(via sarasmiles)

Venice Daydream

an excerpt from one of my favorite blogs on her travel to Italy

i find her description of Venice wonderfully true to life

...sigh....

happy friday

Time is told by church bells and espressos and activity in the square here.

There are no watches, at least not for one passing through.

There is only surrender to the rhythm, the old ancient calendar rites that are still celebrated in full fashion as the masques.

Guidebooks were left in the suitcase, zipped up in the small apartment that is home for two weeks.

But there are signs that say

 “This is your path. You’re heading the right way.”

Days are spend wandering around corner, along alley ways, over bridges.

There is museum and art and food.

There are unexpected friends too, the ones that always pour the extra glass of wine.

And of course, the gondola rides.

The price always elicits a gasp, but Venice is not truly Venice without them.

And such an experience is worth it: to be on the water, sailing past buildings, watching the stars blink in and out from behind.

And somehow every morning at dawn and every night at twilight, you find yourself standing next to a lonely lamp-post contemplating the beauty of this place and of your life.

{all photographs by the talented Quentin Bacon

{via}

Arrivederchi

Yesterday was our last full morning in Venice.

This was the best cappachino of my life!

We took a quick day trip to Padua to visit the University of Padua where Gallielo was on falculty for 18 years and where Capernicus theorized that the Earth wasn't the center of the universe.

WOW!

It's just like College Station but more ancient

We also visited and attended mass at the Basillica.
Here I am standing astride Padua, or Padova as the Italians would say, and Vatican territory.
Technically the basillica is part of the Vatican...who knew?

Check out all of the answered prayers and petitions by St. Anthony!

Bella Notte...

We said fairwell to Florence and rode into Venice this afternoon.

The 2 hour train ride went by quickly as we made new friends from Australia.

We checked into our hotel for the night and headed straight for the Rialto Bridge.

We went to a concert featuring Vivaldi's Four Seasons composed in 1723, J. Pachelbel, and I'Inverno...

The costumes were my favorite part!

I felt like an extra on a Pride and Prejudice movie or Julia Roberts at the Opera in Pretty Woman,

(without the whole hooker thing)

Rich Old Lady: "Did you enjoy the show dear?"

Julia: "It was so good I almost peed my pants"

Rich Old Lady: "W-w-what...."

Richard Gear: "She said, 'It was better than 'Pirates of Penzance'"

 And I couldn't help get a little misty eyed when they played La Primavera

Ater the concert we took our first gondola ride.

It was wonderful!
Our gondolier's name was Maximo...
He let me try on his hat...

(please note the beautiful shirt Mama and Uncle Linda painted for me before the trip)
and you better believe I sang into the Venetian night,

"Oh this is the night, it's a beautiful night

And we call it bella notte 

Look at the skies, they have stars in their eyes

On this lovely bella notte"