The Venice Experience

New Murder Mystery set in Venice for your reading list!

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 09:42:00 +0000

Ciao tutti!

Often I am asked to either give an assist to authors in their research of Venice for their novel or to review a new book that has something to do with Venice. What luck! Just when I was in need of a little dose of Venice, the perfect "fix" arrived- a copy of Venetian Blood: Murder in a Sensuous City by Christine Evelyn Volker to read and review.

I'm going to cut right to the chase. This is a 2 thumbs up from Karen. Venetian Blood ticked all my boxes. It's a fast moving murder mystery that will have you up late unable to stop reading, for several reasons. First, the plot is full of intrigue and twists. You won't be able to figure it out it's that good. The characters will compel you to follow their story and get into what makes them tick, in particular, the protagonist Anna Lucia Lottol. She's a successful 40-ish Italian-American who has been accused of a murdering a Venetian count with whom she has had a brief affair. As the local polizia are all pointing fingers directly at her, Anna is tenacious in attempting to prove her innocence. You'll be rooting for her vindication.

And if a good murder mystery isn't enough, Volker has tossed in a bit of romance (who could resist a good love story set in Venice? ), a bit of betrayal (yes, just to make it a bit juicier!), and a family secret or two to unravel. Yes, this ticked all my boxes.

Being set in Venice is just icing on the cake, and it's some very beautiful icing. The author doesn't just write, which she does well, by the way; she paints Venice just as you would want it. She uses the sights and sounds of this seductive city complete with accurate details for those of us who know the city well and might be looking for a slip here or there. Voker did her homework on Venice, and I appreciated it. Volker doesn't disappoint. She enthralls.

So, for all you Venetophiles like myself, I encourage you to grab a copy of Venetian Blood: Murder in a Sensuous City. Brew a cup of your favorite tea or coffee, snuggle into your favorite reading spot and prepare for a love fest with your favorite city.

If you've read it, or after you have finished it, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the book. Happy Reading.

Celebrating in Procida

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 15:42:00 +0000

Ciao tutti!

I've been wondering what would push me to write again. Not that I haven't been thinking about it. I have. Just had so many pressing things to handle during and after the move. The move itself was disastrous (that's another story) and the settling in took much longer than we anticipated (that's a few other stories). Yesterday was a day for the record books- we received our new residence certificates and Carta d'Identita from the Comune. Only took about a month longer than we had hoped to get those things accomplished (yes, yet another story there). I really thought that would be the push that got me to the keyboard yesterday. That's a big milestone. We were officially new Procida residents, and we were ready to celebrate.

However, at 5:29 pm yesterday, my life changed. Completely out of the blue, unexpectedly, but forever changed.

And that's what has me writing today. Trust me, this is some big stuff. I have always written most of my blog posts about my Venetian/Italian experiences so that I'd have a written record of them years later. What occurred yesterday has got to be one of the most significant- and weirdest- events ever. I must write it so I don't ever forget. And I can't wait to share it with you.

I, like many other Italian-Americans, always dreamed of researching the Italian family tree, maybe even tracking down some of the family who are still living. When my mother came to America after the war, she came as a war bride. I never had any Italian family living in America. Nor did I know any family back in Italy because my mother had been adopted when she was a very young child. I knew of the adopting family, but I didn't know anything about her biological family. It's always been a curiosity, and a bit of a mystery.

My mother has always been angry that she was put up for adoption, while an older brother was kept by her family. She felt abandoned, rejected, and very hurt. Her adoptive family was wonderful to her, but she never got over that hurt. It has haunted her for her entire life. And she has always refused to talk about her biological family.

When I moved to Italy, I sought out her adoptive family. These people opened their homes and their hearts to me. I have been welcomed and loved up like I was one of their own. But I have always wondered where the biological family might be. Was anyone still alive? Did anyone remember my mother? Did anyone know what the circumstances were around my mothers adoption. My mother certainly wasn't talking, and the adoptive family, if they knew anything, weren't sharing anything either.

On the few occasions I brought this subject up with my Italian family, they seemed hurt that I was curious about my biological family. I'd given some thought to going to the Comune in the city where my mother was born to try to search records. Not wanting to hurt them in any way, I filed those thoughts away. Until recently.

I'm always reading accounts of other Italian-Americans who have successfully tracked down family members by searching at the local city hall or even on Facebook. I still really wanted to know who this biological family was. I knew only the family last name, my nonno's (grandfather) first name, and the city where my mother was born.

Yes, I did it. I searched on FB and found a few people in the city where my mom was born with the same name. Most were young people, but one man was about my age. I thought there might be a good chance he could be a cousin. I sent him a FB message, asking if he knew anyone who might have information about my grandfather and/or his family. That was in the middle of March. I didn't get a response, and promptly forgot all about it.

Yesterday, at 5:29pm, a FB messenger window popped up on my computer screen with a message from this man. He wrote, in Italian, "You have found your family. The man you are asking about was my grandfather."

It took a few seconds for that to sink in. Holy Shit. Holy shit. Holy Shit. Can this be for real? Then he told me his name. Giuliano. He wrote, "My father named me after his sister Giuliana." That's my mother. Oh, let the waterworks begin. How weird is this?

Even though it took months for him to respond, it's bizarre it didn't take lots of searching to find the right person. One message sent, bingo! I have family!

We had a grand conversation lasting a few hours. There is a ton of family information to cover and we only just scratched the surface. His father is the older brother my mother recalled. That would make him my uncle. For the first time in my life I finally knew his name- Giorgio. And got to see a photo of him! His father never forgot his baby sister. Giuliano told me his father had wanted to find her his whole life.

Plans have been discussed for meeting face to face soon. We exchanged addresses and phone numbers, and shared lots of "Holy cow, this is unbelievable" on my end and "Non ci credo!" on his side. I think we are both still pinching ourselves. And later last night he sent a WhatsApp message telling me he'd realized his father's dream. Mine too!

Through the magic of the internet- thank you, Al Gore, and Facebook- big hugs to you too, Mark Zuckerberg, I found my real blood Italian relatives.

Life is good.

Yes, life is good. We are loving every day on this beautiful little island. Each day we feel a little bit more like we are home.

I want to send special thanks to all of you for keeping me in your thoughts. I appreciate all the messages and emails asking how the move was going and what we're up to. I needed the space to get through the transition.

Has anyone else ever tracked down long lost family members? If you have, I'd love to hear how your search went. As you can imagine, I'm still in disbelief!

Grazie mille from Procida!

Yes, finally a blog post from me.

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 22:31:00 +0000

Ciao, tutti!

First, I must thank everyone for sending emails and messages asking me what the heck has happened to me. Why no posts ? I've been keeping a secret, and the time for me to explain has come.

My internet is being disconnected tomorrow morning. (So I had better get this posted tonight!) Tomorrow afternoon and Friday morning the mover will be here. We'll be saying goodbye to the yellow house at the far end of Venice.

I've been sitting on this for months, not sure what to say or how to say it. The simple truth is Venice has become too expensive for us to live here anymore, and so we had to find a place we could afford. Venice also has changed in the last couple of years, and that has made it much more difficult to sustain a life as a full time resident here.

We decided to move south, and found a perfect apartment on the tiny little island of Procida, not far from Naples.

This move is bittersweet for me. I've had nine and a half glorious years in Venice. I've loved every last second. Wouldn't have traded this adventure for anything in the world! And ten years here on this blog with many of you following me for that long. I am grateful for each and every one of you. Many of you have become personal friends over the years. Trust me, my life has been enriched by you in countless ways.

So what comes next? I have thought about changing the name of this blog.. perhaps The Venice Experience goes South? Or maybe Procida Tales. I've already got a few chapters of fun stuff that's happened just in finding the apartment and getting the move executed. No doubt there will be more of my "experiences" to come. I'd like you to tell me if you have any interest in keeping up with something that isn't connected to Venice, or whatever your preference might be. Feel free to also let me know if it's of no interest at all. I'll get it.

Mike and I also have a brand new blog that will launch soon, hopefully by June. Look for us on "Hendersons on the Road" where we'll share our travels in, around, and out of Italy.

So now my secret is out of the bag. We're excited about what lies ahead and are eager to begin the next chapter of our life.

Still a few last minute things to throw into boxes before my mover Cristian (yes, we are on a first name basis now. Long story.) arrives tomorrow.

Arrivederci, Venice.

Baci,
Karen

Countdown to Christmas 2016, Venice Style - Day 9

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 21:47:00 +0000

Ciao, tutti!

This just might be my favorite Advent calendar this year. I've been thinking about what I might put in each of those drawers. Don't laugh, but I'd put Hersey's kisses in them, the same number in each box as the number on it. So, 1 kiss for Dec 1, 2 for Dec 2 and so on. December 24 would be like a winning the lottery- especially since we cannot find Hersey's kisses over here. Having them would be such a treat! Any thoughts on what you'd load those drawers with?

Today I'm taking you to one of my all time favorite shops in Venice, to meet a very special artisan. This is one of the very first places I visited on my first trip to Venice, I returned every year, and now I pop in several times a week. Ca Del Sole mask shop is just a few minutes from St. Mark's square, on Fondamenta Osmarin in the district of Castello.

Meet the man behind the masks, Hamid Bandar. Hamid opened his shop in 1986 and was one of the first artisans to create a revival of the traditional Venetian mask. I caught Hamid mid-lecture in his workshop the other day, doing something he loves - sharing the story of Venetian masks.

Inside his shop you'll find a wide assortment of masks, ranging from the Plague Doctor to fancy, elegant creations perfect for a Las Vegas showgirl. All individually made from paper mache and decorated with gorgeous accessories such as beads, gold leaf and feathers.

A handmade Venetian mask is a work of art which takes days to construct from start to finish, beginning with strips of blue paper mache and glue in the plaster mold. Recreating the traditional masks worn in Venice is a labor of love for Hamid and his assistants.

Ca del Sole not only sells Venetian masks, but also rents handmade costumes for Carnevale masquerade balls.

Hope you will put Hamid's shop on your list of Must-finds next time you are visiting Venice. It's definitely one of Venice's gems.

You can visit Ca del Sole at Castello, 4964, Fondamenta Osmarin

www. cadelsolemascherevenezia.com

Here's the link to the Countdown to Christmas 2014 post Just click here!

Today's Advent calendar thanks to imaginifnz.blogspot.co.nz

Celebrating the Festa della Madonna della Salute in Venice

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 12:34:00 +0000

Ciao tutti!

In going through recent photos I discovered I'd neglected to make a post about one of Venice's biggest festa's, the Festa della Madonna della Salute. Other cities hold festivals to celebrate the wine harvest, or mushrooms, or garlic. Venice holds festivals to remember the black plague. Every year in July we have the Festa del Redentore to commemorate the Plague of 1574, and in November we celebrate the end of the plague of 1630.

During each of these plagues, Venetians prayed to be spared from death and destruction. To keep their promise to God when the plagues ended, they built a church. In 1630 the called on the Madonna directly to end the plague, and their thanks resulted in the marvelous church of Madonna della Salute, in Dorsoduro.

Every year, on November 21, citizens make a pilgrimage to the church in order to give thanks to the Madonna for her intervention on Venice's behalf, and to pray for the health of their families. In the old days, people crossed a makeshift bridge across the Grand Canal made of boats tied together, to make their way into the church for mass, led by the Doge. Today, the city constructs a temporary votive pontoon bridge across the canal.

Festa della Salute is huge. People still make a mass pilgrimage, flooding the streets and over the pontoon bridge to buy candles, attend mass, and afterwards, buy goodies. It's an annual tradition that is absolutely essential to Venetian life.

What most people don't know about the Festa della Madonna della Salute is that the festa actually begins one week before November 21. Always on the Saturday before, the rowing community of Venice rows a giant candle down entire length of the Grand Canal to the La Salute Church, where they are met by the priests who will then bless the boats and the rowers of Venice with a special benediction.

Delivering the candle to La Salute

Priests on the steps of La Salute blessing the boats and rowers

Alza Remi (raise the oars), an honorary salute given by the rowers. The young men and women in blue jackets are from the Francesco Morosini Naval Military Academy in Venice.

The pontoon bridge during construction a few days before November 21.

On November 21, the calle next to the church of La Salute is lined with vendors stalls selling all sorts of goodies- nutella crepes, candies, marzipan, cheese, roasted nuts, just to name a few. And there are balloons. Tons of balloons. Take a stroll down the street with me, and I assure you, the temptation to stop and indulge will be strong. My weakness is always the cannoli booth!

Either before or after you hit all the goodies, you will stop to purchase candles at one of the numerous candle vendors, then make your way into the church to have your candle lit.

The main altar at La Salute church dressed out in velvets specially made by Bevilacqua.

For more information about the church of La Salute, https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_di_Santa_Maria_della_Salute

Countdown to Christmas 2016, Venice Style - Day 8

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 18:43:00 +0000

Ciao, tutti!

Welcome back for day #8 of my Countdown to Christmas 2016, Venice Style.

Every time I write "Venice Style" for these posts, I hear the "Gangnam Style" song in my head. Sorry. Couldn't help myself. You are all doing the dance, aren't you?

Today is a very important holiday in Italy, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Banks, schools, government offices are all closed. In fact, most are making a four day weekend out of it. It's also the day most Italians put up their Christmas trees and arrange their Presepe. As of this very moment, our fake tree is out of the box, constructed and lights are on. I have a feeling the rest of the process will get done tomorrow. But.. we're almost there! And on the right day too.

So, are we ready to take a peek behind door #8?

I decided to stay in Campo Santa Margherita again today.

Say hello to my favorite fishmongers (peschivendolo in Italian) - Gianni, Paolo and Riccardo.

This family has been selling in one of the few areas of Venice where fish vendors were located for hundreds of years. Right in the campo. Every day, Tuesday through Saturday, they set up shop. That's my salmon Riccardo is holding in the photo (eaten tonight for dinner and it was yummy). I love that they will prepare the fish any way I ask. They even peel and clean my shrimp! Who could ask for better service?

Riccardo holding up a huge flounder (rombo) for us.

With the number of Venice residents declining rapidly, we're happy to see our favorites still in business. Should you be in the neighborhood, stop by to say hello. Better yet, if you are renting an apartment, be adventurous and buy some local fish to make for your diner!

Here's the link to my Countdown to Christmas 2014 post for Day 8 Glass Ornaments!

I promise, tomorrow we're not going to be in Campo Santa Margherita again. I'll leave you guessing what I have up my sleeves for you, though!

Today's Advent calendar thanks to The Crafty Blog stalker. Great use of old toilet paper rolls. Ingenious!

A domani!

Countdown to Christmas 2016, Venice Style- Day 7

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 22:56:00 +0000

Ciao tutti!

Once again, I have to begin with a huge "Grazie mille". The response to this series has been overwhelming, the blog has record page views this week. I love reading all of your comments, so please keep them coming.

And I love the advent calendar I chose for today. I only wish they had included a little footstool or ladder so this cutie pie could reach the very top pockets! Being short myself, I can empathize with her.

Are we ready to crack open door #7? I know I am!

Today we're visiting a spot very dear to my heart, close to where we used to live over in the Santa Croce district. But we're stopping just 1 bridge short of Santa Croce, ending in Campo Santa Margherita instead. If you are a regular reader of my blog you are well aware of my attachment to this campo. If not, then you will be shortly!

Campo Santa Margherita, the heartbeat of the Dorsoduro district, is home of one of our favorite places, Imagina Cafe. I know, I have been featuring artisans of Venice on my advent calendar posts so far, and you are probably scratching your heads wondering why I'm mentioning a cafe today instead. I promised I'd focus on people in this Advent Calendar instead of things, and I can't think of any better place to introduce you to some of our favorite people.

Remember that TV show Cheers? The place where everybody knows your name? Well, in Venice, Imagina Cafe is that place. You come in the front door and there is always a happy "Ciao" for you, and a smile. It's your home away from home, your second family. And trust me, when you are a foreigner trying to make a life in a country far, far from home, you need that. These people have been our second family since the day we arrived in Venice, 9 years ago.

Here's Dominico and Ramona

and absent this morning while I was snapping photos were Stefano and Jacopo. ( recent photos courtesy of http://iaindeau.blogspot.it/)

If you want to get an up close and personal experience with the locals, this is the place to be. If you need a spot to duck away from a busy day full of Venice sightseeing, this is the place. If you want one of THE best spots to people watch, grab a seat at one of the outdoor tables. If you want a drink and one of the BEST tramezzini (Venetian sandwich) in town, this is the spot.

Their walls also host the work of local artists, so you're getting a little dose of culture as a bonus. (And you never know if there will be one of those local artists sitting at the next table- some famous, some not so much).

Oops...almost forgot....Imagina Cafe is home to some of the most decadent hot chocolate with Whipped cream. Must have.

And just say Karen sent you.

Imagina Cafe, Rio Tera Canal, Dorsoduro 3126
http://www.imaginacafe.it/

The link to my Countdown to Christmas 2014 Day 7 blog, just click here

Countdown to Christmas 2016, Venice Style - Day 6

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 21:52:00 +0000

Ciao tutti!

One of my friends here in Venice came up with a very unique Advent calendar this year. I can't help myself, I have to share it here. Thanks, Paolo.

Brilliant idea, isn't it?

Now, back to what is in store behind door #6.

Today, I'm taking you on a walk to Rialto Bridge to meet a friend, Marco Jovon. Marco and his family have operated a jewellery shop on the bridge since 1934, first opened by Marco's grandfather.

Walk into Gioielleria Eredi Jovon and you are walking into a unique part of Venice's past and present. The tradition started by Marco's grandfather, continued on by his father Bruno is now proudly carried on by Marco, his mother Gabriella and the rest of the family.

But Jovon's isn't just any ordinary jewellery shop. Marco hand carves exquisite one-of-a-kind cameos. At the shop you will find many works of art of Marco's own design, or you can request a custom design just for you.

Marco and Giorgio, always ready to greet you with a smile.

The ancient tools for cameo engraving are still in use today.

Amazing, cameos all start from a shell similar to this one.

photo www.eredijovon.com
One of Marco's latest creations, a blue cameo with woman at the Rialto bridge.

Inside the shop a small cameo museum displays an unusual collection of family pieces. Jovon also sells other types of jewellery, including corals and Murano glass.

I'm honored to be able to share another wonderfully talented Venetian artisan with you as part of my Countdown to Christmas, Venice style. Hopefully, as you are walking over the famous Rialto bridge you will take a minute to stop in to meet Marco and his family, and perhaps take home a special cameo too.

You can find Gioielleria Eredi Jovon, San Marco 5325, on the Rialto Bridge.

For more information check out their website http://www.eredijovon.com/en/ or like their page on Facebook. Marco has written an ebook about cameos which is available for download on the website.

To see my Countdown to Christmas 2014 - Day 6 post, Just click here. It's one of my favorite posts from that year - lucious cioccolata calda con panna (hot chocolate with creme)! Makes me want some right now.

Today's advent calendar thanks to digsdigs.com.

Have a favorite post so far in this series? Which Advent calendar did you like best? Suggestions? I'd love to see your comments, so please leave a note for me in the comments section here.

Ciao, Ciao!

Countdown to Christmas 2016, Venice Style- Day 5

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 22:16:00 +0000

Ciao tutti!

Welcome back! First things first, I must thank each and every one of you for reading along as I countdown to Christmas. My blog has experienced record traffic this week over the last 4 days. Wow. I am overwhelmed and just so grateful.

I've been thinking what I would put into each of the little boxes of this advent calendar. I'm pretty certain my choice would be a few delicious truffles in each box, each a day a different flavor. Wouldn't be too hard, I seem to love every kind of truffle I've ever had. Yes, truffles would do very nicely.

In the previous days, I've introduced you to artisans who practice their crafts to keep Venetian traditions alive. Today I'm introducing you to someone who is responsible for creating a Venetian landmark.

Ready for today's reveal? Drum roll, maestro, if you will.....

Meet Luigi Frizzo

We're back in Castello again today, at the Libreria Acqua Alta. Luigi Frizzo's unusual and world famous haven for book lovers is tucked into an old warehouse in Campiello del Tintor, a few minutes off Campo Santa Maria Formosa.

There's no bell for us to ring or "door" to use to gain access to this hidden paradise. Instead you just walk in the entrance, which has racks of books, cards, maps and assorted postcards spilling out into the campiello. Once you've made your way inside, you are usually greeted by both Luigi and a cat or two.

While the shop itself, jammed to the rafters with new and used books, is something to marvel at, it's the owner who makes this place the gem that it is. Luigi opened the shop 15 yrs ago, and continues to add features to the shop each year. Books are stored in a variety of boats and bathtubs, even a gondola, in order to keep them up out of "Acqua Alta", high water. Books that are unserviceable, such as old encyclopedias and waterlogged reference books, have been "re-used" to make stairs in the courtyard, or to line the walls of the rear entryway of the shop.

While the water door is not the main entrance to the book shop, it probably is it's most recognizable feature. This doorway appears in countless photos all over the internet. Luigi's shop is listed as one of the 10 most unique bookshops in the world. After having visited the shop you'll understand exactly why it holds that distinction.

Go ahead, I know you want to. "Follow the books".

This shop is all Luigi's creation- his dream, his child, his labor of love, his gift to Venice.

Definitely put the Libreria Acqua Alta on your list of places to discover the next time you are in Venice. But don't just go to see the books. Please, go to meet Luigi. The man is a legend. And yes, the shop does get high water inside it!

Libreria Acqua Alta, Castello 5167 ,Campiello del Tintor.

And once again, the link to Countdown to Christmas 2014- Day 5. It's Italian Christmas carols!

Today's advent calendar thanks to Bloglovin'

A domani!!

Countdown to Christmas, Venice Style - Day 4

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Sun, 04 Dec 2016 23:16:00 +0000

Ciao tutti!

Grazie mille to all of you for reading and keeping up with my Countdown so far. Please leave comments here, I would love to know what your feedback is.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the calendar I selected for today. I'd be very tempted to construct one of those for myself. Might have to tuck that idea into a folder for next year. Just maybe. I love the vintage look of it, love the gold here and there. Gives it a little bit of glitz.

And speaking of glitz, that's exactly what's behind door #4 today. Come along with me, I'm going to take you on a little field trip, so I can show you what's behind the door at Cannaregio, #5182.

We're visiting at the workshop of Mario Berta Battiloro, the last real producer of gold leaf left in Italy, and all of Europe for that matter. The Battiloro (literally gold beater) here is keeping the over 1,000 year old tradition of making gold leaf (and also silver and other minerals). The family craft began here in Venice in 1926, with this location opening in 1969. Today the whole operation is run by Marino Menegazzo, his wife (Mario Berta's daughter), their two daughters and 4 other staff.

There is no machinery here. Every step is done exactly as it has for hundreds of years. Every bit of pounding of the gold until it is feather light and only microns thin is done completely by hand.

A series of heavy mallets are used to beat the gold, over and over and over again, until finally, Marino deems it perfect.

It is a fascinating process to watch, especially because nothing is automated. The gold, silver and other types of leaf produced here have been used all over Venice, and around the world on building projects, works of art, and even edible gold and now cosmetic products.

For me, being able to watch the work here at Mario Berta Battiloro was indeed like taking a step back in time. It's not often you meet an entire family so dedicated to preserving their craft. There's a bit of icing on the cake as well if you visit the Battiloro, because #5182 Cannaregio is also the home of another famous Venetian, Tiziano Vecellio, also known as Titian, one of Italy's most famous painters of the 1400's. Walking in Titian's house gave me goosebumps. Seriously.

For more information see the website www.berta-battiloro.com.

Visits to the workshop are by appointment, for a small admission fee.

As Venice's population dwindles, artisans are forced to close their shops. Those that are left are a dying breed, unfortunately for all of us. I hope you will seek out these special doors next time you are in Venice, and treat yourself to a bit of the "other" Venice, the real Venice.

I haven't forgotten the bonus -Link to Day 4 -Countdown to Christmas 2014. It's Babbo Natale !!

Today's advent calendar is from 2gypsygirls.com

Countdown to Christmas, Venice Style - Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 21:44:00 +0000

Ciao tutti!

I'm so excited about my choice for day #3 of the Venice Countdown to Christmas because there really and truly is some magic behind this door today, just as there is magic when you open the door to Roberto Comin's studio in Cannaregio. Step inside and you are in a fantasy world, a world full of whimsy and delight. Roberto, a master craftsman, designs and creates puppets.

Every part of the process, from the initial sketches to the final product, is done by Roberto and his family. They've been in business for 80 years, selling marionettes not only in Venice but worldwide.

Roberto invents a personality for each puppet which is reflected in the facial features and costume details.

If you visit Roberto's workshop, you'll find him bringing each of his characters to life for you as he demonstrates the mechanics of puppetry and introduces his cast of characters to you.

Yes, there are even Pinocchio's in Roberto's studio. He is, after all, quite a bit like the original Geppetto.

You can find Roberto Comin's puppets in shops around Venice as well as on his website www.MarionettesinVenice.com. Roberto's studio is located at L'Isola di Pinocchio, Cannaregio 2417. It is possible to arrange visits to his workshop, details on the website.

Most visitors to Venice see St. Mark's square, Rialto bridge, and the Grand Canal. If you take the time to look behind closed doors, you will find some real treasures. I hope my Countdown to Christmas Advent calendar will entice you to go seek out some of those doors.

Last but not least - here's the link to Day 3 of my 2014 Countdown to Christmas. Chestnuts! And I just saw some roasting over on Strada Nova in Cannaregio tonight!

Ciao tutti. A domani (until tomorrow)

today's advent calendar from julegleder.blogspot.com

Countdown to Christmas, Venice Style - Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 20:47:00 +0000

from randomtuesdays.com

Ciao tutti!

Welcome back for another day of my Countdown to Christmas. Did you enjoy my Venice version of the 12 Days of Christmas? Were you singing it all day today like we were?

I love the Advent calendar idea I selected for today. When I first looked at it, I thought you removed a cotton ball each day. Duh! You put a new one in place each day. Perfect. I loved it so much I had to put it here on Day 2 instead of later, so there are plenty of days left in the month in case any of you wanted to create one for the little ones in your lives to use. Have fun sticking cotton balls on Santa's face!

Ok, so, on to what I have in store today. Instead of highlighting things or places around Venice that say Christmas to me,I've decided to give this years December Advent blog posts a different spin. I'm shining a light on people instead. I've been incredibly fortunate to have met so many wonderful local people over the years. Time to share them with you. I hope you enjoy meeting these talented Venetians.

So without further ado, here's my pick for behind door #2.

I met Paolo Brandolisio the first year I ever visited Venice, on one of those days we were exploring (maybe it was more like wandering aimlessly lost) in the Castello district. Every time I stop by his shop, I am transported to another time, a very old Venice when artisans handcrafted everything, including the oars and forcole needed to row the gondolas. Inside Paolo's studio you will find him carving beautiful works of art, with tools handed down over the years from maestro Giuseppi Carli. Now Paolo is the maestro himself.

To me, Paolo is artist, craftsman and magician, all rolled into one.

The smells of freshly hewn wood and shavings all over the floor spell one thing only - Paolo's studio.
You can find him at Castello 4725, where you can purchase one of his replica forcole, feri (the front piece on the gondola of iron, although Paolo's are wood), oars for kayaks, and now gorgeous handcarved bracelets.

Link to the 2014 Countdown to Christmas Day 2 blog post. Hope you also enjoy this one too, featuring the Pandoro, a traditional holiday dolce.

Buona sera, tutti!

Countdown to Christmas - Venice Style, Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 01:10:00 +0000

Ciao tutti!

It's December 1 (well, it was about an hour ago still), and I decided at the last minute to do another round of my holiday advent calendars. In 2014, I had great fun every day of December on my blog opening a new door each day, sharing something "Venetian" that reminded me of Christmas.

This year I have something similar up my sleeves. I hope you'll flip open a new door with me every day as I countdown to Christmas. I'll have a different photo of an advent calendar that peaks my fancy to share, as well.

For December 1, I'm sharing my version of the 12 Days of Christmas with you. Remember that old favorite Christmas song? Here it is, Venice style.

On the 1st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

A gondola on the Grand Canal.

On the 2nd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Two Murano chandeliers

and a gondola on the Grand Canal.

On the 3rd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Three Carnevale masks

Two Murano chandeliers

and a gondola on the Grand Canal.

On the 4th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Four Vaporettos

Three Carnevale masks

Two Murano chandeliers

and a gondola on the Grand Canal.

On the 5th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Five more brid-ges

Four Vaporettos

Three Carnevale masks

Two Murano chandeliers

and a gondola on the Grand Canal.

On the 6th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Six Spritzes spritzing

Five more brid-ges
Four Vaporettos
Three Carnevale masks
Two Murano chandeliers
and a gondola on the Grand Canal.

On the 7th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Seven gondoliers-a-rowing
Six Spritzes spritzing
Five more brid-ges
Four Vaporettos
Three Carnevale masks
Two Murano chandeliers
and a gondola on the Grand Canal.

On the 8th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Eight Panettone from Colussi
Seven gondoliers-a-rowing
Six Spritzes spritzing
Five more brid-ges
Four Vaporettos
Three Carnevale masks
Two Murano chandeliers
and a gondola on the Grand Canal.

On the 9th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Nine Vivaldi concerts
Eight Panettone from Colussi
Seven gondoliers-a-rowing
Six Spritzes spritzing
Five more brid-ges
Four Vaporettos
Three Carnevale masks
Two Murano chandeliers
and a gondola on the Grand Canal.

On the 10th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Ten Canals-a-rising
Nine Vivaldi concerts
Eight Panettone from Colussi
Seven gondoliers-a-rowing
Six Spritzes spritzing
Five more brid-ges
Four Vaporettos
Three Carnevale masks
Two Murano chandeliers
and a gondola on the Grand Canal.

On the 11 th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Eleven Fritelle frying
Ten Canals-a-rising
Nine Vivaldi concerts
Eight Panettone from Colussi
Seven gondoliers-a-rowing
Six Spritzes spritzing
Five more brid-ges
Four Vaporettos
Three Carnevale masks
Two Murano chandeliers
and a gondola on the Grand Canal.

On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Twelve cicchetti platters
Eleven Fritelle frying
Ten Canals-a-rising
Nine Vivaldi concerts
Eight Panettone from Colussi
Seven gondoliers-a-rowing
Six Spritzes spritzing
Five more brid-ges
Four Vaporettos
Three Carnevale masks
Two Murano chandeliers
and a gondola on the Grand Canal.

(Venice version words by Karen Henderson, 2016)

Make sure you practice so you are all ready for Christmas caroling at the end of the month!

See you all tomorrow when we'll open door #2 together.

Ciao!

As an extra little bonus, I'll post the link to each day's advent calendar from my 2014 blog so you can get a double whammy. I promise, all of this year's posts will be different from those. Enjoy!
2014 Day 1 Countdown to Christmas post

Celebrating the Festa de San Martino

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 12:35:00 +0000

Today is the Festa di San Martino - St. Martin's Day. In Venice this festa is a big, big deal, and over the years it has become one of my favorite celebrations every November. I am very fortunate that I live not far from Campo San Martino and the Chiesa di San Martino, and get a constant reminder of this saint whenever I'm passing by.

St. Martin's story goes something like this: In the 4th century, Saint Martin met a starving, freezing beggar at the gates of the city of Amiens. He cut his cloak in two with his sword and gave half to the man. For that reason, Martin is a saint associated with the poor. It is also said that at the moment he tore his cloak, the sun came out and that is why an Indian summer here is known as an estate di san Martino.The 11th November is the festa of this favorite saint and traditionally the day when the novello [new] wine is opened.

San Martino bas relief on the wall of the Church of San Martino, Castello

Every November 11 the children of Venice re-enact St. Martin by dressing up in red cloaks and "Burger King" style crowns, banging on their mother's pots and pans while parading through their neighborhoods. Stops are made at the local shops canvassing for goodies. Sort of like Halloween but everyone dresses the same.

San Martino cookies line the windows of every bakery in town starting a couple of weeks before the holiday. How could you not love San Martino day, when you knew there would be some fabulous cookie waiting for you at home?

Have you picked the one going home with you this year?

I noticed my local hardware store was selling cookie molds for every size San Martino day horse cookie you could imagine, from a grand one over a foot tall to very tiny individual ones. Perfect if you love making cookies.

Should you find yourself in the neighborhood of Campo San Martino this weekend, here's the list of activities going on during the festa. Tomorrow between 4pm-8:30 there will be food and wine served in the campo. Look for me there!

Happy Festa de San Martino!

Arnold- the Aftermath

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 16:53:00 +0000

Arnold and Mike in Venice

It certainly has been an emotional week! You already know the results of the Presidential Election in the US so I won't have to get into that topic. While that was going on, we had the big "Arnold in Venice" reunion happening in full force, which on many levels was a much happier event, so I'll talk about that.

As I'd mentioned in my previous post, we hadn't seen Arnold in 16 years. I was apprehensive for this Venice meet up, to say the least! The original idea was for Arnold to stay at our place, however he was also bringing his girlfriend/partner. Given our apartment most likely wouldn't provide the privacy they'd want for a romantic holiday in Venice, coupled with the fact he'd have a long haul from our place early in the morning to catch a shuttle to the airport, he decided to stay in a hotel. He chose something close to the train station, wouldn't you know it? Couldn't get any farther away from our apartment than that! So, on arrival day the plan was he would check in to his hotel in Cannaregio, hop on a vaporetto and meet us at the San Pietro vaporetto dock. From there we were going to walk, see Venice, and eat.

He spotted me first as he came off the boat, I heard him exclaim loudly, "Karen!". Our eyes met. A huge smile broke out across his face. On mine too. He grabbed me for two kisses on the cheek and a hug. We both just clung to each other, longer than the normal hug-time, so happy to be reconnecting. After finally untangling our arms, Arnold reached over and did the same with Mike. We all just gave each other a long examining look, beaming like silly kids. Then he introduced Sondra, his girlfriend, and the hugs began anew. He looks the same as I remembered him, except there's a bit of grey hair now.

Of course we had to get through the requisite "How are you?"s. Once past that, Arnold wanted to know how in the world we ever got to Venice to live. Interesting question! My response was "It all started with you." I had to explain, because the last time we saw him was on our trip to Germany, the one that was a thank you gift for putting up with him for a summer. He didn't know that we had followed that trip with numerous vacations to Italy, as we'd gotten out of touch for several years. Since moving to Venice we've heard from him more often.

Throughout the short 2 day visit, there was lots of reminiscing. Mike and I were completely amazed at the little details Arnold recalled that we had forgotten, or never expected him to have memories of from so long ago. Little things like the name of Mike's dog (that Mike only had for a brief visitation )- long story- while Arnold was with us, or the strange old man Leroy, who did yard work for us. I didn't even remember that at all! He asked about all the people he'd met while with us in Baltimore - my daughters, our neighbors, Mike's law partner, the secretary who worked at Mike's office. The stories just flowed, as did the laughter, followed by tears of joy because the three of us just couldn't stop laughing. I felt so sorry for poor Sondra, and for the people around us at cafes and restaurants.

I was curious what Arnold had thought about his US experiences, if he had any fears about going to a foreign country to be with strangers for 3 months. He explained that he wasn't afraid. He was excited. And he knew it might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When would he get an extended block of time to do something like that ever again? He described his expectation of staying with a "normal" American family, one that ate "Wonder Bread and fried chicken" (his words). Poor guy! I was sorry he didn't get what he had wanted, but he just beamed and said "But I got so much more! And you ate French bread! "

I could go on and on, relating details of the stories we shared but those are only special to us, so I won't. I didn't want to see him leave. I wanted him to stay for another 3 months! I'm still smiling today thinking about the last few days together.

Arnold and Sondra saw LOTS of Venice, all the must sees and much more of our favorite local places. We ate well, drank lots and shared moments we'll not forget. We all vowed to do this again, and not wait 16 years for it. I was touched to know that Arnold's memories matched ours, that all three of us felt a special connection back then, and still today. That warmed my heart. Now we can add another special Venice experience to our collective memories. Can't ask for more than that.

Note- the hotel Arnold stayed at : Eurostar Residenza Cannaregio. He and Sondra raved about it. They got some pretty fabulous rates, and the hotel even has a bar. Passing this tidbit on in case anyone is ever looking for a good Venice hotel recommendation.

The Return of Arnold

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 12:37:00 +0000

Not a day goes by that someone doesn't ask me to explain what prompted our move to Venice. My response is always that we'd vacationed here for several years, fell in love with the city, and decided life is too short to stay on the corporate hamster wheel we felt trapped on in the US. This slow life suited where we wanted to be for the remainder of our days, so we chose to jump off that wheel. And here we are.

Ah, Venice!

However, truth be told, that explanation is the Readers Digest condensed version. The real story involves a young 22 yr old German law student we met about 18 years ago. So, for the first time ever, I'm exposing a bit more of our past, and the truth is being shared here with the entire blogosphere. (Heaven help me!)

Turn back the calendar to 1999......

My husband agreed to sponsor a 3-month internship for a German exchange student at his law office near Baltimore, at the request of one of his clients. The client's mother's best friend's son (how's that for a mouth full) wanted to do his required internship somewhere in the United States, and Mike's client's mother put a little pressure on him to find something for this boy. Naturally, he asked his lawyer, Mike, who happens to be fluent in German, to help bail him out of a tough spot with his mother. You know all about mother's guilt trips.

While there would be nothing this German student could do to assist with any legal matters during his stay, he could be put to use delivering documents to the court or miscellaneous tasks around the office. And, as this was to be funded by the German government as a required part of every law student's schooling, there would be no expense on Mike's part. Everyone agreed to the plan, and the deal was sealed. For the summer months of 1999, Arnold would be interning in the US. And all the German mothers were smiling.

What I haven't mentioned is the deal included Mike and I hosting this young man in our house for the first few days to help him get acclimated, arrange a short term apartment nearby and a rental car. Arnold, however, had other plans in mind, which he shared after his arrival. You see, Arnold wanted to use the stipend he would be receiving for living expenses to travel all over the USA instead. He had his mini-bucket list prepared-Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, New Orleans, Chicago, Dallas, Miami. The problem was he didn't have much in the way of funds other than his stipend, and that was needed to pay for an apartment and car. Arnold proposed that he extend his living with us beyond the few initial days instead of renting an apartment, and he could commute to work with Mike every day. Voila. He could use the stipend money to travel while living rent free with us. And, he really didn't expect to work very much, as that would interfere with his "Arnold Does America" grand tour plans. Such a plan!

Mike was all in favor of it. I, on the other hand, was less receptive, for two reasons. One, this was a total stranger staying in our home for 3 months, and I'm not immediately trusting of anyone. And two, perhaps even more of a showstopper might be that said Arnold was a moose. Seriously. I'm talking a big boy. A really big boy, who obviously consumed A LOT of food. I could not fathom what my grocery bill would be for the next 3 months. The only saving grace might be that he intended to be on the road traveling now and then. My counter proposal to Arnold was that he kick in a small amount each week for groceries. We struck a bargain. Arnold was going to see the USA and Karen got some milk money. Win-Win.

While I began the summer of 1999 with great trepidation, in actuality it turned out to be one of the best experiences of our lives. Arnold wasn't always a peach to live with, but who doesn't have their days? During the long summer evenings on the upper deck over dinners, wine, shared stories and lots of laughs, we forged lifelong friendships. I wouldn't have changed a thing. Little did I know then that EVERYTHING would change. Bigly (yes, that is a tongue-in-cheek borrow from You-Know-Who).

About six months after Arnold returned to the motherland, a courier delivered an envelope to our front door addressed to Mike. Inside the envelope, to our great surprise, was a voucher from a travel agent for round trip air for two and some additional dollars to be used for a trip to Germany-a thank you gift from that client who had instigated the whole Arnold internship, for all we had done for Arnold and for him. Karma, he said. He knew Mike, of German ancestry, is a Beethoven fanatic who dreamed of visiting Bonn, the birthplace of the musical genius. He was sending us there.

I had never been to Europe before but had always dreamed of visiting Italy where my family is from, so naturally, I begged to split the trip between Germany and Italy. I was overruled, however, a compromise was struck. We'd go to Germany, and then save money for a trip to Italy sometime in the near future.

In March 2000 we did that Germany trip to not only Bonn but to numerous cities, including a couple of days with Arnold and his family. Upon our return home the Italy fund jar took up residence on our kitchen counter. Promises kept, not long after our first Italian holiday began with a flight into Venice from JFK and our first (too short) visit in this magical city.

Everything really began with Arnold. If it weren't for him and our summer of 1999, we wouldn't have gone to Germany and I wouldn't have made that bargain for a subsequent trip to Italy. I know us. Europe wasn't on our horizons at the time. We were not only mired in "this Old House" renovations but I was still making monthly payments to my divorce lawyer. If we did take any vacations it was to the beach. Experiencing Europe for the first time adjusted our priority list dramatically, moving travel in general and Italy more specifically way up on that list. As if this is any surprise, Venice stole both our hearts and our souls. You know the rest of that story.

Bringing this back full circle, fast forward to tomorrow....

Tomorrow morning, HE will be arriving for a couple of days. We haven't seen Arnold in 16 years! I'm excited, anxious, and frankly over-the-moon to be having this very long overdue reunion, in Venice no less, with the person who unbeknownst to him was a game changer in my life.

And that's really how the Venice experience began.

Remembering November 4, 1966

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Fri, 04 Nov 2016 20:59:00 +0000

Fifty years ago, Venice experienced the highest acqua alta (high water) in history. Today the city remembers. Throughout the day today on Facebook and other social media, numerous old photos were posted, calling attention to a day no living Venetian will ever forget.

I took a walk through St. Mark's square this morning, specifically to hunt for high water markings.

The blue line added to the shop window marks the water level on November 4, 1966. Shockingly high, isn't it? I have witnessed unusually high water during my time here in the city, but nothing quite this height.

This mark, on the side of the bell tower in the square, permanently records the water level on that date. I have no idea why I didn't frame this shot better, so you could see how high off the ground this actually is. I was intent on getting a good view of the marker. Next time you are in St. Mark's square, try to locate it so you see the height for yourself.

Fifty years ago today, water changed the course of Venetians lives. And ever since then, the city struggles with how to cope with the increasing levels of water it experiences as global warming adds to both the height of the tides and also the number of occurrences of acqua alta every season.

As someone who fell under Venice's seductive spell, I have always found acqua alta to be an integral part of everything this city is. It just wouldn't be Venice without water- and that includes the rising tides. I fell in love and have been having this crazy ongoing love affair with Venice. Just like having any lover, you accept the good with the bad. High water is both fascinating and frustrating, mysterious and maddening.

This is the vaporetto dock at Sant'Elena on November 4, 1966

A gondola ride - in St. Mark's square?

At Campo San Salvador

The Half Way Point

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 19:34:00 +0000

Ciao, tutti!

Many, many thanks for the lovely comments I've received here on the blog, via emails and FB comments regarding this 10 day Blog Challenge. I know it's a bit different, not Venice related, and I truly appreciate you hanging in here with me. I need to get refocused, back on track, and this is going to help me get there, to get me back into the habit of writing regularly and making more frequent posts on the blog as well.

This blog post is in response to Natalie Sisson's 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 5. The task for the day is to come up with a daily plan that I will put into place and use every day to help move me towards meeting my goals.

I need to work every day to complete tasks to get our new blog ready to launch and also write content to post on the new blog, and then keep it up regularly going forward. You all know from experience with me on this blog that I get into periods where I am not writing at all, even though I may be doing cool things that are worthy of writing about. I let life get in my way and have gotten out of the habit of writing every day.

Natalie describes a time management activity called the Pomodoro technique (after the timer used to keep track of time which is in the shape of a bright red tomato- thus Pomodoro) which is useful to keep you focused and on task. You break your work up into small manageable chunks of time, 25 minute increments. You work for 25 minutes straight with no distractions, then give yourself a short break. After the break, you return for another 25 minute block of work. You can continue this several times in succession. I like the way this works. It seems like a workable plan for me, so I've decided to put the Pomodoro plan into action.

My plan to implement this strategy has to begin on Monday, as I already have plans to be out of town for a long weekend beginning early Friday morning. I'm taking the 3 days off- no work for me. The new plan commences Monday. I'm going to commit to three 25 minute work segments each day. I tend to write better in the evenings than in the mornings, so I'll set aside time between 8-10 pm. If I'm diligent about keeping to this work schedule, I should meet my initial goal of launching the blog , and help me stick to to a schedule to add content regularly.

I know I've been talking a lot about this new blog I'm focusing on. While I've been putting my energies in that direction, I have also spent time planning content for The Venice Experience. I've given up the thought of giving this space a visual overhaul, that's just too much on my plate for now, however there is always lots to write about going on here in Venice, and I will be doing that. Definitely NOT abandoning this. It's been my baby since July of 2007. The Venice Experience will be 10 years old in 2017. I feel a big birthday bash coming on!

Ok, Blog Challenge #5 is officially completed. And I'm halfway through the 10 days. That's an accomplishment in and of itself. Taking the rest of the night off!

Buon compleanno, Mom

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 19:28:00 +0000

Today we're celebrating my mother's 89th birthday. She lives at the New Jersey shore, and she (knock on wood) is healthy as a horse. We're hoping we're still doing birthday celebrations for her when she turns 100. Happy Birthday, Mom!!

This blog post is in response to Natalie Sisson's 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 4. My challenge today is to identify 2-3 things I am good at, things Natalie calls my "Super Powers". She says not to be humble about it.

I had to really struggle with this one. My first thought was to just chuck the whole thing. I don't have super powers. I don't even have any sort-of powers, let alone super ones. I got the challenge email this morning, while I was at the beach, enjoying my last day of the season. As I mulled over today's assignment, I was reminded of one of my Cabana-mates, Luca. (Everyone rents a cabana for the season. I share one with about 18 other people). I promise this is all going somewhere. Just give me a minute.

Luca is the 4 yr old son of one of the 18. One morning as I was just arriving at our cabana, Luca and his family had already arrived. We said our hellos, and I went inside to change and gather up my stuff. On my way out of the cabana, Luca stopped me. He opened his little mouth and started singing a song at the top of his lungs. His mother explained he was singing me a favorite song he had learned at his nursery school. She went on to further explain that he went to a Catholic school, thus all the references to God in the song, just in case I needed that information. At the end of his song, he stood there with the biggest smile on his face. Squeaky little 4 yr old voice and all, he stood and belted out that song for me, and then asked me to please wait one minute, he had something to show me. He ran into the cabana. One minute later he reappeared, dressed from head to toe in a Spiderman suit. It isn't Halloween. It's August. And Luca has transformed into "Speeder-Maan" (the correct pronunciation if you are speaking Italian).

These little huts are cabanas

Now back to my task for today's Blog Challenge. Luca actually believed he was Spiderman. Once in that costume, he wasn't just little Luca anymore. He was a superhero.

I'm thinking I need a costume. If it works for Luca, maybe it will work for me.

I've tossed this around all day. Honestly, I don't possess any super powers. I have a couple of things I'm pretty good at, but I'm not setting the world on fire over here.

So here's what I'm good at. 1) I'm a good teacher, and 2) I'm not a quitter.

Now I better go make myself a costume.

A Perfect Day

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 21:02:00 +0000

Ciao, tutti!

This blog post is in response to Natalie Sisson's 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 3

Have you been keeping up with my Blog Challenge I've gotten myself into ? Each day I receive an email describing the challenge of the day.

Day 1 we had to write about our 2 or 3 biggest roadblocks that prevent us from living our ideal life.
Day 2's task was to figure out our why. Why did we want to live a free-er lifestyle.

I received today's assignment earlier this morning, and I've been pondering it all day. See- I did admit to being the Queen of Procrastination. This one should have been easy, and yet I've put it off until now. It's 10:24 pm and I can't put it off anymore.

The challenge for Day 3 is to describe my perfect day- from waking up to going to bed. What am I doing, what does it look, feel, smell. Really, I got this.

Ok, here goes.
My morning always starts with a cup of hot tea. Decaf, black tea. In a mug handmade by a local potter. The mug is a blue color that reminds me of the sea.

I'm not a real early riser. 7:30 is my usual time to start the day. However, in my perfect day (yes, I'm tweaking a bit here), I'd be up and out of the house earlier. 6:30 maybe.

I take a walk on the beach, carrying the mug of tea with me.

I once owned a beach house that had a fantastic outdoor shower. I'd love to have that shower every morning.

Upon returning from my walk and shower, I make a nice late breakfast for Mike and myself. Fruit- my favorites are pineapple, melon or berries, and an omelet with cheese and fresh tomatoes or peppers, fresh squeezed orange juice and more tea. Coffee for him.

Most of the rest of the day is spent writing. In my perfect day I'd be working on that book I've started but haven't finished. And I'd be doing that writing in a spot I love to be in. Something that looks like the photo below. I'd be on that veranda, overlooking the sea.

I love the sounds of the sea. The water lapping, the fresh smell of the ocean water, the rustle of the sea breezes. It calms me, helps keep me grounded.

The evening meal would be some seafood, perhaps shrimp and clams. And ice cream for dessert. There would be some Frank Sinatra music playing somewhere, and candles on the veranda.

That would be a perfect day for me.

Since you're reading along with my daily blog challenges, I'm thinking it would be fun for you to join right in with me. Go ahead. What would your perfect day look like? Share it in the comments for me, please.

Can't wait to see what Day 4 will bring.

PS- While I did not make as much progress with the new blog as I had planned today, I did get some work done on it. After several hours of researching and demo-ing, I narrowed a theme down to two choices. Tomorrow I need to make a decision, get the theme (whichever it is) installed, and get at least some of the pages created.

Living La Dolce Vita- that's why

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 18:52:00 +0000

It's Day 2 of the 10-day blog challenge, and today's task is to write about WHY. Why is it we want to live our ideal lifestyle, whatever that may be.

This blog post is in response to Natalie Sisson's 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 2

This one is easy for me. I get asked that same question almost every day. Why did we want to give up our lives in the US to move to Italy? And I don't have to hesitate about my response. I remember having to do a great deal of soul-searching 10 years ago when we were planning our new life on the other side of the Atlantic. Then, and now, the WHY is the same.

We'd made several month-long vacations in Italy, most of them here in Venice. Upon re-entry to our normal lives, we always found ourselves missing the slower lifestyle of the Italian culture. We felt trapped by our careers, by our American lifestyle of working practically non-stop. We were slaves to the American way of living, which we began to see as a culture of greed. We strived for bigger and better, more stuff. And the more "stuff" you had, the more you had to work to support it. It Italy, we saw people exist with much less, but seemed to be much happier in their smaller existence. We envied that happiness, that joyful spirit we witnessed in Italy.

Rather than be envious of that lifestyle, we chose to adopt it. What was previously important to us- advancing in our careers, earning more money, having more, just wasn't making us happy anymore. And why would we want to spend our days being unhappy? It didn't make sense to us anymore. What became much more important was living simpler, living healthier, living stress-free.

We had to make some tough decisions about getting rid of cars, houses, stuff and learn to live with much less. Doing away with all that stuff was a burden lifted off our shoulders. It was liberating. It gave us our life back.

And so the Why is something I have no trouble answering. To live "la dolce vita". The sweet life.

Turning summer dreams into reality

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 20:58:00 +0000

Ciao, tutti!

Summer is winding down, and I'm not particularly happy about it at all. I have just 4 more days to enjoy my mornings at the beach. During the months of August and September I've been able to spend most mornings over on the Lido enjoying some sun, sand and surf. Time to just do nothing, relax, read, swim, think, dream. Zen time. I needed it.

BTW- the photo above is the view from my beach chair each morning.

For some time now I've been wanting to write about our travels more, but I couldn't bring myself to. This blog has always been about Venice, and I haven't wanted to change that. Mike and I have had incredible trips since we've been living in Italy, but I haven't been sharing any of that.

My morning beach time has given me the opportunity to do some dreaming about how to make that happen. It's time for me to turn that dream into a reality. The other day I received an email inviting me to participate in a blog challenge program designed to help you find the path to the lifestyle you wish to live. It seemed like exactly what I needed at just the right time. I signed up.

And so, this blog post is in response to Natalie's 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 1. The challenge for today is to write about 2 or 3 challenges that keep you from obtaining your goals. My list exceeded 3, but for the sake of keeping you poor readers from running for the hills, I'm going to stop at 2.

#1 - I am the Queen of Procrastination. I'll find every excuse in the book to waste time. And my best excuse is always "It's nap time!" If I didn't just twitter (NO- not that kind of Twitter) away a good portion of every day I can't even imagine the things I could accomplish. I want to create a new blog just for travel writing, and that is going to take work on my part. I need to buckle down and just do it.

#2 - I second guess myself all the time, and end up convincing myself that I can't do things I want to. That I'm not good enough. I don't want to talk myself out of giving travel writing/blogging every bit of energy so that I do it, and do it well.

Whew. I got that down on paper. I've completed the challenge for today. To think about and write down the challenges that keep me from accomplishing my goals. It's a bit intimidating to bare my flaws in front of you. Please don't think too poorly of me! (I'm not too thrilled with myself as I read what I've written.)

Today I also tackled another task that I've been sitting on for the last few weeks. I actually have made a little bit of progress on the new blog. I had started one, attempted to learn the dreaded WordPress, hit my head against the wall a few times with it, and left the blog sitting in it's infancy state. To get the features I wanted I was going to have to move the blog to a self-hosting site. That got done today! I'm one small step closer to getting this new blog up and running. With some luck, and more than a little hard work, www.HendersonsOnTheRoad.com will be launched in the coming weeks. I'll plan a kick-off party.

In the meantime, I've got 9 more days to this exciting 10 day Blog Challenge to get through, and a WordPress class to complete!

Can't wait to see what tomorrow's challenge assignment will be. Stay tuned!

Terremoto in Central Italy

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 20:58:00 +0000

I am sure, by now, you have seen the recent news regarding the terrible earthquake that hit the hill towns of Amatrice, Accumoli, Pescara del Tronto and Arquata del Tronto.

This was the third earthquake we've felt since we've lived in Italy, and we've been hundreds of miles from the epicenter each time. I can tell you, the shaking is scary. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be right in the middle of it.

At around 3:35 am on Wednesday morning we felt the bed move. It moved. Side to side. We both said, "What was that?" On occasion, when a large ship passes by our apartment, we feel some vibrations. We're that close to the water and we're talking large cruise ships. This wasn't that kind of vibration. And because we'd felt the shakes of two previous earthquakes, the last one being the large one in Aquila in April of 2009, we already knew what we were experiencing.

Mike grabbed the flashlight on the night table, focusing the beam on the chandelier above us. It was swinging in an arc of about 10 inches in each direction. That's some pretty good movement. Fortunately, it is not centered over our bed, or I would have been running! It's an old Murano glass chandelier, a bit over 3 feet in height, constructed of quite heavy glass. And it was swinging merrily above us. We both said "Earthquake" at the same moment.

The Murano glass chandelier in our bedroom

We didn't panic, we could tell the epicenter was far enough from us. After a couple of minutes, the chandelier settled down.

I then picked up my phone and checked Facebook. Sure enough, a friend in Cannaregio had posted she felt it also. I have no idea how I would function without Facebook. Can you imagine, an earthquake of 6.2 magnitude hits, and the first thing I do is check Facebook. What is wrong with me?

Shortly after the news feeds reported the location and severity. We went back to sleep.

As the morning hours ticked by, the news reports worsened. The numbers crept up. The photos were frightening. I couldn't stop looking at the news, even though I didn't want to watch.

Amatrice, Italy - photo www.telegraph.co.uk

Weird that the town clock stopped ticking, frozen in time, at 3:36 am. Weird, also, that this earthquake happened at the same time of day, within minutes, of the one that hit Aquila a few years earlier. More sad than weird is that Amatrice was preparing for it's big Festa coming up this weekend, the Sagra dell' Amatriciana, the famous spaghetti dish named after this hilltown. Tourists were already in town for the event.

Last night in my English lesson with my student Francesco we discussed the earthquake. He had just returned to Venice 2 days ago after having been on vacation in the same region. Talk about luck. He'd have been right smack in the middle of the earthquake. Much of our lesson was spent fixing his pronunciation of the word. By the end of the hour, he'd moved from "Hearth-quick" to a much better "earthquake". I hadn't planned for this to be the topic of our lesson. Funny how things just happen.

I returned home thinking how lucky we all are. We're still here. Our homes are intact. In the blink of an eye, 200 plus people have lost their lives, and thousands are in makeshift tents wondering what happens next. And this is just another reminder of how precious life is. My mantra over the last nearly 10 years has been this: Tomorrow isn't guaranteed. All I know for sure is that I have this moment, and it is up to me to make the best of it.

If there is a lesson for us out of disasters like this, I think it's this. Make the most of each day. We don't know if we will have tomorrow. Leave with no regrets. And, love. Love well. Tell the people you love that you love them.

In Italian, I would tell you all " Ti voglio bene". Used for family and close acquaintances, this is a step down from the full blown I love you, "Ti amo".

In honor of the people of Amatrice, we're making their signature dish this week. We're using Mario Batali's recipe ( http://www.mariobatali.com/recipes/bucatini-allamatriciana/)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces thinly sliced guanciale pancetta, or good bacon
1 red onion, cut lengthwise in half and then into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce
1 pound Bucatini
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add 2 tablespoons salt.

Meanwhile, in a 10- to 12-inch saute pan, combine the olive oil, guanciale, onion, garlic, and re pepper flakes; set over low heat and cook until the onion is softened and the guanciale has rendered much of its fat, about 12 minutes.

Drain all but 1/4 cup of the fat out of the pan (and set aside to cook you eggs for tomorrow's breakfast). Add the tomato sauce, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and allow to bubble for 6 to 7 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, cook the bucatini in the boiling water for about a minute less than the package directions, until still very firm; drain.

Add the pasta to the simmering sauce and toss for about 1 minute to coat. Divide the pasta among four heated bowls and serve immediately, topped with freshly grated pecorino.

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana, photo courtesy lucasardellaejanira.it

During the coming days and months, the people of Amatrice and the surrounding towns affected will need support. The Florentine, a local newspaper in Florence, has compiled an excellent list of ways we can help, including everything from donating blood to attending events which are making matching donations. Here's the link.

http://www.theflorentine.net/news/2016/08/central-italy-earthquake-how-to-help/

Ti Voglio bene.

What a difference a year makes!

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 14:53:00 +0000

Ciao, tutti!

I'm thinking I need to dedicate this blog to my Italian teacher, Francesca, who works with me tirelessly every week.

One year ago, I had a conversation on the beach at Lido with the woman I have nicknamed La Contessa. Looking back on that conversation I am mighty embarrassed, because my ability to get a decent conversation out of my mouth was nearly non-existent. I was talking Italian baby talk!

Flash forward to this morning.

My morning ritual on days when I get to the beach is to set up my chair, spend a few hours enjoying the sun and surf relaxing, then pack up to head home. On my way off the beach I stop for a coffee at the bar at our beach.

Today, I reversed my routine, stopping first for that coffee. I carried my cup to my usual table and discovered La Contessa and a group of friends were also having coffee at the next table. I hadn't been there in a few weeks due to a nasty cold, so hadn't seen La Contessa since the last visit. She introduced me to her friends, and we proceeded to get into a lively conversation about a variety of topics.

Just thinking about the range of topics has me laughing still now, hours after having come back from the beach. La Contessa had recently read a book in Italian called A Brief History of America, or something like that, in which she learned about the settlement at Jamestown, and the war of 1812, and the Civil War. She commented that of all the American presidents, she likes Lincoln. So we talked about Lincoln. And Jamestown. Jamestown, of all things!

The Lido coffee bunch had an assortment of questions for me. Tops on the list, of course, were all things Trump. Seems I can not avoid that topic anywhere these days, although I would love to. I got asked about food in New Orleans, the weather in Seattle, and the mafia in New Jersey. Cracks me up.

But what amazes me even more than the choice of topics is that I am holding my own in these conversations this year. Not bumbling, but actually getting information shared, thoughts conveyed, opinions expressed.

Language-wise, it's a whole different year. Karen is happy.

So, thanks Francesca, for tolerating me, pushing me, encouraging me and never giving up on me.

A secret spot in Campo San Giovanni e Paolo

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 19:47:00 +0000

Buongiorno, tutti!

For the last four months, my Wednesday routine includes trotting off to Cannaregio for a 6pm English lesson. My student, Francesco, is a lovely Venetian man who is fairly competent with the English language, however doesn't have much opportunity to keep up with speaking it. Thus, the weekly conversations. We talk for most of the time, spending the other portion reading an excerpt from a newspaper or magazine. Recently, upon suggesting he read a book, he jumped up and pulled a book from his book shelf. This book:

I love this book. In fact, I love all of Alberto Toso Fei's books. If you are a lover of Venice you probably have already discovered his many fascinating books with stories of unique spots and happenings in a Venice of an older time. At any rate, Francesco had never opened the book before. So together we cracked it open, I selected a short excerpt and he began to read.

The problem with this book for Francesco is that it is originally written in Italian which has been translated into English. It's a complicated read because the sentence structure is Italian. What he needs is a book written in English, not translated into it. But more on that a bit later.

The story we read describes something that happened in Campo San Giovanni e Paolo, on the northern end of the Castello district. Francesco, who has Venetian grandparents and has lived in the city as an adult for more than 20 years and also spent much of his childhood here visting his family, did not know this story. I had read the book years ago so was familiar with the story. I'm in Campo San Giovanni e Paolo often, but it's been ages since I went to actually look at the site of this particular episode Alberto Toso Fei describes. The other day as I walked through the campo, I took time to search more carefully.

Campo San Giovani e Paolo

Campo San Giovanni e Paolo, named after the Saints John and Paul, is one of the largest and most important campos (neighborhood squares) in the sestiere (district, in Venetian dialect) of Castello. It's a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. Tour groups flock to this campo to see the famous statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni, the church of San Giovanni e Paolo, and the magnificent Scuola Grande di San Marco. The campo is also known as Zanipoli, in dialect for Giovanni e Paolo

Church of San Giovanni e Paolo, built in the 1300s

Since the end of the 1500s the funerals of all Doges took place in this church, and inside you will find the tombs of twenty-five Doges. One of Venice's most historic and impressive churches.

Statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni

Alongside the church you will find the Scuola Grande di San Marco, with it's exquisite marble facade. And it's this building that figures into the subject of the story. But before I go on with that, look carefully at the following photos that show some of the detailed carvings decorating the front of the building.

Scuola Grande di San Marco, Castello

lion on the front of Scuola Grande di San Marco

close up of a lion on Scuola Grande di San Marco

And here's where the story begins. The Scuola had been restored in 1495 after having been nearly totally destroyed by a fire. Cespo Pizzigani, a very talented Venetian stonecutter, worked on the designs on the front of the building and became quite famous for his work here. In 1501, Cespo's wife fell ill. He used all of his resources to find ways to save her but in spite of this she died. In ruins, Cespo ended up spending his days begging at the foot of the bridge on the corner of the Scuola.

Often, to amuse himself, he'd take a nail and scratch etchings into the marble on the side of the building, mostly of ships that were docked along the canal side.

One of Cespo Pizzigani's etchings on the Scuola doorway

One night, as Cespo was at the Scuola he witnessed a horrible event. An angry young man visited his mother who lived near the campo, gets into an altercation, stabs her and rips her heart out, then drops it as he runs away with it in his hand.

He ran screaming into the canal and drowned.

Rumor has it you can still hear his desperate screams in the campo as he searches for his mothers heart.

Cespo Pizzigani,the stonecutter, who was sitting in the shadows by the Scuola doorway, made a sketch of the event he witnessed that night.

Look closely. You'll see a man in a turban, holding a heart shaped object in his hand. This etching is on the doorway as you enter the main door of the Scuola Grande di San Marco.

Over the years I've enjoyed tracking down many of these little obscure yet fascinating stories from Venice's past. They make this city come alive for me.

Now back to my student, Francesco. We read a few stories from Fei's book. Fun for me because in addition to helping him with his English, these stories were new to Francesco. Unfortunately, the language of the book in the English translation is difficult. So we put that book aside.

I've taken him a copy of a Donna Leon book! Written in English by a native American English speaker, Donna Leon writes mysteries set in Venice. I'll get Francesco learning about this city yet!

*Story of the man with the heart from Alberto Toso Fei's Venetian Legends and Ghost Stories, A guide to places of mystery in Venice.