A walk on the out side

If you take the vaporetto lines 4.1 or 5.1 from the Giardini/Biennale stop, heading towards Murano, one of the options you may never have thought of is to get off at the Bacini stop, and walk to the Celestia stop. I really do wonder sometimes why I hang around with you, when you don’t think of things like this. But, I shall persevere, you do have many good points that endear you to me. (Well, I can think of at least one …)

So here’s what happens if you step outside your little comfort zone and get off at the Bacini stop.

Turn to the right and walk along a path that looks like it will lead you to a dead-end. What, you don’t trust me? Just when you think you’ll have to turn back and wait for a vaporetto in that lonely,  windswept northern lagoon area, you find a doorway in the wall to your right.

Once you overcome your timidity and go through the door in the wall you’ll see a nice walkway ahead of you. Those are domestic residences you see to your left.

And, away you go, along the outer wall of the Arsenale.

You get a whole new perspective on this portion of the northern lagoon, with a glimpse of Murano in the distance.

It is difficult to grasp the scope of the structure that was (and still is) the Arsenale. It certainly holds a special place in my imagination.

This (huge) part of the Arsenale seems to be used for storage of some type. You really do have to come here, do this walk and see how darn big this place is.

When you get to the end of this walk, you can opt to wait for the next vaporetto at the Celestia stop and see where that might take you. Or, you can turn to the left, walk through this arch, and find another adventure, just around that corner.

The Arsenale, Castello

I had hoped to be able to see more of the Arsenale this year, with  vessels competing in the America’s Cup World Series to be moored there, and the public allowed into certain areas.

Alas, there are rumours that the plans for the inclusion of Venice have  been scuttled (or perhaps scuppered). If that is so, I’ll just have to find another way to burrow my way into this tempting portion of the history, I guess.

Here is some of what I did see when I walked through the parts of the complex that were accessible to we mere mortals, during the Biennale of 2011.

A sky so blue, it can hurt your eyes

And the walls came tumbling down

I’m not sure whether this was part of the Biennale. I think not, it was tucked away, out of sight.

The long road to … what?

Where was I?

Who can work out where these photos were taken?  It was an interesting day, again.

I do like Castello!

Some of the houses had remnants of wood in their structure. Their photos seemed to lend themselves to a touch of sepia.

And then, I had a glimpse of part of the Arsenale works.

Castello, part 2

Today, they were starting the process of stringing the cables from the Campanile to the far end of the Piazza, for the Flight of the Angel, to take place on Sunday.  The Gran Teatro di San Marco, with its stage, sound equipment, lighting and seating for the lucky ones, is well under way.

Meanwhile, this was the third day in a row that I spent in Castello. I wandered mainly in a  small area, bounded by Rio di San Daniele, Rio delle Vergini, the Canale di San Pietro and Rio di Sant’ Anna.

I found so much to enchant me, I’m having a difficult time deciding what to show you.

Here are some paired offerings. The first photo shows a bricked in former window. On the other side of the door was the twin to it, but not bricked in.

Then, there were two lion heads on either side of a door. One has had the task of clenching a wall support in its jaws, the other has suffered the slings and arrows of age, erosion and decay. 

Not really twins, but two views of an attractive door handle.

Here are two of the lions who stand (or sit) guard outside the entry to the Arsenale. The first one has suffered the indignity of having a prosthetic head added at some time. The other suffers from SBS (Square Bottom Syndrome). It was once butted up against the wall of a balcony.

An old friend bobbed up, Federico, the bridge builder!

This graffiti, on paper, is slowly degrading. Goodbye, Sig. Starfighter.

Castello has its own pissotte, here is one of them.

 

Arsenale

Another card was waiting for me when I walked up the stairs to my apartment. This one is tricky, the sender is from the UK (thanks Jan), but the subject surely is not!

These are a few shots from inside the Arsenale, part of which was open for the Biennale. It looks forlorn and neglected in many parts. I have been advised to go to the Naval museum to look at old plans which show the various areas and their functions.

In ruins

 

Sono un po stanca (I am a bit tired), so I will get back to the foundry tomorrow, I hope.