Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Postcard from Venezia. The blink of an eye moments

@brittarnhild

 

Dear reader

I have no account of all times I've heard "Venice, what is it about Venice other than millions of tourists, fake masks and glass from China? Why do you continue to go back there?"

My Venice, or my Venezia (why give the city another name as long as Venezia is the real one) is not at all like that. Well, some times I can't avoid the tourist streets, or the vaporetta during the rush hour. But as soon as possible I leave the boat, I take a "wrong" turn and I find myself in the middle of the real Venezia, the Venezia for Venetians. As soon as you do that, you will know what I am talking about when I tell you that Venezia, La Serenissima, has its very special place in my heart.

 

The last few days I've been counting golden moments

- lunch for two on a small table along a canal. He with a sketchbook and colours, making a painting of her while she read aloud for both of them from an old book in her lap. The food getting cold, but who cared

- the pure joy of two dog's first meeting of the day

- two empty spritz glasses

- the whistling of the glass workers across our canal

- four small girls playing in a campo while their parents chat

- me: Terje, why is our life so good? Terje: because it consists of you and me

 

Postcard from Venice. Pellestrina and a moment of fame

@brittarnhild

 

Dear reader

I am not quite sure, but I think this must be my 10th visit to Venice. Through these visits I've seen quite a lot of La Serenissima, and through these visits I have learned and still is learning every time I come that there is so much more to see. This time Terje and I wanted to come here for kind of "just being", without a long to do list, but when we had lunch with Paolo, the owner of our apartment, in Bologna last week, we asked him if he had a suggestion for us, for something new to see, somewhere new to go. "Have you ever been to Pallestrina?" Paolo asked. We hadn't then. Now we have. And now we both know that we will go back, it was too lovely out there not to.

When lunchtime came we sat down at a restaurant we had passed earlier in the morning, Da Celeste. We had to wait a little for the kitchen to open, "You see, we are so busy today because of television" the waiter told us.

As we sat waiting quite a few people came out from the kitchen, a table was set next to ours and all of a sudden we found ourselves in the middle of a BBC2 program about food and travels. Today was their first day of filming, after Venice they will continue up the coast, around to Croation and further on to the East.

I would love to show you some of the photos I took of the filming, but we still have the same slow internet connection. I have posted the photo via an email done on my cellphone, it refuses me to send more than one photo, I am adding words though Terje's computer, but the connection will not let me add photos :-(

 

Well, as we sat there, we were filmed several times, but I am sure we will not be shown in the program, which will be sent next year, some time. My "moment of fame" is about something else. From last night. Terje and I were having dinner at a small restaurant close to where we stay. As we sat there waiting for our food, another couple, a bit older than us, came in and sat down at the table next to us. I saw the women looking at me, looking again, and then yet again, then bending over to her husband, whispering something......all I could hear was the word "blog" :-) They never said anything to me, I never said anything to them, but I sat there beaming. I had my moment of fame!

 

 Love, BrittArnhild and Terje

 

Postcard from Venice. The Glass Blower

Dear reader.

I have not called Mauro a glass blower before, but a glass artist or a lampworker. But this looks very much like a glass blower, doesn't it?
Since we last visited, three years ago, Mauro has developed his style quite a lot. And he has some amazing plans ahead. BrittArnhild's House in the Woods plans to follow, and take all of you along.

Keep on commenting. The winner of the travel letter will be drawn when I am back home.

Love, BrittArnhild and Terje
 

Postcard from Venice and time for a Blue Garden Letter

@brittarnhild

Dear reader.

Most of this day has consisted of a lunch on Murano. One of Mauro's goal in life is to teach me everything about spaghetti vongole. Today this meant cooking while Terje and I watched every step. When I am back home I plan to write a proper post with a series of photos, meanwhile you can comment on this post and may be be the winner of todays Blue Garden Letter, aka Spaghetti Vongole at Casa Mauro Letter.

Love, BrittArnhild and Terje 

Postcard from Venice, Cannaregio

Far from the tourist crowds we have 'our' charming little apartment, in the Cannaregio area in Venice. Across the canal is a glass factory, and I am already looking forward to Monday morning when the workers will wake us up with their singing.
We left Terracina early this morning. Changed train in Rome. Stopped in Bologna for lunch and almost missed the train to Venice as the track information confused us. But now we are here. We have been to the local Billa for grocery shopping, we have had our first Spritz and we've had dinner where we always go when we are here, Trattoria Antica Moro.

Love, BrittArnhild and Terje

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Looks like you have to turn your computer to see the photo properly. OUr flat has wi-fi but it is so slow it is making me crazy. Then I tried to post this using my cell phone, and look what happens.....
Well, well, a postcard can come in all shapes :-)

 

Postcard from Ninfa

@brittarnhild

Dear blog reader

Ninfa, the water elves, used to be an ancient city. Today you find the most amazing botanical garden there, open only one Sunday every month + today with is a red calendar day in Italy, for some reason unknown to me. Luckily we are morning birds and arrived at the gate of the garden just as it opened, and spent a lovely morning there.

Love, BrittArnhild

 

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I have given up blogging during our Italian days.
A postcard will be posted though, and tales gathered....to be shared later.

 

Street of Presepe

@brittarnhild

Naples, starting the day with morning coffee and strawberry pastry.....the day can't go wrong.

 

What happened is that the day become better.....much better. Via San Gregorio Armeno the nativity street, and I was in heaven.

Can you imagine, a whole street filled with small shops and artisans making nativities. I have been dreaming about this street for a long time. Today a dream came true.

Of course I bought myself a presepe.
I will show it to you in December :-)

 

 

To make the most of what you have

@brittarnhild

For the first time in many, many years I have traveled without my Nikon camera and also without my MacBookPro. I do`not need to blog, I told myself, your sholders are painful, you shall travel light.

Of course I need not blog. But then, we have had lunch and it is resting time. The wish to blog hit me like a lightening.

"No problem" Terje said, you can use my computer. I know you have pictures enough, I have seen you with your pocket camera and your cell phone all day"

So there I found myself, with Terje's computer, with no photo programs to help me, and then with an internet connection too slow to upload one single photo.

A sign not to blog?
Oh no, of course not...........

"What about my computer? It is connected to the wifi by cable"

 Still no photo programs, but from my friend's computer I am able to upload the raw photos directly from the memory cards. And I am doing the most of it, just like this street art painting which we passed today. Use what you get and make the most of it.

Who knows, may be art is created.........

 

 

To travel with a pen

@brittarnhild

I always travel with a notebook and a pen.
Over the years my travel diaries have changed, the pages shown in this posts are from books from 2005 and 2006. For many years I used to write on the ribght hand saide of a notebook, then I had the left side for photos and all this stuff you collect as you go.

I opened my first blog in January 2005, and since then, blogging has been an important and pleasant part of travelling.

 

In Nepal a year ago I made page after page of notes, before Christmas I made it into a little travel book which I copied and gave as a Christmas gift to family and friends.

On some travels I´ve written travel letters and mailed them to friends.

But always I´ve kept travel notebooks where I write a little every night.

This time I am considering trying something else.

I have brought with me a special handmade notebook, very beautiful. In it I plan to write down anecdotes and small tales from our Italian days.

Some might be shared in the blopg.
Some might not.

 

A garden day

@brittarnhild

Easter and spring arrived together with some glorious weather. Easter Monday is a day off in Norway, and we have spent all of it out in The Blue Garden.

I have most of my blogs in typepad, and the last few days their website has been down due to issues I have no idea about. Because of that you have been unable to see my blogs, I have been unable to post........and some hoew it even stopped me from writing my Blue Garden Sunday Letter.

 We are packing now. Our plane leaves at 6am, we have to be out of bed at 3!
But before going to bed tonight I will write the letter.

Comments both on this post and on yesterday´s will be added to the drawing, and the letter will not be mailed until we are back from Italy, early in May.

I will not bring my Mac to Italy, but Terje will bring his computer, so I will probably not be able to keep myself completely away from blogging.......

And who knows, may be there will be a travel letter or two as well.
I do though plan to bring a moleskin where I will write an Italian tale a day, and I am curious to see where it will lead me.