The Beautiful Venezia

Last month we decided to go and visit Venice for the day with some friends.  It is about a 3.5 hour drive away from here to Mestre, then you can take a train or bus, (if the trains are on strike!) over to Venice.  You can actually drive all the way, but as it was a Sunday, the parking was free in Mestre and the parking in Venice is expensive.

From the station we took the Vaporetto, a water bus, down the grand canal. It was so beautiful.  The buildings are so grand, and even though they show the signs of aging, they are still so majestic. It was a bit of a rainy day, but we were spared the rain on our trip up the canal.  It was so fantastic to see the gondoliers as well as the fancy boat, water taxis.

There was so much to look at, it was hard to take it all in. We rode under the Rialto Bridge, which was truly wonderful and full of people.  I can't imagine how busy it must be here in the summer or even during Carnivale.

 We passed under the Accademia bridge, a large wooden bridge, originally meant to be temporary, but later reinforced with steel.  We were heading to the Punta della Dogana to go to the contemporary art gallery.

First stop however, feed the children, who had been great so far on this car ride and boat trip.  We were fortunate to find a little sandwich bar that we were able to duck into while the skies opened up.  Even local painting students took refuge, saving their paintings from the rain.  We had a quick sandwich and a glass of wine and headed off to the gallery.  I was feverishly snapping pictures of buildings, bridges and canals along the way, too beautiful to only commit to memory.

We enjoyed the Dogana, the space is absolutely fantastic, with high beamed ceilings and views out to the canals on either side.  It really is an amazing exhibition space. There were some great works of art and the children (ours plus 3 of our friends) enjoyed wandering around and taking some time to do some sketching.

We decided we would then walk to Piazza San Marco (St Mark's Square).  We wound down narrow streets, over small canals and past the Guggenheim.  I was like a journeying back into time. The railings and grates on windows and doors were ornate and beautiful.  I was completely take with the little canals.  Mieran was a bit upset there were sidewalks.  We made our way across the Accademia Bridge and onward to San Marco, stopping along the way for some cioccolato caldo and cappuccinos.





The piazza was full of people and luckily the sun was out, we enjoyed the views around us.  It was so wonderful to see this famous Piazza that I had seen so many time in pictures.  We walked toward the canal looking back towards the Punta Della Dogana.



From the Piazza we took another Vaporetto back down the canal towards Palazzo Grassi, to another fantastic contemporary art gallery.  Molly was excited to see Jeff Koons Balloon Dog, I thought it was pretty fantastic also.  I enjoyed both galleries, but I preferred the exhibit at Palazzo Grassi.

We wandered back through the streets and stopped for an aperitivo, and grabbed a snack for the children, before making our way back to the main station and then back to our cars.  It was a busy and wonderful day.  I took nearly 300 pictures!!  I just can't express how excited I was to be there in Venice, a city I had so longed to see.  It met all of my expectations and I vowed to return for a longer visit another time.

Giro d'Italia

The Giro d'Italia is a long distance bike race that tours around Italy, much like the Tour de France.  It is held over 3 weeks in May/June each year.  My sister and brother-in-law, both keen cyclists, let us know that the Giro would be coming right past our house.  We decided we would go and cheer on the Canadian riders including Victoria's own Ryder Hesjedal, who is the first Canadian to ever wear the maglia rosa (pink jersey).  Sadly he lost it by 17 seconds the day before we were going to cheer him on.  Finn is very keen on cycling and last year had his picture taken with Ryder after the Timbits Challenge in Victoria, so he was pretty excited to watch the Giro.

We drove to Rigutino, not far from our house.  We got there early, brought some sidewalk chalk and wrote 'Go Ryder Go' with a maple leaf in the middle of the road, being careful not to be run over by the vans selling souvenirs, we couldn't believe how many went past.  We of course bought some t-shirts and hats with 'I (heart) Giro' on them.  Funny it is in english, not Italian.

There were a lot of people around and it was fun to see all the cars and motorbikes go by, not to mention the anticipation of watching this great event.  We were quite close to a roundabout where quite a good size crowd had gathered, many to cheer on a local rider Daniele Bennati.  I am fairly certain we were the only Canadians in the area.

The first set of riders went by, a small group of about 4 or 5 riders, then shortly after, the peloton.  As it is a large group of riders moving about 35 km/hour we just yelled 'go Ryder go' to the whole group.  We did see Ryder towards the back of the peloton and though we waved our signs and were only a few feet from him, I am pretty sure he did not see us.  Sadly we had left our Canadian flag at home, which I think would have stood out a bit more.

We all had fun, it was a great experience and amazing to see the amount of support and just how quickly this pack moves through an area.  Within minutes the road was reopened and the traffic began to flow, almost like nothing had happened.  All that remained were some chalk markings along the road.  

Lions and tigers and bugs tee hee

So, when one moves to a new country one must learn about the new critters one may come in contact with.  The ones that we are likely unfamiliar with.  I have almost started to rate countries based on the list of deadly critters. New Zealand may just be the place for me, there is nothing deadly there.  Australia has a list of deadlies as long as my arm, but I still think fondly of my time there and have tried often to move back since we left 5 years ago.  Canada has bears and cougars, and thankfully I have come across neither.

I also find that each time we embark on a new country there are always a handful of people who are more than happy to share with you the deadlies to look out for.  I was warned by one kind person to be careful about the deadly cane toads.  Yes they are poisonous, but one would have to lick the toad and i actually did see a cane toad while living in Australia and it was not exactly the type of thing I would go around licking.  My first few days in Australia, I was nearly blind with fear of deadly critters, that they would kill me or my baby.  (I am pretty certain, travelling with 3 children under the age of 5 and a healthy dose of jet lag did not help).

So now here we are in Italy and while I am happy to receive helpful advice about the things I should be concerned about, I sometimes find that the information can be biased and widely interpreted.  I did know that there are vipers and while trying to find out if they are a real threat, I have been left somewhat confused.  I also knew about scorpions.  My experience in the past is that scorpions are deadly, but here, they apparently give a nasty sting, like a wasp and that you should be aware of possible reactions.  Luckily I was armed with this information when Finn ran in from a lizard hunting expedition to inform me he had been stung by a scorpion.  I was not however prepared for red ants or poisonous (stinging) caterpillars, though I was familiar with the latter from our time in Australia.  One night I felt something crawling on my forehead, and when I crushed the little ant, I was left with a little 'burn' from what ever they carry on board.  Finn has had the same experience.  Yikes I am itchy just thinking about it.  Finn also had a nasty reaction from the caterpillars.  And now our latest experience, ticks!!  Thankfully not on us, but on our dog.  And we even gave her a dose of anti-tick medication.  Luckily we have found them before they get a good hold on her, but they are creepy.  Ick!!! More itching.

The girls are getting pretty freaked out and each time they learn of some new threat, they decide the solution is to go home.  I remind them that ticks are in Canada too.  But okay, we don't have vipers and scorpions, but we do have cougars and bears.

I know I can't judge a country by it's critters, but learning to deal with all these new things has been an experience, and lets just say I hope the viper is as elusive to us as the the Canadian bears and cougars have been.

Butterflies and the Slow Emerge from Winter

Wow, it is already April and I believe I may have left some of you hanging with my last post.  Just like the butterfly  I have emerged from my winter cocoon and am flourishing in the spring sun.  Yay, to Italian spring.  It comes early, which can be alarming to the winter body (think trying to buy a swim suit in March, eek!), but it is warm and delightful.  And blossoms, wow, they are a plenty.  We live in the countryside very near to fruit orchards.  As we drive into the city we drive past rows and rows of beautiful blossoms, and the lilacs are out already, and there are other varieties of blossoms that I have never seen before.  The fields are coming alive and the landscape is slowly changing colour, it is truly magnificent.  The scenery here has inspired thousands of years of poets, painters and writers and it is clear why this is so.  It is inspiring.

So, why have I not written.  Well, I have been busy.  Mi scusi!

We have been busy enjoying the beautiful weather as well as working, homeschooling and taking advantage of what  is on offer here around us.

We traveled to Siena one day and wandered the lovely cobblestone streets, we then sat and had lunch in the Piazza del Campo.  Piazza del Campo is a wonderful scallop shaped piazza with a beautiful fountain.  In the warm sun it is a busy piazza and is great for sitting and watching people and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.  The is a tall bell tower, called Torre del Mangia and I climbed to the top with the four children.  The view from the top were really amazing.  Mark did not come with us, as we couldn't bring the dog, so he waited in the piazza and bought some chocolate in the chocolate market that was on that day.

The Gaia fountain in Piazza del Campo, Siena

Piazza del Campo from the Torre del Mangia

Torre del Mangia and the Palazzo Pubblico

The next week, I had the opportunity to travel to Florence with a university art history class.  I was excited to brush up on my art history as well as having a day to myself.  We looked at a number of churches relating to the work of Brunelleschi and then climbed to the top of the Duomo.  It is a 463 stair climb, that also winds around the inside of the dome and then leads to the outside where you can take in the view of Florence.  I had a fantastic day, learned a lot and reignited my passion for art and history.

Me at the top of the Duomo Firenze, with Santa Croce in the background.

The beautiful Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Firenze

The next day I was fortunate to return to Florence, this time with the whole family and to meet some Canadian friends.  Another great day in Florence, we had pizza and wine in the piazza outside Santo Spirito and then visited a couple of other churches.  I am on a bit of a church bender, there are so many here to view and they offer a treasure trove of beautiful artworks as well as amazing architecture.  And let me just tell you, two days in a row with Art Historians in Florence is a pretty special way to see the city.  We ended day two with a hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo and then walked up to San Miniato where we were fortunate to be able to hear the monks who live there sing Gregorian chants during late-afternoon vespers.  It was an amazing end to a great day, as the sun set over the Tuscan hills.

San Miniato al Monte, Firenze

I enjoyed a day at the San Giovanni terme with a group of friends and loved the beautiful rolling hills and warm thermal pools.

This past week we went to Cortona.  A beautiful hillside town.  There are winding cobblestone streets that lead up the hill and interspersed you will find little gardens, some that are almost hidden.  We wandered all the way up to the basilica of Santa Margherita, it was a warm sunny day, and the views along the way were breathtaking.  We wondered down a different way along via Margherita, a street lined with mosaic of the Stations of the Cross. 

The religious symbolism and iconography is plentiful, I am very taken by it and continue to snap pictures of the beautiful Madonna's that appear on houses and corners and the edges of fields. 


So it has been a busy and enjoyable month. I am slowly learning more Italian and really enjoying our lovely little village and the people that we are surrounded by.

Creature of Habit! (easiest blog post ever)

I just looked back to my old blog and this is exactly what am I feeling today.  I am not sure why this almost surprises me each year, but it kind of does.  The only difference this year is that I will not be out in my shed soon, but I will be somewhere else creating that I know, and also, no cherry blossoms, I will miss this, but am excited by the blossoming of a new kind.  Knowing this is so helpful.  This too I know shall pass.

The Road Less Travelled is not always Smooth

I realize this was our choice.  We chose to homeschool the four children, that we chose to have.  We chose to leave behind all we knew to move to a foreign country.  We chose to leave a job, and strike out on our own, try and make it as artists.  These were all choices and they were our choices, nobody else's.  But that doesn't make it all easy.  And I realize that we are living a dream we have dreamed for many years and even that doesn't make it all easy. There are days when I wonder if taking this road, the road less travelled was a prudent way to go, it is not always straight and it is down right bumpy in some areas.

Some days homeschooling is so daunting.  Not only the amount of work to try and organize four children of different ages and stages, but also the fear of failure.  Am I meeting their needs, are there things they are missing out on, socially as well as educationally.  Will they reach all of their goals, as well as mine.

Then there is the dream, this was the dream for Mark and I, was it the dream of our children?  No, they were happy where they were, they had their friends, their activities, their community and the ability to converse freely in their mother tongue.  And regardless of the time spent on a dream, you can't imagine how that dream will look until you are there, it will meet some expectations, it will fail to meet some and it will greatly exceed others.  You just don't know until you are in the middle.  There are days when I wonder what we were thinking, pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zone, leaping, hoping the parachute would appear.

Then there are the days, when all four children sit quietly round the family table, listening about all the planets (or some other topic) and recording the information relevant to them, or when they work together to make a stop click animation, or come and experiment with cooking in the kitchen or come together in some other way.  There are days when it is like time slows down and everybody moves in unison, like a finely tuned machine.  When every bodies needs are being met.  And I remember, this is why we do what we do, why we took this road.  The unspoilt views are amazing.  The times when I think, this is time I can never recreate, time with my children I will never get back.  This experience good, bad, ugly or fantastic is an experience that you just can't put a value on.  And I have to believe we will all meet our goals.  That what they might miss by not going to school will be outweighed by some of the experiences they have being home schooled.  It is a balance, a careful balance and I have to trust in myself that this is the right decision for our family.

Time will tell how our journey will play out in terms of both mine and Mark's artwork, but right now I am enjoying this road, the bumpy, the crooked moments, but also where time is slowed, where the view is beautiful and we are all together as a family in this beautiful country.

For the Love of Schiacciata

I am not sure if I have fully described where we have landed in Italy.  We live on the edge of a lovely small Tuscan town with a population of about 850 people.  Being North Americans in the little village in the middle of winter, we are somewhat of a phenomena.  I have heard people in the Bar describing where I live, though I have never told them this information.  People just seem to know who we are.  Very few people speak any english, which for our learning experience is fantastic, we are forced to practice our Italian.  But this can also be intimidating.  Those who know me well, know I will strike up a conversation with anyone anywhere, so this language barrier is a bit like hobbling a race horse.  It is unusual for me to feel shy about approaching people, but little by little I am working on it.  If I don't practice and I don't make mistakes, I will never learn. 

There is a van that travels through the village honking his horn, selling fresh bread out of the back.  Some people even hang canvas bags on their fence posts or doors with their daily order.  I was not sure exactly how this all works, are they pre-ordered or do you just rock up to the van and see what he has.  How do you get him to come by your house, it is all a mystery to me.  So today we saw a gathering of donne (women) around his van and we decided we should swing by and try out this quaint little tradition.  Why today, why was I feeling courageous enough to try my limited Italian skills?  Well it is all about the schiacciata.

A couple of weeks back a friend here mentioned this bread called schiacciata (skee-ach-iata).  It is a traditional Tuscan flat bread, drizzled with olive oil and baked.  A bit like Focaccia by my reckoning, perhaps the same thing by a different name, but schiacciata seems flatter less bready more yummy.  (Schiacciata is an Italian word meaning flattened.)  Well we found it in the grocery store one day and it barely made it home, we ate so much of it in the car.  Then we even baked some of our own.  We have become lovers of schiacciata.

So this morning when we saw the bread van, my fear of approaching and trying to ask in Italian if we could buy some pane, was outweighed by my desire to have some fresh schiacciata.  The grouping of ladies looked on, chatting away in Italian, asking about our cane (dog).  And to my surprise the Van Bread Man spoke a wee bit of english.  So I practiced my Italian ordering 'schiacciata e mezzo chilo pane senza sale' and he practiced his english 'thank you very much'.  "Prego".

I was kind of giddy with excitement as I carried home my fresh bread, partially because I was excited about the yummy bread, but partly because I had negotiated one more Italian situation which until this time had me intimidated.  Baby steps, but steps all the same.