I got so absorbed in the Christmas spirit here in my apartment that time literally stopped yesterday. Pardon my sidetracked mind! I’m back though…
with lots of sweets for you today. A journaling video, a Venice video, another post about a luminous glass exhibit I went to yesterday, and a postcard.
It’s the perfect day for spending tucked into my cozy apartment listening to bells because many places are closed for Natale. Tomorrow the equally important San Stefano is widely celebrated. So here in Italy there are 2 days of Christmas! I of course will leave at some point for a walk because walking in Venice is such a rewarding pleasure.
Christmas Eve dinner!
Yesterday was. DELICIOUS. in more ways than one.
It started with the water. But then it always begins with water here in Venice, doesn’t it?
Okay actually it began with me shattering the lens of my camera. Ouch! Fortunately, it was just the UV cover lens that twists over the expensive Nikon lens. It did its job actually, which is to protect my lens. Unfortunately, it cannot be removed without a special lens wrench. All of my efforts to remove the damaged cover including another trip to the camera store were for naught. I will have to wait till I get home. You can see the crack in the photo above, but mostly it is not visible in photographs. I probably look crazy taking pictures with a giant cracked lens. Kung Fun Panda strikes again!
Sun and clouds fought for control of the sky and clouds won, for the most part. But as luck would have it, when my feet left dry land the sun blossomed wide over the water and I rode along watching that warm light shimmer over every surface.
I caught the Vaporetto 1 line over to just past San Marco, then caught the #2 over to Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore. I left the house late as usual and only had 1 hour to figure out my route and get to the church, before it closed midday for a couple of hours. What can I say? When you go to bed at 2:30 in the morning you don’t get an early start. Anywhere. Without my sister to reign in my night owl habits my internal schedule marches to the beat of its own drummer. Next time you are traveling with your anally punctual husbands & partners who are driving you crazy, remind them that they should be VERY thankful they are not traveling with me!
I like to pretend to be master & commander of a pirate ship when I’m riding the vaporettos around the lagoon or at least Venice’s only female gondolier. Except that I only ferry old dames in fur coats around no tourists. Sorry!
All of this water plays tricks on your mind. And if your mind, like mine, is already teetering on the edge of reality, it doesn’t take much more than a gentle nudge in the right direction to set you up for an entire day of mental sightseeing.
But back to earth.
For the moment…
One reason I was so keen to visit the Benedictine San Giorgio Maggiore on it’s own little island across from San Marcos, is for the massive Tintorettos which are hung in the presbytery in the very front of the church. There are a total of 13 large-scale paintings here. My favorite being, not a Tintoretto but a Ricci – Madonna in Trono con Bambino e Santi. I think it’s for the wide swath of bright blue robe on the madonna that seems to glow in the dark interior of the church.
I have said it before and I’ll say it again, if you want to visit a church of this renown and be THE ONLY ONE inside. Get your tuchus here in December! I sat there in the presbytery underneath a Tintoretto while I gazed across the immense altar towards another one. The massive bench/closet I sat on had wooden statues carved into the top. This piece of furniture probably has a name, but I have no idea what it would be…
It was so still and quiet.
so so quiet.
I closed my eyes and took a photo with the lens of that special camera that lives behind my eyelids.
I’ll develop it later when I’m back home in LA. Far from the splendour of Venice and this rennaisance church.
I took the time to light a candle for a certain dearly departed cat.
Then I caught the lift up to the belfry for a magnificent view over all of Venice. I was prepared for amazement, but I sailed right past amazement all the way to dumbfounded.
I lay my chin on the cold marble ledge and sighed a deep satisfied sigh. Breathed in the cool damp air.
I caught the #2 vaporetto and headed for another church…
p.s. not trying to be coy, but i can’t possibly fit the rest of my story here!
Your belfry photos are amazing. I am so happy you are sharing your trip with us.
merry christmas MAM! thank goodness it was only your lens cover…what would we DO without a camera?? sometimes the camera in the head needs to be supplemented.
enjoy your day.
Beautiful pictures today, such soft colors. You are well into Christmas Day right now — I always have to try to remember that time difference — but I wish you a very happy day, with more beautiful sights to see. We’ll all be watching for more.
Merry Christmas Mary Ann. Isn’t Venice enchanting?
And by the way; “riding” the vaporetto nr. 1 all the way, is the best tourist ride in Venice
Merry Christmas Mary Ann.
Merry Christmas, Mary Ann…I’ve still got a tear in my eye for you lighting a candle for Buck…I light a candle for our dearly departed Sophie, too. Venice through your eyes is an excellent adventure…especially since when I look outside, all I see is the brubs & snow. Thanks for taking us along on your trip.
The photo of your pasta dinner is pure perfection. Being Italian myself I know that the Christmas Eve dinner is simple. My grandfather used to prepare ricotta, Parmesan and butter sandwiches for us on thick, crusty, hot Italian bread. A rainbow of olives and antipasti would be spread across the table too.
Today, Christmas, there would have been a sumptuous ravioli dinner. My grandparents made their own red sauce and salsiccia not to mention cannoli.
I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas, Mary Ann. Eat something (or a few somethings) delicious and decadent today!
Merry Christmas, MaryAnn, and to all the others on our ‘journey’.
Simply breathtaking! Grazie.
Glorious , with no crowds , seems just for you(and for us)!
Merry Christmas Mary Ann. So thankful to be enjoying your journey with you. Hope you have another incredible day. Love all the photos!
Merry Christmas Mary Ann! You are brave! I am so,glad you are having such a marvelous trip. I am thoroughly enjoying all of it… Pictures. Writings. Imaginings. BTW, did you ever post which shoes you chose?
Joyeux Noel!! Your posts are such a delight!
Enjoy your adventures, you are so lucky to be living it!
Merry Christmas Mary Ann, instead of waking up in the gloomy Northwest I am floating around Venice with you. Thank you for allowing us to join you!
Mary Ann, wishing you the very happiest of Christmas. We are all there with you in spirit. Thank you for adding this beauty to our holiday.
Merry Christmas, Mary Ann. Nothing stops our intrepid girl reporter – not the lack of a tripod, not a cracked lens filter. (We’ll just call it your special effects lens.) Continue the fun. Can’t wait for the next installment.
Merry Christmas Mary Ann! I am so sorry about your lens filter breaking BUT I am happy to see that it does not stop you one bit. Love your attitude! The view of Venice from atop the church is so unbelievably amazing. WOW!
Awesome, quiet, Christmas morning. Love the photos,sans tourists. The candle you lit for Buck. All of it is enchanting. Merry Christmas to you!
Merry Xmas Mary Ann. Your travel bliss is infectious – thank you so much for letting us join you on your adventure!
Merry Christmas Mary Ann! Everything you do is awesome on pins and needles till the next update…Bravissimo
Dumbfounded with you. I always wonder about Venice: how did they start? It’s just the most unlikely looking place to say, o! let’s build lots of splendid grandness here! Astonishing, eh.
Happy Christmas Dear One. And to every one of us vicarious Venetian voyagers.
Tripod Man in the vid is too funny.
Peace and Hearty Warm Joys Aplenty ~ and some of mine coming from bookplay overhere. Thank you, Inspiratrice!
xxxj
Stunning the beautiful art which men hath wrought. There are no words for such a view over the city! And I love Renaissance art of such magnitude it fills your vision. What a singular experience, to be alone with it!
Your photos are breathtaking Mary Ann. I’m sitting here quietly absorbing them. My family is still mostly asleep, and me the night owl too, was up way beyond reason. Christmas and the house is quiet, last night was for gifts and chatter and family visits, today a little later we head out to the inlaws but for now I am filling my heart with quietly lapping water, grand churches and the sweetness of Venice so I can carry it with me wherever I go and then tonight will curl up with your next post. For now Merry Christmas across the waters.
I was sad about your lens but so thankful that it won’t cause too much havoc.
I have read that our affinity for water has a base in the fact that our bodies are (some high %) water. I don’t know if that is true but looking at your pictures of the wonderful old buildings across the water just gives nourishment to my soul. That magical,mystical water. Will I be able to leave there once I go? How nice that I can now go there every day or even many times every day, thanks to the intrepid girl reporter.
Happy Christmas to you. XOXOXO.
Thank you Mary Ann for the wonderful adventure on Christmas Day! You are a wonderful photographer and an enchanting story teller. I can close my eyes and envision myself there with you. Merry Christmas!!
Mary Ann . Merry Christmas. I am so Impressed with your video’s, journal and storytelling. You really make me feel like I am with you, Your pictures and video’s are better then the travel books. Happy we’re having such a great experience, can we stay longer.
Merry Christmas, Mary Ann! Your photos are wonderful. Do have a marvelous Christmas – you can’t be lonely when we’re all thinking of you!
Buon Natale, Mary Ann! (And Buon San Stefano Day too!) I don’t know if I’ve ever thanked you quite enough for these images, your words … you are alone in Venice with all of us looking over your shoulder! This is such a privilege. Bless you. I’ve been sketching a little bit from your photos, but I’m not even going to try with the belfry photos, the color and sights are too amazing to transcribe. Just letting it soak in (and this might be the one time I use an actual photo of yours in my book, but those might be famous last words). Cracked lens or not, these are amazing amazing photos. Transcendent.
My heart is full… grazie mille
xoxoxo
Your photos are stunning Mary Ann. They capture not only the beauty of Venice but that cold crisp and sunny feel of the city in winter. All your vaporetti rides made me think of Robert Girardi’s fabulous mystery Vaporetto 13. Have you read it? Spooky so maybe not the best book to read when you are by yourself in Venice. Donna Leon’s Commisario’s Brunetti series would be more solo light reading. Vaporetto 13 is a great read though-full of venetian history and atmosphere but it has a haunting end to it.
Merry Christmas from Southern California! Gorgeous photos – this is a total blast visiting Venice with you!! It’s my fist time – I’d like to hop on that ride with the italian hunk and sail off into the blue 🙂
xoox
JenEve
Reminds me that we were in that very belfry last year in January – and the bells began to ring! I happened to be taking a photo of my husband and my daughter’s fiance at the time and the looks on their faces! Yes, you can also go to Venice in January and even into early February and have the place to yourself. We have been 3 times in the last 5 years and have been the only people siting in the basilica of San Marco, whereas in summer I believe they time you and move you on after a few minutes.
Looks like you are having a wonderful time in venice, Mary Ann. Happy Holidays to you.
WOW. Just WOW!
And on top of all the amazing-ness of the video and other pics–the gondolier: He’s a dead ringer for one of my kids’ best friends, a dancer for Ballet AZ who unfortunately is named, but not pictured on their website so you can’t see the mirror image of your gondolier! Truly, the guys could be twins! And if I hadn’t seen Jay just two days ago, I would looked at this photo and sworn he was in Venice!
And another thing about that photo: It’s timeless and could be part of any era, especially in black and white. Except that if you look very closely, there are the tell-tale iPod ear buds. I LOVE that! Seriously, even if that pic didn’t look like someone we know, it’s a complete and total treasure! As of course are all the others, but they don’t have Jay’s doppelgänger in them so I didn’t single them out this time! I’m having way too much fun here!
For some reason I wasn’t able to submit a comment yesterday, so I am trying again today because I really wanted to tell you that the black and white image in yesterday’s post was absolutely breathtaking, really stunning! I am loving the class, loving your images and thoughts, but that photo yesterday just spoke to me (and to a couple of others too, I noted!). Beautiful. So sorry about your lens…
There is a thundering and vast silence in old churches in Europe, isn’t there? The glorious peace and weight of history. I just love it. The closest American equivalent I’ve heard was in Muir Woods, up near San Francisco, it was so quiet I’m not sure that I didn’t hear the trees breathe.