Post by Kim on Dec 18, 2003 9:41:40 GMT -5
Me again.
Found the Christmas market yesterday, or rather what is called the Christmas market.
Having been in so many of them over the years, in Germany, Belgium, U.K., etc I simply must say this was rather comical. They do use the same little wooden 'huts' that one sees everywhere, but all resemblance ends there. Perhaps because it was Wednesday, but there was a feeling of it more or less just being a normal market in little huts. Loads of cheese, meats, produce, a few, very few selling factory made trinkets, couple with wine, but by the bottle. No festfood, no gluhwine, no music. Hummm...
I walked till I was about dead in my tracks yesterday. Never did get on a vaporetto but kept saying I was going to. From Castello to P. Roma and back. Maybe just because I am determinedly getting out of the main tourist areas and into more residential, but it is much cleaner than I recall. It's amazingly clean actually. I found the market and along with it a 'demonstration' going on there. Well, the signs said it was a demonstration, appeared to be against the war, but there were boom boxes going with music, and everyone (all 50 of them) seemed to be having a great party. And all around them were approx 30 police, in full riot gear, but they too were just lounging about in groups, chatting, smoking and joking. And all around them all the business of the market carried on as if nothing was going on at all.
Suffering from some jet lag at the moment, first time this has happened to me, but as a result was up this morning at 0200. And the silence was deafening! Had my window slightly open and for all the world I could have been in the middle of nowhere for all that I could not hear. About every hour a police boat cruises up the canal, but other than that there was not a sound. Odd, in such a big city for things to be so silent. There is a huge window in my room and laying in bed I can look right out it and the stars are shining.....magic.
I am heartened to hear/see many more Americans this trip. Being here as I was the first time just shortly after 9/11 there was a noticiable lack of Americans or frankly any English speaking folks. The Japanese are here again, of course, but many more visitors from other
countries than last time.
Stopped in the grocery a block from my B&B on my way home last night and got a loaf of fresh bread, some sliced ham, butter, bottle of wine....I had a wonderful feast! Ate in a snack bar for lunch, focacia (sp) rustica with mozzarella, salami, spinach....toasted, heavenly! And of course this morning have already downed 3 cappa's.
Today I hope to get out to the Jewish Ghetto area and explore there. Weather is still glorious and I was out at first light today and got pics of St. Marks with maybe 6 people in the entire plaza.
An interesting item gleaned from Marco....Venice is comprised of 6 'districts' and each does it's own house numbering. It is why it is so difficult to find things here if you are a visitor. They don't use street names in their daily lives so see no real need to put street signs up. What you need to know is what district your address is in. For example, my place is 3385 Castello. Each district begins with number 1, and then sequentially more or less numbers each building in their area, up to 6000. So there is likewise a 3385 in each of the other 5 areas. Must be hell on the postmen! Oh, and his
friend Marriana, recently moved here from London, says that Venice is like any small town anywhere....they all know each other, the true Venetians that is,
and everyone knows everyone's business as well.
Getting, I hope, some wonderful photos! Both color and black and white and will be very anxious to get them developed as soon as I get home. For now....I am off!
ging
Found the Christmas market yesterday, or rather what is called the Christmas market.
Having been in so many of them over the years, in Germany, Belgium, U.K., etc I simply must say this was rather comical. They do use the same little wooden 'huts' that one sees everywhere, but all resemblance ends there. Perhaps because it was Wednesday, but there was a feeling of it more or less just being a normal market in little huts. Loads of cheese, meats, produce, a few, very few selling factory made trinkets, couple with wine, but by the bottle. No festfood, no gluhwine, no music. Hummm...I walked till I was about dead in my tracks yesterday. Never did get on a vaporetto but kept saying I was going to. From Castello to P. Roma and back. Maybe just because I am determinedly getting out of the main tourist areas and into more residential, but it is much cleaner than I recall. It's amazingly clean actually. I found the market and along with it a 'demonstration' going on there. Well, the signs said it was a demonstration, appeared to be against the war, but there were boom boxes going with music, and everyone (all 50 of them) seemed to be having a great party. And all around them were approx 30 police, in full riot gear, but they too were just lounging about in groups, chatting, smoking and joking. And all around them all the business of the market carried on as if nothing was going on at all.
Suffering from some jet lag at the moment, first time this has happened to me, but as a result was up this morning at 0200. And the silence was deafening! Had my window slightly open and for all the world I could have been in the middle of nowhere for all that I could not hear. About every hour a police boat cruises up the canal, but other than that there was not a sound. Odd, in such a big city for things to be so silent. There is a huge window in my room and laying in bed I can look right out it and the stars are shining.....magic.
I am heartened to hear/see many more Americans this trip. Being here as I was the first time just shortly after 9/11 there was a noticiable lack of Americans or frankly any English speaking folks. The Japanese are here again, of course, but many more visitors from other
countries than last time.
Stopped in the grocery a block from my B&B on my way home last night and got a loaf of fresh bread, some sliced ham, butter, bottle of wine....I had a wonderful feast! Ate in a snack bar for lunch, focacia (sp) rustica with mozzarella, salami, spinach....toasted, heavenly! And of course this morning have already downed 3 cappa's.
Today I hope to get out to the Jewish Ghetto area and explore there. Weather is still glorious and I was out at first light today and got pics of St. Marks with maybe 6 people in the entire plaza.
An interesting item gleaned from Marco....Venice is comprised of 6 'districts' and each does it's own house numbering. It is why it is so difficult to find things here if you are a visitor. They don't use street names in their daily lives so see no real need to put street signs up. What you need to know is what district your address is in. For example, my place is 3385 Castello. Each district begins with number 1, and then sequentially more or less numbers each building in their area, up to 6000. So there is likewise a 3385 in each of the other 5 areas. Must be hell on the postmen! Oh, and his
friend Marriana, recently moved here from London, says that Venice is like any small town anywhere....they all know each other, the true Venetians that is,
and everyone knows everyone's business as well.
Getting, I hope, some wonderful photos! Both color and black and white and will be very anxious to get them developed as soon as I get home. For now....I am off!
ging