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.
Hello World 
Well I was in Castello, too, all the way to San Marco. Just working on a post for it – will take one or two more hours. But I unfortunately didn’t see anybody waving the huge flag “Yvonne is here”, or any other sign of presence …. Well, I was one of the plenty guys packed with cameras and lenses. Yes, indeed I’m feeling a lot better already. And next ten days are extraordinary state by any means anyway. No time for illness now.
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It sounds like you might be feeling a little better, Arved. If we hadn’t been walking in a particular direction, we would not have seen the Starfighter!
I found the whole Marie experience very moving. I’m glad I walked to Castello to see it more completely.
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Hi Yvonne, that’s funny, on my way to festa della marie I found this startfighter guy, too, and captured him (not uploaded). Funny because he isn’t so clearly seen from the calle outside. Hope you also had a nice day with the 12 maries?! Arved
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Sandro likes to stop and look at those lions but neither one of us ever realized that the reason that that one slender lion you picture (the lower pic) wears such an odd abashed expression is because of his square bottom. I suppose who can blame him…
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Poor old flat bottom lion. Aren’t they all just gorgeous critters?
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Hi Yvonne. You’d really appreciate being there for the (art) Biennale, when lots of otherwise disused palazzi, houses, churches & anything else possible are pressed into service as semi-official ‘pavilions’. Last year the Wales Pavilion was in the disused church on Fondamenta San Gioacchino in Castello and the Iraq Pavilion (very moving) was in a semi-derelict house opposite. And in 2009 those wacky Ukrainians had their very weird pavilion in an empty palazzo on the Grand Canal. Plus of course you get access to quite a lot of the Arsenale, especially now they’ve started using the far side too as the (again semi-official) ‘Arsenale Novissima’. See you summer 2013? 🙂
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Get thee hence Satan (aka Caroline). The notion of access to so many of the places that we can usually only gaze at longingly from the outside, is tempting. After seeing some of the photos from blogs such as fausto’s (Allogia Barbaria), and BluOscar, we appreciate what we are missing.
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Hi, FS. How’s life going in Milano?
Aside from the hoards of humanity, there has been an increase in the number of pigeons, attracted by those folks who think it’s really neat to feed them, and then take photos of pigeons sitting on various parts of their anatomy. One unwanted result is the increase in the amount of pigeon poop all over the stones of the Piazza. Can’t they read those “Don’t feed the flippin’ pigeon” signs????
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I notice you’re staying as far away as possible from Piazza San Marco–why ever could that be???
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Hmm, even more interested in renting the apartment I’ve found in Castello…it’s on Calle d. Arco and Rio di San Martino and the windows look out at the Rio…with gondolas going by according to the pictures and reviews. It will be delightful to follow in your foot steps.
I too wish you could stay forever!
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That should be an interesting area to stay in, Michelle.
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Interesting to see you were back in the vicinity of Sant’Anna. Were you checking out those flimsy doors perhaps?
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I adore the lions outside of the Arsenale entrance. But as usual dear Yvonne, you have brought a new detail to my attention. No matter how many times I have looked at that lion, I never noticed the square bottom!
It appears the weather is warming up nicely, I hope so.
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Susie, the doors turned out to be much more sturdy than we thought. There is a little gap between them, so you can peer into the gloom, and wish you could get in. Those lions are just plain quirky!
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Ps. Randy…I can’t wait to tat my hands on a map and find your “island”!
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Yvonne another wonderful day of intriguing enteries. I always loved the big dopey lions…more like Dr. Suess than king of the jungle.
It’s so much fun finding all the bricked up windows and doors…all the changes from one century yo another.
There is an artist in Castello…he makes interesting jewelry using replicas of ancient coins…he has a tiny studio. The last time I visited him he shored me a little crawl space where he had found a few very interesting artifacts…..located behind a bricked up wall. Oh, the treasures lurking behind those bricks.
Thanx so much for letting us join your adventures….I wish you could stay forever and keep us posted!!
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That was a definite privilege, Linda, being shown that crawl space. And, it’s clear that Venetians have always been good recyclers of building materials.
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A very intriguing area! The little island in the middle, around Campo Ruga, is quite a mystery, without any help that I can find to understand it!
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And, it’s a great Campo, with space and benches to rest on, Randy. It must be a gathering place in nicer weather.
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The lions always make me smile when I see them. They can never have looked quite right!
A lovely blog, you really capture the atmosphere of walking through Venice.
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As Linda said, more like Dr Seuss lions, not fierce at all. Get back to work, Phil!
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