Tuesday, August 29th, 2022 - Our Final Day in Venice

 

Colombina Mask With Rialto Bridge Reflection

Sarah and I had crossed off most of the things we wanted to see here in Venice - no doubt we could have visited more churches, museums, art galleries etc, but our interests were satisfied for now by our wanderings.

Oops - Spilt Milk!

While it was tempting to stay close to home and process the endless photographs we had taken, we didn't want to cry over spilt milk, so we headed out for this last day together. (Dontcha love that segue!)

Masks Galore

In her blog from her visit in 2009, Sarah had spoken of how wonderful she thought the masks were. That sentiment had not faded, but this time she wanted to buy one as a decoration. So task number one was to find a mask that she could take home.

Alwynne, Toni and Rae Hood, Venice, 1968 (Photo Taken by Geoff Hood)

Our other plan for the day was to re-create some of the photos my father had taken when we had visited in 1968. My family had spent two days here at that time and Dad had taken 11 photographs. He had a decent SLR camera, used a light meter and had the photos printed as slides, so they have held up pretty well over the years. In contrast, I spent three days in Venice (not counting Burano) and took 1,105 photos with my very smart DSLR. The photographic times have certainly changed. Sarah and I were curious to see if Venice had changed, too.

A Venetian Solperstiene for Bonaventura Ferrazzutto

So we set about our tasks, but no so earnestly that we couldn't appreciate what we saw along the way. We recognized this plaque when we saw it, after seeing the other in Copenhagen. Bonaventura was an anti-fascist involved in publishing. His arrest was for political, rather than racial reasons, although he did advocate on behalf of Jews. This stone was laid in Venice in 2017. 

Unloading a Barge

It was relatively early (again in hope of beating the crowds) and the canals were very busy. We think this barge must have been delivering laundry to nearby hotels, as the bags looked color coded and did not appear to be terribly heavy.

The Amazon Boat?

Other deliveries were being made, too. Every time I saw packages being hauled around on these hand carts, I thought of Amazon. I imagine Amazon hates Venice!

Interesting Windows

Some of the windows we saw were beautiful. I have no idea what these are - perhaps some type of ceramic vase, but I thought they made a lovely display.

What Are They Selling?

In this window, they had a huge display, with these funny little feathery things on poles. We thought it might be jewelry, but it had the air of one of those stores that it you have to ask, you don't belong there.

Here's the Full Window

Does this help you figure it out? No, nor me!

Rubber Duckies!

On the other hand, this one was very obvious. It might look like cakes, but they were all rubber ducks. I've never seen this many in one place before....and so nicely arranged!

Rialto Bridge For the Rubber Ducks!

They even had their own Rialto Bridge!

Frutteria

This window was made of air - but the abundance and freshness of the produce was undeniable. I was sorry it was my last day here, otherwise some of it would have been brought home to eat. I love the garlic hanging from the ceiling.

A Huge Dispenser for Nutella

We stopped and got a pastry and saw this enormous jar of Nutella. They had a dispenser so they could squirt it on pastries, much like one might squirt ketchup onto a hot dog! Oh my!

Coffee in Piazza San Marco 

We had a coffee in Piazza San Marco - the most expensive one I've ever had - 9 Euros per cup of cappuccino. I guess the cost of the real estate is high, but the entertainment was great.

Model, Bride, Actress?

We saw a woman in a sweeping crimson dress set up for a photo. Her dress blew around in the slight breeze very nicely. There was a film festival in town, so maybe she was an actress.

Finally Set Up?

They finally got the dress arranged, then the man joined the picture. They made a nice couple.

Spider Girl

We were also entertained watching this young girl dress up in a Spider Man costume and do her gymnastics in the middle of the Piazza, while the world went about their business.

Orange Selfie Lady is Oblivious

Even though this lady in orange is out of focus in my photo, I suspect she ended up in perfect focus in her own shots. We were amused by her indifference to the gymnast. Sarah and I watched he for a while as she took quite a bit of time to get her selfie set up. The coffee was expensive, but we had got our money's worth while sitting there!

C'Mon, Look at the Camera!

Watching this Dad get the family arranged for their selfie, reminded me of the tasks we had taken on of re-creating some of my father's photos.

Piazza San Marco, 1968 (Photo by Geoff Hood)

Piazza San Marco, 2022

The first one, of Piazza San Marco, looked like a pretty good match, so Sarah and I congratulated each other and moved on. We counted windows and columns on the surrounding buildings and thought we had it correct. Not much had changed except there there was construction going on at St. Mark's Basilica and there were more pigeons back in 1968. The government forbids feeding them now, and look at the difference!

Ristorante Raffaele, 1968 (Photo by Geoff Hood)

Ristorante da Raffaele, 2022

Here, you see that the basic infrastructure is unchanged. The difference in the time of day meant that the awning was up in our morning photo. Both of them have a big boat in the canal, though 2022's boat is bigger and brighter. The wall on the right has more plants in the lower set of windows and there are more boats under the bridge in the modern pic.

Monumenta a Niccolò Tommaseo, 1968 (Photo by Geoff Hood)

Monumenta a Niccolò Tommaseo, 2022

This one had us stumped at first, as it was not an obvious 'famous' spot. So Sarah Googled, 'statue with arms crossed' and sure enough, up popped Niccolo Tommaseo! We think Dad wasn't so interested in the statue, as the church behind, which is St. Stephen's, or the square, which is Campo Santo Stefano. Today's square is little changed, other than the construction barrier on the right and the construction 'curtain' on the brick building to the left. The church's lower roof has lost the vertical struts and seems to have fewer antennae looking things sticking out of its roof. Otherwise the lamp posts are the same and there is at least one restaurant in the same place. Dad didn't have the benefit of Google either, to find out that Tommaseo was a linguist. Atlas Obscura tells us that because of the pile of books behind his coat, the statue is called caga libri, which translates to 'bookshitter'! LOL!

Rialto Bridge, 1968 (Photo by Geoff Hood)

Rialto Bridge, 2022

In these two photos, colors of poles and buildings had changed, the newer photo has a metal wharf. There is some difference under the left hand side of the arch on the other shore - it looks like some colonnades have disappeared. However, Sarah and I both want you to note, that the universe provided us with the woman in the yellow dress - in almost the same spot for each photo! How uncanny! I had not seen her at all when I took the photo, nor did I see her after, so when we saw her on my camera screen, we knew we had nailed it! Didn't have to try any more here!

Sarah's Mask Choices

So, what of Sarah's quest? She had liked the style of mask that had that crackled look and photographed them at the store a few days ago. So we turned up at the door. Google said they would be open, the sign on the door said they would be open .... but there was no one there.

Wire Venetian Mask (Photo by Sarah Lamp)

She had bought a scarf holder pictured above and half face mask made of wire, which I didn't photograph, but she was disappointed that the universe would not deliver this time, either. Does this mean she will have to return in the future? I'd be happy to join her again.

Gondolas Grand Canal at St. Mark's Square

So, I've come to end of my journey, and my blog. It's been a long one and I'm awfully glad I was able to do it. I'm also profoundly grateful to have had the company of both Sarah and Robyn, especially after the limitations Covid imposed on us. The following day we both went home - me to Fernandina and Sarah to Bangkok. Neither of us looked forward to the discomforts and inconveniences of the journey itself, but its what must happen.

Sarah and Alwynne, Venice 2022

So, in a most sentimental way, I finish with the best effort at replicating the photo of Me, Toni and Mum on the waterfront promenade, which I posted toward the beginning of the blog. Of all the photos we took, this is the most changed. All the concrete seats are new, the gondola wharfs were not there before and the angle of the buildings in the background are not the same if you put them next to each other. We had to ask a couple sitting on the seat to take our photo. I explained the history and he got into it for us - this was his best effort, for which I'm grateful.

I appreciate those of you who have followed me on this journey and wish you could be in the photo too. Maybe next time? Thank you for travelling with me - it does make it more fun!

Monday, August 29th, 2022 - Bright and Beautiful Burano

One of the other photographers on my trip in Ladakh had mentioned that it was worth taking a trip to Burano, a nearby island, which is noted for its brightly painted houses. So we headed off on an early ferry for the 40 minute ride, in hopes of getting a head start on the other tourists. 

Burano - Sloping Tower of Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Martino Vescovo

I didn't know I was getting a bonus of a leaning - or rather a 'sloping' tower at the parochial church of St. Martin Bishop.

Colors Everywhere

Burano is actually made up of four different islands that are joined by canals. It's the island where fishermen have lived for centuries. There are several stories as to why the houses are all painted different bright colors.

(Photo by Sarah Lamp)

(Because all these places are so close together, I'm not going to caption them all)

One explanation says that the island often gets covered in fog, so they painted the houses all different colors so that the fishermen would be less likely to crash their boats into it and then could find which house was theirs at the end of the workday/night.

Another explanation I read said that because space was limited on the island, people used the area in front of their homes to extend their personal space outside. Painting each house a different color, allowed the residents to be clear about where their territory started and ended.

The island was first settled during Roman times, when the Barbarians were invading the area in the 6th century. Like the Venetians, the ancestors of the people who live here now, retreated to the lagoon to avoid capture and defeat. The original houses were built on pilings over the water and were made of woven cane, covered with mud. They were willing to sacrifice a lot to avoid the Barbarians I think.

(Photo by Sarah Lamp)

It took a few centuries before brick houses appeared - one source says it was 1000 AD.

Now, most of the houses are painted every two years. The amount of different colored paint on this man's legs, suggests he is not the homeowner - he's one of the painters.

 Some of these looks as if they're not following the program! 

Perhaps a citation for this one, too!

The colors have been used by the same families for centuries, but if they want to change it, they have to apply to the government for permission - much like our homeowner's associations. 

Bepi's House

One of the most famous houses in Burano, is Bepi Suà's. We read that the name 'suà' was given to him because he spent so much time outside that he would often be sweaty. He worked for the cinema house, as a janitor, but when it closed, he became the owner of the theatre's projection equipment.

Preserved As it Was in 1985

With that equipment, Bepi would screen movies at this house with a white sheet for the local children and got a license to sell candy. (Two versions of his name 'Suà', say either it means sweaty, or it means candy - take your pick - Google translate doesn't confirm either of those meanings!) Supposedly, he could not afford paint, so his neighbors would give him their paint and he started using it to make different designs. He often changed the design and re-painted it all the time. After he died in 2002, the family chose to maintain the design that had been in place in 1985.

Best Complete View (Photo by Sarah Lamp)

Sadly, it's impossible to see the entire façade, because of a grape vine arbor blocking the view. Sarah captured it most completely in the photo above. I couldn't figure out how he was able to paint like this if they were so strict about colors, but it is fun to see. It's likely he was really just an artist growing up in the wrong place. I enjoyed seeing Bepi Sua's joyful and famous house.

In the same little courtyard as Bepi's house was this one, with the eyelash palm fronds and the cloth covering the door. Mind you, the eyelashes are below the 'eyes', but I thought it made a cool face.

The cloth coverings over the doorways were fairly common here. They allow ventilation through the doors, while maintaining privacy and a semblance of security.

Another oddity we learned about Burano, were these little metal catches that hold the shutters against the wall. They are not unique to Burano. I found that they are called tête de bergère, which translates 'head of the shepherdess'. However, here, the head of the man shows when the shutters are open and the catch is up.....

....whereas a woman's head is visible when the shutters are closed and the catch is not holding the shutter. It looks like a way to announce when the man is home, but it seems the open or closed shutter alone would succeed in doing this. Perhaps it's just a little latent sexism? Cute catches, though.

The evidence of a heavy fishing industry is not easily seen today. We walked along the path on the south end of the island. There were boats, but many did not look as if they were dedicated to fishing. However, it does show the extent of the lagoon, with other, undeveloped islands in the distance showing how it must have looked before people arrived.

The fishing probably was not as important after lace-making began here in the 1500's. Lacemaking waxed and waned, was big in the 1800's and is now facing pressure from Asian sources and apart from a few artisans, is not locally produced. I got a lace scarf from this store and some jewelry made from Murano glass.

Today, tourism is the primary source of income on Burano. Our strategy to get there ahead of most tourists had been successful, but as the stores began to open, more people arrived from Venice.

Burano's Essi

A specialty visitors enjoy is the 'essi' and another cookie called 'bussolà', which is shaped like a donut. They differ mainly due to shape and are made from eggs, flour, sugar and butter. They are vital for Easter celebrations and people will bring their own ingredients to the bakeries to have them cooked to each huseholds specifications with regard to quality of ingredients. We tried a couple. They were pleasant, but not anything astounding.

Trash Pick Up

Of course, lots of daily visitors means there is trash - household and business trash as distinct from litter! For some reason it shocked me to realize that all of it is taken care of by people like these, wheeling carts around, as there are no trucks to take away the garbage. It provides jobs, but I imagine it is expensive to dispose of it all properly. I imagine a big trash boat comes by routinely and takes it to a dump site on the mainland.

My favorite bridge on the island was this brick and metal one, with the church behind it. I thought the reflections with the boat framed by the bridge were lovely.

I also enjoyed window details.....

....religious iconography.....

....and (perhaps you are surprised?) laundry! In this case, I had the pleasure of seeing it being pinned to the lines.

Art Work in Progress (Photo by Sarah Lamp)

Sarah and I had enjoyed our wanderings here enormously. We were headed toward a neighboring island, Mazzorbo, which is connected by a very short foot bridge. On our way we must have stumbled into the 'artist's' district. Here the colors were again, great fun. In the far left corner, I noticed something like a boot hanging down.

An Old Fisherman's boot?

I had to zoom through the wire, but this is the humorous creation I found. I wanted to believe it really was an old fisherman's boot that was taking on another life.

Mazzorbo

We could see Mazzorbo on the other side of the waterway. Although the buildings were painted different colors, they didn't have the vibrancy of Burano's houses.

A Totally Different Feel

It's only a footbridge away from Burano, but Mazzorbo was a totally different world! The houses are painted, but they look as if there are multiple dwellings in each palette. Wiki says this island was settled at the same time as Burano, but like many of the other islands had declined. It was once an important trading center, but is now known for its vineyards and orchards. Attempts at redevelopment along the style of Burano were attempted in the 1980's, but I didn't see any evidence of tourism here. Its low population has led to it being attractive for religious institutions - it houses five monasteries and five churches.

The Canal of Our Last Dinner in Venice (Photo by Sarah Lamp)

We had enjoyed our day and headed back to Venice where we ate our last lovely meal together along a canal. It had been a good day.