We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
One of Antonio Vivaldi's long-term gigs was to teach violin to orphan girls at the Ospedale della Pietà. That 18th C. building is now the Hotel Metropole. Quite a pleasant hotel, old-fashioned and Venetian-style, of course.
Lots of famous people have stayed there, including Freud. It's a ten-minute walk along the docks to Piazza San Marco.
Immediately next-door is the church where Vivaldi was the music boss - the Chiesa Santa Maria della Pieta. Convenient for Vivaldi. Their string + harpsichord group has baroque concerts every night, always sold out. Of course we went. Four Seasons and other things. Kinda wonderful. Vivaldi was known as a brilliant improviser too. Easy to believe.
That's his Chiesa, and Hotel Metropole immediately on the right:
A bunch of fun Venice and Veneto photos below the fold -
I had three Wood Thrushes munching my holly berries yesterday. Rarely see them at a 3-foot distance. They are small for birds with such amazing voices.
"Long-distance migrant. Twice a year, Wood Thrushes cross the Gulf of Mexico in a single night's flight. They spend the fall and winter in Central America. They return north in spring 2 to 6 times faster on a route that's generally somewhat farther west."
Saw an ad for one of those Orlando places in the gym this morning with that tag line. Of course, those Orlando places are about fantasy.
My pic is the Grand Canal from a crowded Rialto Bridge a week or so ago on a rainy day. Lots of real work boats, delivery boats, some police boats, the occasional ambulance boat, etc. (Venice has no cars, trucks, or bicycles.) Being the jerk that I am, I repeatedly refused Mrs. BD's desire for a gondola trip except for one quick traverse for 1 Euro to bypass the bridge.
Tourism is basically what Venice is about. Without it, it would be a dead zone.
(One cool thing about the water taxis: Hotels have little docks on canals. On our morning of departure, the concierge got us one to take us to the airport. Yes, right to the airport dock. Luggage off boat, step on escalator and you're in the airport.)
Scenic Venice? You betcha. Food in Venice? Fugettabout it. As someone close to me who knows Italy well commented, "Great food in Venice? No chance." I even tried the Venetian classic, Pork Liver (this was made with suckling pork liver - sheesh) with onions. Barely edible: It's far better in our favorite place in NYC. Mrs. BD tried a seafood lasagna, and was not charmed by it. I tried one pasta - crabmeat. Just not good. OK, the fancy places can do a nice filet of fish.
The Asian tourists (lots of them there) seem to go for spaghetti, but I don't recommend that.
Yeah, we tried very high end, regular tourist, and local dinners (7 or 8 pm, of course). Our fancy old and interesting hotel had lavish breakfast spreads with all cheeses, scrambled eggs and bacon, tons of pastries, cakes, and salumi. I'm just not a breakfast person unless you mean a double espresso from the workingman's joint at 5 AM, watching all the boats come and go and maybe sneaking a cigarette.
I prefer NYC pizza (and maybe New Haven pizza) to Italian, so ignored it. We tried quick daytime breaks for cicchetti and, for me, beer or a spritz (Aperol is the main spritz). Beer was good. Interestingly, I could get not Bud Light. Just kidding - places only have one local beer so you only ask for the size you need. Do not go for a Grande - it's like a pitcher.
Cicchetti are little snacks presented on fried polenta, toast, or bread. They could be like bruschetti, and pretty uninteresting, but with stewed octopus or creamed baccala are ok. Pickled sardines, some pancetta. A little fried baccala makes me happy enough.
In my view, the best Italian food is in Siena. Wonderful and surprising, even in the little trattorias. Doubt I'll be back there again, though.
I'll post some pics from Venice and the Veneto over the next week, where Mrs. BD and I have been for 10 days. I think of Venice as a Disney-type place because it feels unreal, almost designed for tourism. Crowds all day and most of the night. Most lovely at night, hiking through the darkish alleys until you come across a campo with cafes and some trees, and kids playing soccer in the dark until their Moms call them for supper at 8.
Venice itself has only a 50,000 population, but 4.5 million tourists/year. Here's Piazza San Marco last week. Interesting point: that bell tower, the Campanile, was build in 1912. Yes, 1912, as a replacement for previous towers. Venice has tons of towers, most of them leaning because it's all built on a swamp. Most of Venice is 16th and 17th C - it was indeed a Magic Kingdom (but a very wealthy Republic with its own Mediterranean empire) for over 500 years.
We’re Saved: 
Oops. California's 
Photo: Plague doctor outfit - on sale in Venice 
Wind companies losing billions, 
In the Veneto, outside Venice, we stopped by a few 
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