Episode 2: Alla Venezia - the plight of San Polo, the beauty of the Frari, and the Polizia

Episode II

When we last left our heroes, Guy Fieri was buying produce and greeting fans.  I snapped a lot of pictures which I will post after this.

Time at the market was over and we began a search for a recommended Venetian mask shop where the owner makes the masks in the tiny shop behind the store and greets you and talks to you about his masks, etc.  The value of this cultural experience was of course completely lost on my parents who wanted no more than to know how much further and why the $3 masks made in China would not do.  Half way to this shop, we changed plans.  I left my parents with Jule in Piazza San Polo - sight of the oldest church in Venice dating back to 900 AD and I took Alyssa and Maria for a walk through some narrow streets to the mask shop.  This may not have been fun for Jule (sorry sweetheart, but as they say, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, in Piazza San Polo with your inlaws...). 

The mask shop was cool - a very mysterious place with masks staring at you from every inch of the walls, ceilings, and hanging down at every space in between.   The shop owner requests no photos which is odd, but maybe because there is hardly a space inch in his shop to spare.  Frankly, my backpack did not fit, but I managed.  It really did end up being a cool place and the owner was happy to show us his craft, talk to me about some of the masks I was interested in, and price out shipping options for me so we could ensure our masks made it home safely.  The girls both picked up masks and I got one which will be ideal for the game room and we were quite happy.  Expensive, but a true Venetian memory.  

We reunited with the elders and Jule and they had of course gone to the bathroom, bought gelati, and found more shopping options.  On our way back to San Polo, the girls and I found a great little store that sold more souvenir style masks and trinkets that the girls could pick out to bring to friends, etc.  So I told my mom about that store and off she went to spend spend spend!  The guy recognized Alyssa who went with her Nonna and he "gave a good deal" accompanied by a kiss to his fingers and the air.  The French do this a lot, which I used to think meant a good thing, but now I realize it is French code for "hey tourist, go climb up the ass of a whale just before he farts".  (no where close to "in boca al lupo").

Much later we were still in Piazza San Lopo and I suggested a plan.  Mom, Jule, and the girls would take a much desired gondola ride to Piazza San Marco (the main square in town) while I would walk to the Frari Church and my dad could choose what he wanted to do.  He chose walk, although I am not sure either appealed to him.  My desire to see the Frari Church was that it is adorned with works from Titian and Donatello as well as many other Venetian masters.  It also includes a pretty awesome monument to Antonio Canova, the celebrated sculpture artist from Possagno (home of the Pastega family for those who knew Bianca and Mario and their family).  If you do not know Canova, look him up and you will be amazed.  His work is in the Vatican, the Louvre, and all throughout Italy.  While he may not make the history books like Michelangelo, Rafael, of Da Vinci, his work is very much on par if not superior.

Anyway, I may not come off as the biggest art enthusiast - at least for museums, but when you place me in the historic church, completely adorned from top to bottom and on the ceiling with works of art commissioned by some of the best known and best skilled artists, their students, and other lesser known artists influenced by their contemporaries.   They call this "in situ" if you do not know the term and the reason why I love this is that the art is in the place it was meant to be - the lighting, the wall, the shape of the building, the color of the walls and floors, etc are all as the master artist had figured into the equation of what he created.  This is seeing art as it was supposed to be seen.  Not on a bland wall in a museum.  Again, I am not trying to sound snobby at all, just articulating why I find this such a fun thing and special thing to do.  The Frari Church, while not the most spectacular I have ever seen, was gorgeous and as usual, I got that feeling of spirituality that comes from such an experience.  I think my dad liked it, but his toe hurt so it is hard to look past that.   I have been to Saint Mark's Basilica a few miles away and it is well worth the crowds, but if you have a second day or so in Venice, check out both the Frari Church and San Polo.  The 3 Euro admission is worth the the fact that you'll have these treasures all to yourself (minus a few other people). 

Since we had a time to meet the ladies at Piazza San Marco, we had to hoof it.  It is very easy to get lost in Venice, at least for a few moments, because streets spring up in the smallest spots that do not show up on maps and you must pay close attention to whether or not your next street is before or after a bridge, at the edge of a piazza or just beyond it, etc.  Mix this in with the fact that one wrong turn and my dad questions you - the pressure was on to get to the vaparetto (bus) and make our way to San Marco (which is not all that easy once you find the vaparetto because you have then pay close attention to the direction, much like a subway).

We made it to San Marco and stood at the base of the campanile as agreed with the ladies.

We interrupt this posting to bring you a special message:

We're here at the B&B and just had the most amazing home cooked feast with several people from town and an entire wedding party (yes, a wedding party) all cooked by the Ceccato family (our hosts).  Earlier the groom arrived with his friends and serenaded the bride on the eve of their wedding.  We all joined in on "Volare" much to the surprise of the Italians (Francesca looked at me and said "You know this???")  Of course.  It was a very special night which I will talk about in another post, but I interrupted this Venice post because the wedding party has apparently tripled in size and the singing has started again much louder and more enthusiastic - the groom is no longer alone in his serenade.  We had come upstairs to get the girls to bed and I am feeling a bit of a cold coming on, so we thought the party was over.  That was a mistake.  I want to go down and join, but if I do, they'll drown me in prosecco or grappa or both.

Back to Venice - the ladies finally arrived, thrilled from their gondola experience, but a bit annoyed that the gondolier dropped them off too far from San Marco.  We grouped up and headed for the vaparetto.  

As I said in the previous post, it was not hard to hear people everywhere saying "Obama...Obama" so quite frankly I was ignoring a lot of Obama talk now that we were in in San Marco because I figured she was probably going to go there or already had.  As we walked toward the vaparetto, the Obama talk seemed to intensify and suddenly as we approached a small ponte (bridge) where the canal that the bridge of sighs crosses, the polizia seem to come out of the woodwork and waved people away from the canal, polizia boats arrived, and the excitement built.

We paused for a few moments, but had a vaparetto to catch so we could catch our train back to Bassano.  So no, we never saw Michelle Obama, but it turns out from reading the newspaper this morning that we saw the build up to her arrival from the airport.  I think she arrived in San Marco probably within 30 minutes of us leaving.  Oh well.  I saw Guy Fieri and works by Titian and Donatello.  So there.

Oh man, the singing is awesome right now.

As we approached the train station on the vaparetto, the rain really started to come down.  This of course freaks out my parents.  I mean, what are you going to do?  My mom always has layers, so she was fine with umbrella, coats, ponchos, kleenex, and a pontoon boat just in case.  My dad brings nothing (like me) to handle the rain, but then stands in it and complains.  The distance from the vaparetto to the awning in front of the train station is minimal.. a minute walk.  The world nearly ended right there. 

The train ride back was quiet and a bit cold (finally a train with air conditioning, when not needed).  I dozed for the hour knowing that arrivals at trains stations mean panic and complaining.  Not much longer we were back safely at B&B Luisa and shortly thereafter went up the street to the local pizzeria for a tremendous dinner.

Our day in Venice was something special as it should be.  The girls were thrilled, mom shopped, dad met a life long friend for 30 minutes, Jule got a gondola ride and some shopping done, and I had moments in art ecstasy.

It has rained nearly every day here in Veneto, but not really enough to disrupt anything we've wanted to do.  Frankly, I welcome it because I missed having rain this past winter.  Plus it is better than the alternative which is dying heat.

The drinks have kicked in for the boys - the singing is now more yelling, but still quite festive.

I love Italy.