

1st October 20182nd October 2018

Rain and Andy Warhol

Monday, 1 October, 2018 – 12C

Four weeks today since we arrived. Ouch! We’ve done a lot yet not a lot. We’ve resolved to never come to a hot country before October. But it’s spurred me to start filling in ideas on my October calendar. This week – free admission days to museums, dinner with Liat’s family, and my cooking day – on Friday.

One of the mosquito bites, on the back of my wrist, is very itchy and swollen. I’ve put a bandaid on it so I’ll stop scratching. I am now scratching the bandaid…

And it rained. And rained. And rained some more. The wind got serious. The air was chilly. The temperature dropped more than ten degrees Celsius. We hunkered down but hoped it would clear enough since Krish wanted to go to a photography exhibit of Pop Art. And 1st October was a free admission day.

We put together a lunch out of what we had. No way to venture down to the market. We didn’t want to start our day already soggy.

The gallery is near Piazza Carlina. From there you can see the Mole looming. I heard that the NH Hotel Carlina has some lovely original features and also a wonderful staircase. I just feel uncertain though. When I get inside, there are three people in the unconventional reception area. I lose my nerve and can’t take photos of the interior.

**Views of the Mole from the deserted square**

The hotel courtyard - not too shabby — **The hotel courtyard – not too shabby**

**Interesting history for the hotel building**

Again, I’m not much for museums and art galleries so have a system that gets me through quickly but allows me time to look at something that may catch my eye. I can admire a painting or an artifact if it speaks to me and this exhibit, on pop art, may have more to say than most. I cherry-pick what I look at.

Continue reading “Rain and Andy Warhol”

30th September 201826th October 2018

Shroud of Turin and Gran Balon!

Sunday, 30 September, 2018 24C

But first, another culinary note. Yesterday we decided it was time to give our local enoteca (wine shop with cafe) a chance. We pass it all the time but have never gone in. I ordered russian salad (skipping the two pasta choices) and milanese. Krish had penne with ragu and also the milanese. The pranzo (lunch) deal is 12 Euros each.

Monochromatic lunch - Russian salad, Milanese with Cauliflower Gratin — **My monochromatic lunch – Russian salad, Milanese with Cauliflower Gratin**

It’s OK. We may go again. Simple food, friendly service, a no-brainer since it’s across the road. However, again we’re struck with how ordinary and unmemorable the food is, especially when I throw two salads together later in the day for dinner. Would the Italians think my food too complicated, too much going on? It’s also worth mentioning that there were six or seven people sitting on a larger table across from us. They seemed to be ordering everything on the menu and sharing the huge platters. Despite the overflowoing banquet, they swallow it all in record time and leave, empty plates everywhere!

My dinner. Asparagus with Chicken, Two salads - Pesto Potato salad, Beet with goat cheese and arugula — **My dinner. Asparagus with Chicken, Two salads – Pesto Potato salad, Beet with goat cheese and arugula**

I’m not a huge fan of churches unless they are rustic and unique. I don’t typically enjoy opulence or artistic piety. But then the Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista (Cathedral of St John the Baptist, aka Torino Duomo) was supposed to be open for 3 Euros. Last year the Duomo was covered in scaffolding but this year construction is finished. It’s a beautiful and intricate dome atop an otherwise plain looking rectangle of a church. The looming campanile (bell tower) dates from 1470 and the church was built during 1491–98 . It would be unremarkable if it didn’t contain the chapel of the Holy Shroud, which was added in 1668–94.

**The Campanile on the left, the domes of the Duomo to the right**

**Lighting my usual candle to Mum and Dad (centre fourth row down)**

There’s nothing to make me linger in here – the usual memorial statues and plaques, pews, banks of candles, an organ… but the altar is quite stunning, overlooked by a very large window, where I could see people looking down to where we were, and that’s where I need to head. Walking around, though, I couldn’t find a way in so supposed it was a separate entry – it was.

**But this big window intrigued me, looking down on us. I need to get behind there!**

Before wandering outside, I saw a small crowd of people and hoped I could get in behind the window there but, no, this was the spot for the shroud. It’s displayed only once every 25 years unless the Pope is in town so I wouldn’t get to see it, but there’s an area for it and there was lot of genuflecting and crossing and muttered prayer – and the most candles! – going on in front of that thing. I stayed for a little while to read the prayer, translated in several languages. And then I left.

It seems the entrance to the cathedral museum is around the side so I went in there too. On the way in there are some pretty solid ruins, and I was told there are more inside. In the foyer, a very short and elderly lady with a badly curved spine wanted to talk to me but she couldn’t speak English so I was directed to another behind the counter. There was nothing about a 3 Euro entry but apparently I can come here any time for 3.50 so I decided that I would wait. Today it’s packed.

Continue reading “Shroud of Turin and Gran Balon!”

26th September 201827th September 2018

The slightly better version of Milan

Wednesday, 26 September, 2018 20-22C (yay!)

So yes, we went back to Milan. I’d promised myself to try again if I had a better plan and a whole lot cooler day. And those criteria were filled.

My plan – start in NoLo (the immigrant area) head down to lunch with Daniele in his proposed lunch spot Mad’son, then on to Brera, down to Navigli and end up in Chinatown – if time I was going back to where Yayamoto was – which I believe is the old town. Plans!

(Now despite still not falling in love -or maybe not even like -with Milan, I did take far too many photos so I’ll try not to go overboard…bear with me.

A much better ride to Porta Susa – thanks to an earlier start (we were in a tearing hurry last time) and then arriving in Milan Central, now a familiar spot. We started walking towards the NoLo district, with my notes not really helping and, not too far along, decided again to separate and get on with our respective days.

I wanted to ride the historic tram number one and found the stop quite easily. It reminded me of riding in Lisbon or Budapest as it sped along. I don’t think I actually made it to the real NoLo. I wasn’t as prepared as I thought and the map didn’t really help. This, paired with the alarming way my phone battery was draining, so winged it.

I was, however, north of Loreto, and the population seemed mixed so perhaps I touched on it. The streets were not poor, though. Quite the opposite. I wandered around and needed a toilet so popped into a tabaccheria-bar. They were wonderful in there, falling over themselves to be helpful and make sure I was happy. Quite a nice experience to sit with a coffee and brioche, studying and marking the map and just generally feeling content

**Streets in what I thought might be the edge of NoLo**

**My very nice snack and break! 3 euros**

**Now, ravioli I can understand, but gnocchi?**

Continue reading “The slightly better version of Milan”