Dedicated to Susie (and introducing an invisible drummer)

Here you go, SQ!

Two years ago, during the Biennale, I saw this fellow. I had forgotten all about him until the Venice Beyond the Bridge photo of the Invisible Man jolted my memory.

The Invisible Man

Thank you to the owner of the blog Beyond the Bridge, for allowing me to share her latest post.

The photo was taken in Cannaregio; it is no doubt a Biennale presentation.

http://beyondthebridge.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/the-invisible-man/

The Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic is located here

Just in case you ever need to find it.

This building with the external spiral staircase often caught my eye as I made my way down the crowded thoroughfare that leads through Cannaregio toward San Marco. 

This particular time, I turned left and walked down the calle that leads to the front door of the building, and found out who has the privilege of tenancy.

Here is the list of tenants.

An interesting balcony

This is a stunning palazzo, with many architectural details to draw your attention

What drew my attention this time was the balcony. The details are quite different and maybe, quite modern.  (Maybe not!)

Cannaregio, Calle de la Madona 5435e

Now, what in the world was this gentleman doing with a hairdryer in this little calle?

Well, it turned out that he had worked for 30 years in a fornace on Murano. Now, he and his daughter run this delightful Aladdin’s Cave of beads and other enticing works made of glass. He was drying a large basin full of new beads that would soon be offered for sale.

He had also made the fused glass window  you see in this photo.

Come on in, and see what might tempt you. Their prices are very reasonable.

Does anyone know what these are?

Barb and I saw them on Giudecca, and we’d really like to know what they might be!

This will you give you an idea of their size

We wondered if they have anything to do with catching some type of sea critters.

And, thank you to Andrew for this photo, which he aptly titled “In the Spot Light”.

I can’t get away from them!

I seem to be stalked by flying ducks in some of the places I go, Melbourne and Venice for example.
http://ytaba36.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/oh-no-theyre-here-too/
I was amused ( and secretly pleased), to find that the Venetian flying ducks are still there, a couple of years later.

The flight patterns of the ducks and the dark coloured birds have altered somewhat.

And now, they’ve been joined by flying garlic and grapes ..

Should I succumb and buy some, on my next visit?

Another broken promise and an explanation

In February during my last visit to Venice, I saw this shrine site, on the wall of the Arsenale, Campo della  Tana. The shrine itself had been removed for restoration.

According to the sign, the restoration work was to have begun in December 2012, and was due to be completed by the end of March 2013. (The estimated cost was 7.904,11 euro. I’d like Peter, if he happens to read this, to give one of his considered breakdowns for this estimate.)

Well, I went back at the end of March, the end of April and also on 14 May, the day I left Venice. Needless to say, the site looked exactly as it did when I first saw it in February.

If anyone is going to Venice in the near future, I’d love an update on this situation. IF the restored shrine is back, a photo would be appreciated.

PS: I have had an answer from Daniela, Italian teacher extraordinaire, re the name “calderer”:

Calderer is a person who makes big pots to boil food (and in the past also the laundry). These pots are called “caldaie” in Italian so the name calderer comes from the name of the pots.

The final “-er” is the same as in English: writ-er (the person who write), etc. (I can’t remember other examples, but I’m sure you have a lot). In Venetian dialect (and in other Italian dialects) there are many words of people who make a job that end in -er. Maybe you know the word “bechèr”, the Venetian word for butcher, or “caleghèr” (shoemaker).

You know that in Venice a lot of calle have the name of the job that people made in that area.

Today, a guest photographer

Thank you to Louise from Melbourne, who sent me this photo, which she describes as ” quintessential Venice”. I quite agree with her.

Louise and her husband Peter recently spent 2 months in Venice, in an apartment just off Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio. If their names sound familiar, it may be because I had the good fortune to house and cat-sit for them in Melbourne, and wrote about one of their cats, the gentleman Fletcher. You can read about him here:  http://ytaba36.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/the-tale-of-a-cat/

Or, it may be that you have read one or more of Peter’s excellent reports on their experiences in Venice, on Fodor’s travel forum. Here are a couple of links, they’re well worth reading!
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/venice-another-trip-report-deja-vu-all-over-again.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/venice-a-sort-of-trip-report.cfm

Corte del Calderer

The mossy condition of the pavement in this corte gives an indication of  the rainfall that Venice experienced this past spring.

I did wait for the folks in the first photo to move on, but they were interested to see what in the world I was looking at!