http://iamnotmakingthisup.net My personal account of living real life in real Venice, and more Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:57:53 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Preposterous, ludicrous, and any other "ous"ly things that come to mind can happen all year long. But either the summer seems to produce more of them, like tomatoes and zucchini, or we're more in the mood to read about them. Here are some tidbits from the recent past, as reported by ... http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/5963/its-summertime-and-the-time-is-right-for-doing-something-idiotic/ [caption id="attachment_5826" align="aligncenter" width="448" caption="The departure board at Venice's Marco Polo Airport. The first flight left at 6:35. followed by 20 others before this list came up at 10:07."][/caption] I went to the airport one morning two weeks ago, and there I discovered that there is a dark side to cruising. ... http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/5778/cruising-where-the-music-ends/ This past weekend we reached the summer's festive culmination, the Feast of the Redeemer. But this year the routine was slightly different: No boat, no fireworks.  Sounds like heresy, I know.  It is heresy.  I might as well just call it a club cookout and forget all the historical/traditional frippery. Things ... http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/5853/the-redentore-returns/ Last night we had an especially delectable dinner, focusing (as often happens) on fish. Sometimes we buy them, sometimes we catch them, and sometimes they thrust themselves upon us. [caption id="attachment_5878" align="aligncenter" width="448" caption="Two gilthead sea bream (orate) on the left and center, and the very strong, daring, not very clever gray ... http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/5862/something-fishy/ I was going to write about something else but it's just too hot.  Every summer we get a heatwave around about now, but I'm not sure I remember one quite this heavy.  Or long-lasting.  We've been having temperatures up around 100 degrees F. (39 degrees C) during the day, slightly less ... http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/5837/afa-get-to-know-it/ Things are heating up here in an alarming manner, and I'm not referring to the Saharan heatwave that is currently sweeping the old Bel Paese and suffocating everybody's capacity to think. I'm referring to two recent spectacular homicides with distressing similarities, the kind one hears that judges in Provence excuse because of the ... http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/5788/crimes-of-passion/ [caption id="attachment_5743" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Murano is just ten minutes from Venice, but it's a whole other world. And not just because of all the glass, either."][/caption] If you've ever been to Murano, one of the world's great glass-making centers, you will know that it's impossible to race through it.  You will be exhausted, ... http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/5726/racing-through-murano/ The period around St. Peter's feast day (June 29) is notable for two things beside the annual bacchanale at the church, as described in my last post. [caption id="attachment_5672" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="The littlest ones are St. Peter's pears. They'll only be around for a short time and that's why I like ... http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/5663/saint-peters-mom-bless-her-heart/ As you probably know, today is St. Peter's feast day.  And in this neighborhood, it really means something. [caption id="attachment_5578" align="alignleft" width="132" caption="St. Peter by Carlo Crivelli (1473). Not looking particularly saintly here; those spectacular keys may be slightly more of a burden than a blessing."][/caption] I'll bypass the cadenzas about the ... http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/5562/saint-peter-runs-amok/ You may have heard -- or maybe you're hearing it now -- that several Venetian spring months were sparkled-up by the presence of Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, here filming "The Tourist."  (Stuntman Vladimir Tevlovski was also here.  Just thought I've give him a shout-out.) But naturally the excitement was generally focused ... http://iamnotmakingthisup.net/5543/pitt-stop/