Venice - Carnivale - Part 2

Carnival in Venice runs from February 11th through February 28th. So a decision had to be made, experience the opening ceremonies and the first half, or the second half and the closing ceremonies. I chose the first half.

Across the canal is the Cantinone Storico

And arriving in Venice a few days early to settle in, it gave my travel partner, Bud, and I, a chance to explore new restaurants and museums. Jet-lagged and our bodies realizing that we were about to have dinner at 3:00am New York City time, right around the corner from our airbnb overlooking Peggy Guggenheim's garden's, we thankfully discovered this charming restaurant.

Cantinone Storico
Dorsoduro 661
+39 041 523 957

Greeted with open arms, we sat down and immediately were offered an amuse bouche of a deep fried tangy olive served on a stick. We ordered the house white wine, which was crisp and refreshing and then decided to share an order of the mixed vegetable starter . . .

. . . which was so fresh, simple and delicious. Bud ordered a special of the night, a red snapper with veggies and scallops, which he loved.

And I ordered the spaghetti with lobster. I was in heaven.

For some reason I didn't think the dish was going to be prepared like this. But I can handle a lobster in the shell, and crack it even though it's swimming in a slippery tomato sauce - hey, I am from New England. Plus they offered plenty of wet naps. The pasta was al dente so it had just enough bite and the lobster was cooked to perfection and had such a sweet, buttery quality. And to top off the meal, the restaurant offered us glasses of limoncello on the house. How nice was that? The front of the house staff were so friendly and patient with us as we struggled to keep our eyes open and decipher the menu. We had such a great experience, we went back a second time.

The weather the 8 days we were in Venice was beautiful. Warm days, cool/sometimes chilly nights.

Basilica San Marco

And there's a light in Venice that I've seen in no other part of the world. No wonder so many artists and photographers come here to capture it.

The clock tower in Piazza San Marco

Piazza San Marco seen from our water taxi

Under the noon day sun, Venice was glistening. To the right in the picture above you can see the Doge's Palace and it had been years since I had toured it so a visit was on the "must list."

The Golden Staircase leading up to the Doge's Palace

It's truly a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Outside you can see the Bridge of Sighs named so because prisoners would pass through the windowed enclosure, seeing daylight for the last time before their incarceration in the dungeons, and supposedly would sigh.

A couple in costume with the Bridge of Sighs in the background

Other buildings and museums that you would love to visit can be accessed through the Venezia Unica card. You'll be able to purchase entrance to museums and cultural events, skip the long lines, and use it for water taxis too. Visiting the link will explain all it has to offer. You can create what you want to do and see, in advance, and purchase it online with discounts.

Not to be missed, and this was the first time I had seen it, is the massive Museum Correr, housing the Imperial apartments of the former King of Italy, (among other collections and installations.) Built in the 19th century, this tour takes you along the entire second floor of the bell tower side of Piazza San Marco. And when we purchased tickets to this museum, the Doge's Palace was included. A bargain! And at the entrance, which is where this sign is, at the back of the piazza and up the flight of stairs, is a really sweet and quiet restaurant where you can enjoy a lunch and look out over Piazza San Marco without the fear that a pigeon or seagull will scoop down and grab your lunch. (Which they do!)

During this period of Carnival, every turn you'd take you'd run into either street performers or people dressed up in costumes.

This was a reminder that we needed to get ourselves to the Rio Di Cannaregio for the opening evening ceremony of Carnival. This year's theme was "The Sea Queen resurfaces in Venice to be reflected in the moon." It's like Cirque du Soleil on water/the canal and in gondolas. There was a 6:00pm and an 8:00pm show.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (Carnival 2016)

Trying to make it to the 8:00pm show, below you can see we were just two small canals and bridges away from the event when everything came to a halt. We were gridlocked, with people struggling, coming and going. The police had to keep everything moving.

A dense crowd of carnival lovers trying to make their way across a small canal/bridge.

DIZZY NOTE: Not the greatest scenario for those of us with balance issues or if you have claustrophobia or fear of crowds. My concern was the weight of all the people on these ancient bridges.

Here's a photo, courtesy of my professional photographer friend Kim Hull, of the opening ceremony. Some of the sea creatures were suspended on wires above the canal and flying above us.

Photo: Kim Hull © Chasing Light Media

The next day was the Masquerade Water Parade, which passed right by our apartment.

Even with all my trips to Venice there were still more museums I hadn't visited, like Ca' Rezzonico.

A stunning palace on the Grand Canal, construction was completed in 1756 for the Rezzonico family.

The grand ballroom

And within the palace was this exquisite sculpture by Antonio Corradini.

Veiled Sculpture by Antonio Corradin

How in the world did he chisel and sculpt the thin veils over her face? Simply amazing.

Caffe Centrale

I couldn't make a trip to Venice and not visit my favorite restaurant Caffe Centrale.

Caffe Centrale
+39} 041 88 76 642
via Piscina de Frezzaria no. 1659
Private entrance:
For water taxis and gondolas: Rio dei Barcaroli

Here you can see that the restaurant opens up to the canal. Arriving by gondola, how romantic is that?

Here is the same view from inside.

Housed in an ancient building, the decor is modern and stylish with a nod to their heritage. Notice the Murano glass chandelier above.

After ordering a couple of pinot grigios, Bud and I shared an appetizer of cold vacuum-sealed roasted pork, seasoned with orange, Marsala sauce and walnuts. So light and classy. A great tease for what was to come.

Bud ordered the chunks of tenderloin with carrot cream, vegetables and potato mousse.

And I chose their rib-eye with sauteed seasonal vegetables. I should have taken a snap of our plates after we were done. It looked like we licked our plates clean, it was so enjoyable. Caffe Centrale is hip, beautiful, casually elegant, and the food is fantastic.
 

 
What a great way to end 8 fabulous days in Venice during Carnival. If you stay for the latter half, you'll witness the Flight of the Angel where a beautiful woman in full costume flies downs to Piazza San Marco from the top of the bell tower and there are many costume competitions which take place in the piazza. But just strolling through the alley ways, you'll bump into plenty of people dressed for the occasion.

It's always hard for me to leave Venice but I'll be back again, soon.

Arrivederci Venezia!

Free Museums in NYC - Museum of Modern Art and Robert (the restaurant)

Many know this, but for those who don't, the Museum of Modern Art - MOMA located at 11 West 53rd Street in Manhattan is free on Friday nights from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. But for New Yorkers, if you apply for your NYCidcard this museum, as well as many others in town - is free all the time for one year after you receive your id card. Plus you get discounts on Broadway shows, sporting events and even movies!

Enjoying a quick visit to some of the current exhibits as well as their permanent collection with my friend Bud, it was great to see the works of Jackson Pollock . . .

 . . . Henri Matisse . . . 

. . . as well as some lesser known but brilliant artists. We stumbled upon Florine Stettheimer.

Family Portrait, II by Florine Stettheimer

Whimsical and almost childlike, her paintings are very exciting to see up close. There are hidden clues as to the idiosyncrasies of each character she paints. Her works reminded use of the Russian painter and costume designer, Leon Bakst. She was also a poet, and set and costume designer.

Stettheimer costume design

From 1915 to 1935, Florine, with the help of her sisters, ran a literary and artists salon. Gertrude Stein was welcomed as well as modernist artists which included Georgia O'Keeffe. It must have been an exciting time to be an artist then!

DIZZY NOTE: With the hoards of people and the design of the museum itself, my vestibular symptoms as well as vertigo were starting to throw me off.

So off we went to Robert. Located at 2 Columbus Circle on the top floor of the Museum of Arts and Design building.

This restaurant has a fantastic view of the circle and Central Park beyond. If planning on having dinner, be clear to specify that you'd like a table up against the window. 

If just having cocktails there is a lounge just a few rows back behind the diners, but you'll still have a good view.

We just opted for drinks but I'm eager to go back and have dinner, as well as spend some time in the Museum of Arts and Design.

CHEERS!

Florence, Italy Part 1

My last trip to Florence was in 1988 - 28 years ago! My first thought upon flying over the Swiss Alps via Brussels towards this remarkable city was, will anything have changed?

Structurally, no. The ancient city is historically protected (although I confess, I did grab a quick cup of American coffee one afternoon in a McDonalds tastefully hidden within an architectural gem of of a building.)

So strolling through the city, dropping into shops, restaurants, museums . . . something had changed. In my mind, Florence, specifically the Florentines, were friendlier, more helpful than I recalled from my previous visit. Not that that they were rude in the past but I had a clear remembrance that I was more of an annoyance, especially speaking English, than a welcomed guest. This trip felt as though they had opened up their arms and embraced me. Or maybe it was because I was older. Maybe I was more patient. Maybe I was friendlier.

Upon landing, my travel partner Bud Santora and I jumped into a cab. Our very personable taxi driver drove us to the Oltrano neighborhood where our Airbnb was located. The Oltrano is across the Arno River, a short walk across any of the bridges and you're in the heart of Florence proper. Staying in the San Frediano area of the Oltrana truly made us feel like we were a part of the residential neighborhood. Few tourists were around and the shops . . .

. . . which were plentiful, had anything and everything you could want, usually within one shop.







Our Airbnb was Claudia's apartment. Just as portrayed in the pics on the website, we were delighted with the stay.

(NOTE: If Airbnbs or VRBOs are note your style and you prefer a hotel, the Westin Excelsior is exceptional!)

Top left - the kitchen table's full of taste treats and guidebooks. (Yes, I still love books even though I can get all the info on the Internet.) The upper right you're looking up to the second floor bedroom which has its own bathroom. There's another one downstairs. Bottom left are the stairs leading up to the rooftop deck and bottom right is the upstairs shower. Everything was tastefully renovated. (I wish I had her bathrooms in my NYC apartment!)

Here's the downstairs 2nd bedroom, bright and airy.

And here's her streamlined, modern and extremely efficient kitchen, plus there's a washer and dryer. But the pièce de résistance (excuse my French) was the terrace.

Almost every late afternoon, we'd have wine and bread with prosciutto and cheese admiring the gorgeous views. While the sun would set, we would joyfully wrestle over where we would have dinner . . . 

. . . often while listening to the church bells chiming.










But first things first, we had to explore.

DIZZY NOTE: Careful, the sidewalks are very narrow and scooters and cars are constantly zooming by. The cobble-stoned streets are also tricky, keep your eyes open.

So off we trotted down the street to the famous . . .

medieval stone bridge, the Ponte Vecchio crossing the Arno. Originally the tenants were butchers but now the bridge is full of jewelry, art, and souvenir shops. It's always very lively, day and night, with tourists and street performers.

On the Ponte Vecchio

We sauntered towards the Piazza della Signoria and on our way we passed . . .

. . . the Incredible Florence performance center. Giant screens surround you as this multi-media time machine offers a journey through 2000 years of Florence's history. A bit overwhelming, but quite effective. Then off to Piazza della Signoria.

A gorgeous and busy square surrounded by hotels and restaurants and the Palazzo Vecchio, the city's town hall, is located here...

Palazzo Vecchio

. . . as well as a copy of Michelangelo's David (the original is now housed in the Accademia Museum) . . .

David

 
. . . and we also have Neptune's Fountain . . .

Neptune's Fountain

. . . and the Loggia dei Lanzi, which is open-air sculpture gallery of antique and Renaissance art.

Loggia dei Lanzi

Realizing we needed to eat dinner sooner than later or we'd fall asleep, we headed back over the Ponte Vecchio and we discovered the Piazza Santo Spirito named after the Basilica di Santo Spirito. (It's the square just before the one we were staying by.)

Church of Santo Spirito

And the piazza Santo Spirito is a beautiful square with a fountain in the middle, surrounded by scores of restaurants and bars. By chance we picked an exceptional place called Trattoria Borgo Antico.

Right next to the restaurant was a very popular bar populated by locals, Volume. The weather was fantastic for this trip in mid-October so we were lucky enough to be seated outside.

At Borgo Antico we ordered an appetizer of liver pate on crostini with capers, which was served with a semi-hard cheese, dipping bowl of honey, a pickled hot pepper, pickled onions and a smear of mustard. Oh and two candied somethings . . . maybe a slice of grapefruit and a green cherry? I'm not quite sure why we didn't ask the waiter what they were, but they were gobbled up, every morsel.

We also ordered a selection of country homemade salami, crostini and more pickled veggies. Already this is enough food for 20 people!

For entrees we had a beef stew made with red wine . . .

. . . and gnocchi with a rich gorgonzola sauce.

Both dishes were fantastic but the beef in red wine was to die for. I'd kill for that recipe.

Walking back to Claudia's apartment admiring doorknockers along the way we agreed we had to return to Borgo Antico once more before we left Florence.

Buona notte!