The Leave-Taking (Yesterday Evening)

With a flip of the middle finger and a swig from a bottle of white wine, she's off.... Now that's the way to say good-bye!

A Place In the Sun

Evelyn Waugh, among many others, wrote that Venice is best approached from the sea--but that was well before ever-more-gargantuan cruise ships started arriving in the lagoon in disturbing and damaging numbers. A water taxi from the airport--or, for that matter, an Alilaguna waterbus--is a pretty nice way of arriving, too.

Pale Flamingos, North Lagoon (Today)

Either this is a flock of young flamingos or they're not getting enough beta carotenoid in their diet.

Perspectival (3 Images)

Since Covid arrived in Venice this is the view from the small courtyard that has served in lieu of my primary care physician's usual (indoor) waiting room; I wouldn't change a thing about it (the view, that is).

 

A Sunday of Clouds and Blue Sky (Yesterday)

photo credit: Jen Varni

Water Music: Sunlight Off the Grand Canal

 

As everyone knows water is everywhere in Venice, even (as has been often noted) reflected on its ceilings and walls.

For those who have never seen this phenomenon, or for those who miss seeing it in person, the five minute video above shows light reflected off the Grand Canal playing upon an 18th century fresco of Venus and Aeneas attributed, at least by some, to Pietro Antonio Novelli and Davide Rossi. It makes me think, however, of the freschi in the Sala della Musica of the Ospedaletto by Jacopo Guarana and Agostino Mengozzi Colonna, but what do I know? I should do some research into this....

As there wasn't much in the way of sound to this clip aside from the annoying sound of the camera itself doing I don't know what, I've added a song by the remarkable 17th century Venetian composer Barbara Strozzi--yes, a woman composer, who "published eight volumes of her own music during her lifetime," giving her "more music in print than any other composer of the era."

 

The song is "Per Un Bacio Che Rubbai," performed by soprano Marta Almajano and musicians Luca Pianca and Vittorio Ghielmi from their album Per Un Bacio: Cantatas and Madrigals of 17th Century Italy (Harmonia Mundi Iberica, 2005). 

It's best listened to with headphones.

 

(Video recorded 16 April 2021, 7 am)

Clammers and Skyline, This Weekend