Buongiorno Venezia

this week’s issue of Buongiorno Venezia talks of:

• Elton John’s a no-show
• Venice re-discovers a treasure
• Zhang Yimou’s 75th anniversary spot
• Molly comes, sits, stays
• Rubelli adorns a king’s palace
   

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this week’s issue of Buongiorno Venezia talks of:

• this week’s issue of Buongiorno Venezia talks of:
  • Invasion of the propeller snatchers
  • Lido Beach gets no blue flag
  • Half a dozen coaches disappear
  • Elton John concert in question
  • Gondoliera Alexandra makes the front page of the N.Y. Times!

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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