More Secret Venice.

Graffiti recording a great freeze on the lagoon.

The quiet Rio dei Santi Apostoli was a busy shipping channel within the city.  Boats from Istria, and from islands such as Torcello and Mazzorbo passed here.  The very name of these arcades, (Sortopotego della Traghetto) comes from the fact that the waterway was uses by the traghetto (ferry) to Murano.  Previously the space was not divided up by grills as it is today .  The entire arcade was used by passengers, who waited here for boats to various places.

Among the graffiti scratched on the columns is one that records the "great freeze" of the lagoon that had such a spectacular effects.  It reads: 

Eterna memoria dell'anno 1864 / Del giaccio veduto in Venezia /  Che se sta sule Fondamenta Nove / a San Cristofo andava la gente / In procision che formava un liston / Vicenzo Bianchi / A 1864.

Thus, in the winter of 1864, people could walk across the ice as far as the island of San Michele .

What is a Liston?

The word used in the graffiti is a Venetian term for a sort of paved avenue through the centre of a large public square along which people promenaded at certain times of the day.  Fore il listo thus means "to take a stroll', given that it was more comfortable to walk on paving stones rather than the bare earth and grass that covered most of the Venetian campi.  (Therm campo actually means field).

This is the campo San Pietro and is one of few campi left in the city.  You can see that originally they were all fields.

The Frozen Lagoon

Over the centuries the harsh winters of 1789, 1864, 1929 and 2012 have remained famous.  In the first three the ice was so thick that it could take the weight of sledges!

Here is my photo of the Grand Canal frozen in 2012.  Not thick enough to walk on, but definitely frozen.

Good Luck Anchors.

On the wall at the corner of the building at the corner of Sortopotego della Traghetto are two small anchors referred to as le ancorate .  Venetians often tap them against the wall when they pass.  To give good luck.

The White Stone in Campo San Pietro.

On the route that leads to the church an observant person will notice the white stone amongst the other paving stones.  It's position is far from accidental, for it marks the exact spot where, on his way to San Pietro, the doge used to be met by the Patriarch of Venice.  Up until 1807, the church of San Pietro was, in fact, the city's cathedral, with Saint Mark's being the doge's private chapel.  The placing of this stone created a meeting place which meant that the doge did not have to walk unreceived right up to the threshold of the church, nor did the patriarch have to go to meet him as he disembarked from his boat.  The honour of both temporal and secular power was thus maintained.

Napoleon's decision to make Saint Mark's the city's cathedral was largely a symbolic one.  It meant that, before being received in the basilica himself, a substantial part of the symbolism of the ancient Republic and it's doge's was removed.

The violinist.

On the calle between the Zattere and the Accedamia this guy plays his violin.  He's been there for a few years and says buon giorno and bows to everyone.  I quite often put 50 cents into his case.  At least he is doing something, unlike those who kneel down bent forward all day.  Then they get up and walk off.

But he plays the violin VERY badly.  Last week I actually recognised a few notes of O Sole Mio, but he soon went off.  To say he's been there so long he should be as good as Nigel Kennedy.

Sometimes there is an accordionist too, but often they must fall out and he is a street over.  Their wives also sit on the seats in the campo along with the gang master in charge of them.

Liz and I were discussing him one day as we walked past.  She said her husband Geoff was painting in the campo and wanted to go for a coffee so he asked them to look after his easel, paints and painting.  Liz said she nearly choked asking them.  But all was well when he returned.

Actually reading the book!

There was a comment that at the book club we had a glass in our hand not a book.  

here I am proving we were reading The Hare With Amber Eyes.

I had just bought my copy at the book shop when I was working there & a lady came in to buy a copy so I sold her mine!  Never refusing a sale.

Yesterday was good too, I sold seven books.

Queen of sales.

Lunch at a palazzo on the Grand Canal.

Today I had lunch with Ruth and Jerry at their apartment in the Palazzo Grimani on the Grand Canal.

Here is the palazzo from the vaporetto as I arrived.

Ruth met me at the calle from the gap stop and here are the original door bells.

Ruth and I went straight out onto the jetty at this prime spot.  A real Canaletto view!

Jerry was watching on from the window.

Jerry had my camera and took these lovely shots.

After lunch we sat outside again and finished our wine.  What a privilidge.

Secret Venice

Elizabeth gave me a book called Secret Venice after we were in Campo San Stephano and she showed me the circles in the paving slabs outside this former pharmacy.

Just opposite number 2800 in the corner between Campo Santo Stephano and the aptly named Calle Spezier ( a spezier da medicine was an "apothecary" in Venetian), an often overlooked detail survives.  About 5 meters from the facade of the former pharmacy are three circular depressions in the ground, marking the space that once housed the cauldron in which the apothecary prepared the famous Teriaca, a magical potion that was said to cure any number of ailments.

The production of Teriaca: A carefully-planned ceremonial.

Not all apothecaries were licensed to produce Teriaca. Of the 90 in Venice only about 40 had the licence to do so.  There were known as teriacanti, who made the potion in the street itself using bronze cauldrons.  The place where these cauldrons were set into the ground can still be seen in the city.

Its most common ingredient being vipers ( said to have restorative properties for ageing skin), Teriaca  was produced once a year, in the period when vipers were captured.  That is towards the end of spring and into summer.

The success of the beverage led to an increase in demand, and some apothecaries, one at the Rialto were allowed to produce it three times a year.  In order to guarentee the quality of the product, Venice imposed strict rules.  When making the  Teriaca each apothecary was required to put all the ingredients he intended to use on public display outside his shop for three days.  For the public, the best part in all this was the sight of live vipers, writhing inside lattice-work cages.  When the mixing of the ingredients began, the apothecary was watched by both the public and State officials.

This depression in front of the pharmacy "Alle Due Colonne" into which the mortar was used to pound up the ingredients.   

I missed this because I was looking for one like the first, so I went into the shop with my book and showed the Venetian mama my book.  She got up and took me outside to see this.

It was rather full of confetti left over from carnevale but you get the idea.

A selfie

This is my finger after slicing a U shaped cut in it this morning closing my garden door.

The pharmacist tried to seal it back, but was still bleeding so he told me to go to Pronto Soccorso.

I was there 5 hours before I was seen!!!!

I had injections to numb the finger then six stitches.

The dressing has to be kept clean and dry and I have to watch out for infection.  Then go back next Friday to have the stitches out.

A return performance no doubt!

Bits & Pieces

I have a few odd things to tell you about here.  Several said you wanted to see my VERY expensive overboots I had to buy when there was aqua alta when I came out of La Fenice.

Well here they are!  I had Liz take the photo when they were here for dinner.

I thought they would be slippery but actually I felt quite secure underfoot.

Here I am in Geoff's studio choosing a painting.  I shad just been to the hairdressers for a much needed haircut.  Monica did a great job.

Here is the painting I chose, my first choice that was on thier living room wall.  It's looking across the lagoon towards the Lido at Santa Maria Elizabetta.  I love the days with a dark, menacing sky & the bricole, the marker posts.

Here is Phuvio, you've met him before with wonderful reflections in his sun glasses.

He apologised for the cold sore.

Sunday night I had friends in for drinks and nibbles before we went out to dinner.  Here are the nibbles.

Besaola filled with Russian salad, rolled, dipped in oil then rolled in sesame seeds and prosciuto crudo filled with gorgonzola then rolled.  Recipes curtsey of Walter at the cheese stall at Sacca Fisola market.

The patisseries wrap the cakes beautifully.  I'd bought these to take to a friends.

Negroni night

Campari is the key to the Negroni, which is one of the best aperitifs you will find. Campari can be an acquired taste that some people will love while others will not, though the nice thing about this cocktail is that the sweet vermouth offsets some of the bitterness of the Italian spirit. This also makes the Negroni a nice drink to train your tastebuds to enjoy bitter aperitifs.

It is widely believed that the Negroni was created and named for Count Cammillo Negroni in the 1920's when he ordered an Americano with gin at Cafe Casoni in Florence, Italy.

The Negroni can also be shaken and served in a cocktail glass with a lemon twist.

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes

Yield: 1 Cocktail

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth

1 1/2 ounces Campari

1 1/2 ounces gin

Orange slice or twist for garnish

Preparation:

Pour the ingredients into an old-fashioned glass with ice cubes.

Stir well.

Garnish with the orange slice.

Here is Philip. Jerry and Ruth...

and Caroline with our Negroni's at Bar Brasilia last night.  Caroline and Philip hadn't met Ruth and Jerry and since all had lived in Scotland and now live permanently in Venice I thought it would be good to meet.  Last Friday Liz called me a facilitator......... Here I go again!

But we enjoyed the drink so much we had two.

We also had great conversation and fun.

As we left the ladies were given Bacci "Kisses".

Treviso and Padova

Tuesday I had a day in Treviso to see the India exhibition which I enjoyed.  It was very extensive, going through the religions, moguls and clothes.  It was a beautiful day and I sat outside in the Piazza della Signori for a coffee.  I was sitting at the front at the bar on the left.

After the exhibition I had lunch at a restaurant called Med.  The river runs underneath and there is a perspex cover so you can see it.

Below it has come out from under the restaurant.

The tables were beautifully laid with different water glasses on each table.  The bread, which I did not eat came in this bag.  Other tables had thiers in different coloured ones.

I had canelloni stuffed with ricotta and prawns.

Then I was very naughty and had a vanilla cream with these tiny home made biscuits.

Saturday, despite the forecast of rain.  It had been giving it all week but nne came and we had beautiful days, I set off for Padova.  I love the Saturday market when it's bustling with people, even more so than during the week.

On the vaporetto to the station the sky was ominous, but the light on the water was amazing.

By the time the train left the rain was torrential.  I got the tram up to the centre, had a coffee and took these photos of a sweet shop.

It was so attractive.

The mimosa is for International Women's Day which will be at the end of this week.

By the time I got to the market all the stalls had packed up and gone home!  I trudged around trying to find a restaurant where I ate last year.  By the time I did find it they were totally full.  I made my way back towards the station calling into a department store for a loo stop.  There I saw a suitcase as mine was damaged coming over but it was really too wet to try to get it back.  I did want to go and see a new monument to 9/11, I saw it from the tram going up, but that will have to wait until another time.  The tram was packed, but I am learning the Italian way with your elbows and getting on.  I was soaked when I got to the station but luckily a train to Venice was 10 minutes late & I just got on.  That too was packed & I stood most of the way home.  I took off my hat, scarf and coat & water kept pouting from my hair.  It was horrible putting my coat back on, the scarf went into my bag.  When I finally got home I was frozen & it took ages to get warm.

That evening I was meeting friends for a Negroni.  I got changed and was on my way out of the door when Caroline rang to say we should cancel.  It was raining, windy, thundering and lightening.  Definitely an evening to baton down the hatches and stay home.

We are going to have Negroni night this evening.  Never having had one I'll report back.

Mytholmroyd in Venice

Today I was meeting four friends (including my next door neighbours) who were in Venice for the day after skiing in the Dolomites.

Unfortunately Margaret and Richard couldn't come as Margaret has been injured.

I send you felicitations for a speedy recovery.

Janet and Keith did make it and after having prosecco and minestrone soup at my apartment I took them to the bell tower at San Giorgio to see the view.  Here they are in the campo outside with San Marco as a backdrop.

My next door neighbour the other way sent me this photograph of crocuses in my garden.  I do miss seeing all the spring bulbs here.  I was quite excited the other day when I saw some daffodils!

Thanks Bev for the photo.