Buongiorno Venezia

sorry for the inconvenience.. here we are again

a burglar, released after being arrested in venice, asked the police to have his “professional tools” back. unbelievable but true. as the policemen refused, the thief protested that “there is no democracy in italy”.

want easy money? suggestion: if you are in italy, play the italian superlotto (superenalotto) this saturday, instead. guess 6 numbers. the jackpot is over 70,000,000 euro

this week’s issue of Buongiorno Venezia talks of:

• Calatrava: Blame someone else
• The ministries agree… to go to the movies
• The anti-graffiti film
• Morricone among the stars
• Biennale: Golden Lion roars for an African

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New thread by Logan Smith:

This Oct while in Venice, I want to plan a long
day-trip via train and/or bus to “A Farewell to Arms”
country to the northeast, as apparently there is
no guided tour available. I don’t want to rent a car.

There are frequent trains from Venice to both Gorizia
and Udine–but not, unfortunately, to the mountains
of Kobarid, Slovenia (formerly Caporetto, IT). There
may be bus service between Kobarid and both Gorizia
and Udine, but I’m at a loss as to how difficult it
would be to plan a smooth one-day trip from Venice, or
if it’s even do-able without a car. I’m game to try,
but any help will be appreciated.

Does anyone know if it is possible to travel from Venezia to
Kobarid, Slovenia, stay a couple of hours, and return by bus and/or train?

25 is the lucky number for Rough Guides, at its 25th anniversary. 25 new guidebooks, and a hit parade of world wonders: not 7 anymore, but - guess? - 25. Venice (which is already a UNESCO heritage site, btw)  is among them. needless to say, the  current exhibit at Palazzo Grassi had not opened yet, otherwise i hope the Rough Guides would have remarked the exception.

The Sistine Chapel, and the whole city of Venice are listed for Italy (which might have deserved something more).

Natural wonders: Victoria waterfalls (Africa), Grand Canyon (Arizona, US),  Perito Moreno glacier (Patagonia, Argentina), Ayers Rock (Australia), Salar de Uyuni lake (Bolivia).

Wonderful experiences: riding the Rio de Amazzonas, crossing the Sahara desert, trekking on Himalaya, snorkelling in the Belize coral reef. 

Art and architectural wonders (and temptations): Las Vegas, Sagrada Familia by Gaudì (Barcelona, Spain), Taj Mahal (Jaipur, India), Angkor Wat temples (Cambodia), Itaipù dam (Paraguay-Brazil)

this week’s issue of Buongiorno Venezia talks of:

•  St Mark’s takes precautions
• Venice in the “Rough”
• Palazzo Grassi’s new exhibit
• We will rock you
• Newsman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
• Venice a-tones for high tides
• La Fenice strikes again

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an update about the exhibit Sequence 1 at Palazzo Grassi,  Contemporary sculptures and paintings from the private collection of François Pinault, Palazzo Grassi’s owner. A very “home made” exhibit (yet “precious”) which should teach us about the trend of contemporary art. meaning, what is worth buying. So you’ll realize what kind of art the very rich like to bring home.

may i tell you? it’s the worst Palazzo Grassi’s exhibit ever. the art critics reviews have been quite positive - you have to  ”open your mind” - but people are not stupid. word-of-mouth counts. 3 days after the opening the palazzo was DESERT, and i exchanged staring glances and silent laughs with the other 5-6 visitors in all. so stay away from Sequence 1, unless you wish to know who are Mr Pinault’s friends of friends. No emotions, no ideas, no technique, nothing. the big metal skull - which i repeat is the only somehow interesting work - cannot be seen at ease because it has been placed outside, along the grand canal, so that it attracts visitors.

beware: this is the first of a series of 5 exhibit from FP’s collection.  he’d better lock his pieces

The Very Hungry God by Gupta, a huge skull in stainless steel kitchenware. It has been placed outside the palazzo along the Canal Grande, quite impressive. 

Palazzo Grassi’s site is complicated and slow: if you wish see the basic info at veniceword.com then browse palazzograssi.it

Responding to an inquiry - this can be useful to others:

you cannot call Trenitalia (our national railway company) from abroad ; there is no toll free number (even for italians);  the 892021 number without area code means without city codes, and is not  toll free, can be call only from italy  and… definitely you can’t buy a ticket from abroad neither on their website trenitalia.it , nor on the phone. i just called them on your behalf and they replied you should go to a travel agency or buy the tickets in italy at the station. so it goes…. sorry

Con te partirò

Andrea Bocelli

Quando sono solo
sogno all’orizzonte
e mancan le parole
sì lo so che non c’è luce
in una stanza quando manca il sole
se non ci sei tu con me, con me

su le finestre
mostra a tutti il mio cuore
che hai acceso
chiudi dentro me
la luce che
hai incontrato per strada

con te partirò
paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te
adesso sì li vivrò
con te partirò
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono più
con te io li vivrò

quando sei lontana
sogno all’orizzonte
e mancan le parole
e io sì lo so che sei con me, con me
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me
mio sole tu sei qui con me, con me, con me, con me

con te partirò
paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te
adesso sì li vivrò
con te partirò
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono più
con te io li rivivrò

con te partirò
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono più
con te io li rivivrò
con te partirò. . .

this week’s issue of Buongiorno Venezia talks of:

• Bugs in the system: infestation cases rise 500% - resulting from bad hygiene in Venice’s and Mestre’s bars and restaurants
• Bridge over troubled (muddy) water: Calatrava 
• Fruits and veggies return, doubts linger in Treviso
• The bell tolls for S. Stefano’s belfry?
• The Hilton’s stats
• Summer rocks: from Elton John to Pearl Jam
• Eleven million dollars for Bellotto

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