Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Eating green

@brittarnhild

I have been eating green today.
First a white pizza with asparagus for lunch, then for dinner, when we sat outdoors on the fondamente along one of Murano´s canals tonight, I had tagliolini gratinati con scampi e asparagus.

It is asparagus time in Italy just now. Many villages have their own asparagus festivals and on the local restaurant menus you are almost sure to find one or more dishes with asparagus. 

The Italians are following the seasons in their kitchen. Eat what you find in nature just, now seems to be their motto. I love that, and I try, the best I can, to make it the motto of my kitchen as well. We all want to save the planet, don't we, and very often the steps we can and have to take are simple. Go out, find out what is growing around you just now, check if it is edible. Eat it!

It could be simple. Unfortunately it is not. It is so easy to go to the supermarket and buy what is at hand, what is on sale, forgetting to check where it comes from and what costs Mother Earth has to pay.

Let us make it simple, shall we?

 

The garden lots on Murano

@brittarnhild

We arrived just in time for pizza for lunch, leaving Trondheim airport at 6am, flying first to Copenhagen, then continuing to Venezia ans Murano.

After the lunch and a little rest at the hotel, we went out walking. And walking, and walking.
We know this island in the Venetian lagoon quite well now after many visits, and as always our best feet forward took us beyond the tourist areas.

I already knew about the garden lots on the island, but never have I seen them so lush and beautiful as today.

Back in our own garden we put the peas (possum) into the soil yesterday, the potatoes a week ago and the cherry tree has just started to bloom . Here you could already dig up the potatoes, eat the peas and the blackbirds feasted on some remaining cherries.

Somewhere along our walks we met this lovely donna. She had been out in her garden and showed us the rosemary she had picked. If I knew Italian I would have asked her what was on her menu today.......

 

Making plans for a month in Italy

@brittarnhild

For many years I've had a dream to spend spring in Venice/Italy as soon as I retired.
I did retire three years ago, just when the pandemic hit us, so my dream was obviously out of the question.

Now, three years later, it is possible to travel, but a whole spring away from home is not possible for me just now. Instead I am doing a second best, going to Italy for a month (almost), starting and ending the month in Venice, or Venezia as I prefer to say.

We are leaving in three weeks, and Terje will go with me the first two weeks.

To make myself ready for the month I have been treasure hunting in my bookshelves today, in the area where I keep my Venezia-books. I wish I could reread them all, which is impossible of course, but slow reading bits and pieces will be a perfect way of getting me in the mood.

I have gone back though my blog posts and realise that there are several Italian trips I've never blogged about. I will really make sure to take you along this time.

Are you ready to follow along?

 

RE-COVERED BOOKS

@brittarnhild

During one of my many walks in Venezia I passed by Scuola Grande di San Teodoro, its door open and a huge poster as you can see in the above picture. Re-covered books.......what is that? Curiosity got me and I walked in.......and was sold, transferred directly into another universe, the universe of re-covered books :-)

Title: Entering the Path of Enlightenment

A posted near there entrance wrote:

Artist statement:
With technology, a new way of life has emerged at an astonishing speed. While many remarkably improvements are taking place, I feel we are plowing full speed ahead without considering what is at risk of being lost. I use books to symbolise the change occurring in the world today.
To many people, books are sacred and evoke warm, nostalgic feeling. They are a reminder of times past. The devoted and contemplative act of reading is losing its meaning in today's fast paced world, along with other human endeavours that require thoughts and care. Are we evolved enough to handle our own creations?
In most cases, my ideas are driven by the books´titles. They inspire me to comment on many social issues, using humor to engage the viewer. For me, the most challenging and rewarding part of the process is creating imagery that transforms the title into a new meaning - other than the one intended by the book´s author. Regarding technique, I prefer using vintage books because their linen covers mimic fine canvas and provide an ideal surface to paint. Creating art with repurposed materials attempts to realise the untapped potential in the world and offers up the idea of looking at things in a different way.
Mary Jean Canziani

Title: My Self and I

Title: Everyday Ethics

I walked slowly along the wall of the church. Stopping for a long time in front of every book.

Title: Where There is Vision

Smiling. Nodding my head. Looking closer.

Title: Here to stay
(my favourite)

Sometimes looking even more close. Is this really hand painted on a vintage book? Amazing.

Title: Meltdown

Title: The Outsider

Title: Our Sex Life

Title: Let's Believe
Oil on Assembled Book Covers. 2018

Based on Icarus Myth, this iteration explores the possibility of different outcome. Rather than plunging into the sea, there is hope that Icarus will be caught in time to survive. Will humanity learn from its mistake and adopt the changes necessary for its future survival?
The female figures were inspired by a Veronese painting, "Juno Showering Gifts on Venetia" (1554-56) located at the Palzzo Ducale. It is among the magnificent panels on the ceiling of the Sala del Consiglio dei Dieci.

 

I am deciding not to add too many of my own words to talk about these pieces of art. They stand much better on their own. Look closely, pretend you are in Venezia. Enjoy.

 

After the two rather sat artisan meetings I wrote about yesterday, this was truly a highlight of my wanderings. Thank you so much Mary Jean. For your art and for the lovely chat we had after I had seen the exhibition.

 

 
Title: The Origin

Here you find Mary Jane Canziani´s website

Go over and take a look. You will not regret it.
And I especially love the photo of her sitting in the Alta Acqua Libreria :-)

 

Hard times for artisans

@brittarnhild

I passed her little workshop while walking around. Looking in through the window I was drawn in by the bright colours and soon I found myself in deep conversation with the artist, a young woman named Ketty.

Ketty told me she was in the process of closing down her shop. "It has become too hard for artisans here" she said, continuing to talk about how the city has changed from a place where people appreciated and paid for art, to a place where cheap souvenir shops pops up everywhere and tourists not wanting to pay for the real stuff.

We had a long and interesting talk, while I admired Katty´s work,

ending up buying one of her pieces, though I had no intentions to do so when I walked into the shop :-)

 

 

The next artist I met was Davide at Pagine e Cuoio, where I for years have bought my journal. Every time I come to Venezia I go to his shop to buy a new journal, which I use the coming year. The first thing which met me was a sign on Davide´s door; "Sale. Shop is closing down!"

"Why? What is happening?" I asked.

"Venezia is getting too expensive" Davide replied, "and people don't want to pay for real handwork!"

I bought two journals, not just one as usual, feeling really sad for his closing down.

 

 

The third artist I met that same day was Mauro, my dear friend for so many years now. He invited me home, he cooked dinner for me, and while eating, together with his wife and daughters, we discussed the problems for artisans in Venezia.

 

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I am afraid that part of the problem is the tourists, like me and you. We love the city, we come here to enjoy but in many ways we look upon it as a Disney Land, like it is made for us, to enjoy. And we don't want to spend our money, the city is there anyway.

 

I am not sure this post is understandable, but I had to air my frustrations somehow, for the city I love so deeply.

 

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By the way, typepad is acting up tonight, refusing one picture after another, telling me they are not valid....... I have struggled with this post for ages, now I want to do something else!

 

Where the rainbow fell down and settled

@brittarnhild

Burano, the island with houses like colourful crayons.

The island where the rainbow once fell down and settled.

The island where even workers pay attention to what they wear :-)

and you know how to hang your drying.

Every house its own colour.

Curtains taking their colours from the walls. Walls taking their colours from the curtains.

 

Two peas in a pod.

In the midst of the rainbow everyday life goes on. Cloths are hung to dry, old women go grocery shopping, stop for a chat.

And me? I find myself showered in blessings. The rainbow had colours left to fill my heart.

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I made quite a few footages and put some of them into a youtube travel tale. As always the talking is in Norwegian, but this video is mostly filming with music, so it should be okay for everyone. Enjoy :-)

 

 

A fairytale morning

@brittarnhild

I have been here in sun, I have been here in rain, I have walked in aqua alta water, but never in the mist.

Stepping out from my hotel, right into a fairytale.

Venezia, Murano, both have they seduced me with their colours.

This morning I was spellbound by a completely different Murano.

Impressions from a day in Venezia

@brittarnhild

The last days in Italia for this time are spent in Venezia (yes, I know the English name of this city of my heart is Venice, but I like Venezia so much better. Venezia is what people say here, Venezia is what we say in Norwegian)

I went out with my camera this morning, knowing that the city would seduce me yet again.

Even though today felt like a beautiful day of Norwegian summer, it is no doubt that Mr. Autumn has arrived, with his warm, soft colours. 

With his arrival, the huge hoards of tourists have left and with them gone there are available seats to find on the vaporettis. Probably hardly any queues outside St. Mark´s Church either, but I do not know as I did not go there.

I seek out the road less travelled, never with a map, always lost but never lost.......if you see what I mean. I love it that way, and it never fail to gift me with adventures.

Venezia Impressions

@brittarnhild

 

 

The wrong boat took me out birding

@brittarnhild

It had been a long day, and I was longing to go back to my little island to have a rest in the hotel before going out for something to eat for dinner. I saw the vaporetti was ready to leave when I arrived and I ran towards it, asking "Murano?" "Si, signora". And I jumped on board.

The boat was different from the ones I usually take, and when we came to the island it didn´t stop at the usual place. But there are several stops on Murano, and when it stopped next I didn´t leave the boat. I can wait for the next, I told myself.

 The only problem was that the next stop was not Murano at all, but Vignole, another island in the Laguna. I have never been to Vignole, well, now I have, and I wouldn´t have minded going there if the time was right. Which is was not. Can you imagine, I felt quite flat! "Oh, my! What to do now?" I started to say something to the boatman. He just looked at me and smiled broadly. "Wait here. Another boat will come in five minutes. It will take you back to Murano."

All of a sudden I felt very adventurous.

I remembered we had driven trough wonderful birdland on our way out,

so I took my camera and walked out on deck to do some birding.

And had a most wonderful ride back.

 

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Here are my two latest YouTube videos.
Enjoy: