Thursday 24 November 2011

Apartment swap - Paris / Venice


© Coyright Millie Brown 2011


I knew who was getting the better end of the deal in the nitty gritty of the apartment swap but as far as the location went it was pretty equal!

I had just received an email from my dear friend  Helen who lives most happily between Venice and Australia, 6 months in Venice from spring to Autumn and back to Australia for its warmer months.

She had the wonderful idea of swapping homes for a week, I would fly to Venice and stay with her for a night and the next day after we had enjoyed a good catch up she would  take my house keys and a plane to Paris.

While Marco (Helen's Venetian husband) and Helen's gorgeous roomy apartment is situated on an adorable and quiet canal 10 minutes walk from St Marks square in Venice,  my apartment was a studio around 10 times smaller and consisted of a pull out couch bed (albeit a very nice leather one).  However, the position of my studio was 'tops',  rue St Paul in the Marais and I loved it, and so apparently did Helen. Who spends time in an apartment anyway when the streets of Paris are beckoning.


© Coyright Millie Brown 2011


For the one afternoon and evening that we had together in Venice Helen ran me around like the 'local' that she was (and still is) and I was immediately under the spell...of everything...at that time it had been two years since I had spent any time  in Italy and probably 20 years since I had visited Venice.

Since this particular visit I have been lucky enough to have been able to return to Venice a number of times, even taking the train from Florence for a day trip just to experience and see Venice in all its Carnival glory. A huge photo opportunity if ever there is one.

© Copyright Millie Brown 2011


Here are some recommendations that Helen shared with me for
Venice, the city she loves and knows so well.

St Marks square at night (Piazza San Marco)

Helen led me to  St Marks square  at night and later told me she had done this for a reason.   It was only around 8 o'clock but there was hardly a soul on the streets, (it was the last week in September) and I had  absolutely no idea what we were heading for....that was until we turned the corner and my re-introduction to this beautiful space quite literally took my breath away.  The sheer beauty of the Cathedral with its magnificent mosaic  facade, and the grandeur of the square itself is amplified tenfold by the soft lights and the still of night.

If you have the opportunity to experience St Marks square at night after the crowds have disappeared, do it, it is such a very different experience than the one you will have sharing it with thousands of others during the day.


Entry to St Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco)

Helen had left me with a very 'handy' piece of knowledge that saved me quite literally at least an hours wait in a queue. (I am not someone who loves a queue)! 

There is no church that will refuse a person the opportunity for prayer and so there is usually an entrance to accommodate these people, and it is usually located to the side and away from the mile long queue that is common in many of the busy and large Cathedrals.  If you do not speak the language the sign for prayer is universal and always understood.  If you feel that you would like to take the time for prayer look for this door and you will be allowed entry without queuing. More information here

© Copyright Millie Brown
The beautiful domes of St Mark's Basilica taken from Saint Mark's Bell Tower (Camponile di San Marco)

Traghetto

When crossing certain canals in Venice stand up with the locals in a traghetto (much more fun than a vaporetto).   My first traghetto experience was crossing the grand canal on the San Sofia Traghetto to get to the  Rialto food and fish market (which is fabulous by the way and well worth a visit).

©Copyright Millie Brown 2011
Crossing the Canal on a Traghetto 
© Coyright Millie Brown 2011
Disembarking a traghetto


Coffee Standing at the bar in the gorgeous Cafe Florian - St Marks Square

I didn't stand, my feet need resting occasionally, so I sat snuggled into a corner of one of the intimate and gorgeously decorated  rooms where I soaked up the warmth of the coffee, the pastries and the atmosphere.  Simply divine and I didn't care what it cost! Website here

© Copyright Millie Brown 2011

Scuola grande di San Rocco

Visit the Scuola di San Rocco, it was a confraternity or lay brotherhood and was formed in the 15th Century to help those affected by the plague and give comfort to the poor.  It is lavishly decorated with canvases by one of Venice's greatest Renaissance artists Tintoretto.  He completed an extraordinary series of religious works throughout the many rooms of the Scuola between 1564 and 1588.
Campo San Rocco, San Polo


Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

Is one of Venice's most important Basilicas because of  the wealth of art that is found here, including Titan's Altarpiece of the Assumption ( a masterpiece of the high Renaissance), a wooden statue of St John the Baptist by Donatello and paintings by Bellini (one of Venice's most famous painters). It is also the burial place for Francesco Foscari (one of the most powerful and important Doges of Venice, 1423 - 1457) as well as Titan himself who died of the plague in 1576.
Campo dei Frari.

© Copyright Millie Brown 2011
Nico's gelato

Head for the Fondamenta Zattere on the Giudecca canal in the Dorsoduro area to stop and choose one of Nico's wonderful gelati.  Enjoy it while making your way to the Punta della Dogana Center of Contemporary Art (which houses modern artworks from the Francois Pinault Foundation). This space was formerly the old customs building and was renovated by the Japanese Architect Tadao Ando. Apparently the restoration was done in 18 months.

Best Coffee and Croissants (Cornetti) Caffè del Doge

Helen took me here on my first morning and I returned every day after that! Only in Italy can they make a coffee as good as this and the cornetti alla crema are sensational. The café is located very close to the Rialto bridge, tucked away in a tiny little alleyway called Calle dei Cinque in San Palo, if you cross over the bridge from the San Marco side turn left and it is the 3rd alleyway on your right and down 50 metres or so on the right. Ask one of the waiters from the restaurants if you can't find it.

© Copyright Millie Brown 2011


Cantina Do Mori for Italian tapas (cicchetti) and a glass of wine

Wonderful atmospheric wine bar,  again very close to the Rialto bridge. It's a great place to stop for a minute or an hour. When I was there it seemed to be full of locals, they can down their wine and cicchetti while standing at the bar nearly as quickly as their morning coffee!   I, however took my time and loved it. Situated in Calle do Mori or Calle Galiazza in San Palo (two entrances). In the area just behind the Rialto market.


© Copyright Millie Brown 2011
An Angel on the facade of the Doge's Palace

Take the 'Secret' tour of the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale)

You will need to book in advance for this one (as I found out) , you can book online or if you are in a hotel they may be able to get you tickets.

Unlike the regular tour the secret tour takes you to many of the hidden passages and rooms of this palazzo from where the Doges ruled the Republic of Venice for hundreds of years.  It will also give you an insight into some of the the darker secrets of Medieval and Renaissance Venice. More Information and tickets here


Like Florence.........I could go on and on, but I simply have to end somewhere.

Thank you Helen and Marco for having loaned me your wonderful home and for having given me the gift of one glorious week in Venice.  


Recommended reading 

A History of Venice - John Julius Norwich
Journey from Venice - Ruth Cracknell
Venice - Jan Morris


Millie x


These photos are copyrighted, do not download, thank you :-)
©copyright Millie Brown 2011

Sunday 20 November 2011

Frenchmen everywhere are flying



I had to share this with you...these guys are the flying Frenchmen, and until today (the last day of the Adelaide International three day event), I never knew they existed.  

A Frenchman, an Italian and a miscellaneous, (sorry missed some of the details),  travel the 'horsey' world jumping super high show jumps and all without a single horse in sight!  Apparently their record is well over 1.8m high.  Who would have ever known! It certainly was a crowd pleaser and with the horse masks in place, just a touch quirky!

Here they are in action.... the jumps by the way had just been raised four holes higher than the height the horses had been jumping moments earlier.






While searching google to find out more about these 'Frenchmen' I discovered Lorenzo...THE flying Frenchman. Click on the link below to take a look at the beautiful images and story of a very special relationship.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it7bVioSPGI&feature=related

Saturday 19 November 2011

International Three Day Event comes to town




Quick hop and a skip and I'm in Adelaide taking photos of their annual International Three day Event.

For me, Camera + Horses = Bliss

This event is the largest and most important Three Day Event in the Southern Hemisphere and attracts riders and horses from all over the world.

Adelaide is a great venue for this event, it may be a small city (nothing wrong with that)!, but it has so much at it's fingertips....how many other cities of the world could host a four star three day event only a minutes walk from their city centre, set amongst beautiful gums and olive groves.



A Three day Event is comprised funnily enough of three events, each one being held on an individual day.  Dressage on the first, Cross country on the second (today) and show jumping on the third. It is a grueling test for both horse and rider and makes for a great spectator sport. 


THE ITALIAN ENTRANT IN FULL GALLOP
These beautiful animals are truly extraordinary, their grace, sheer guts, and beauty never cease to amaze me and I could watch them all day, so tomorrow that is exactly what I intend to do.....again.

Millie xx

Friday 11 November 2011

Let's speak Italian


© Copyright Millie Brown 2011


Let us suppose you have taken my recent advice and you have made a couple of trips to the Institut in Villefranche, you are conversing easily in French and are still madly in love with everything French.........but maybe, just maybe, you ventured over the border to the east and fell under the spell of  Italy and everything Italian, the spirit and passion of the Italians, their food, their art, their history......and of course their language.

Is there a more romantic, beautiful sounding language in the world?  I will leave the answer to you. I love both French and Italian equally, however I certainly don't speak both equally as well, having only recently commenced my Italian studies.  Lets just say that in Italy I am very used to confused faces staring back at me, even when I am sure that what I just said was a sentence of grammatical perfection, their looks make it clear that I must either be completely delusional or my accent is somewhere near atrocious, (or horror of horrors both)!

© Copyright Millie Brown 2011

I am however making progress and I have two wondeful Italians in Florence to thank for that.  If you are lucky enough to spend any amount of time in this divine city why not dip your toe in and get started.  Just be aware that when you do decide to let 'your version of Italian' loose onto the unsuspecting Italian public you too may not always get the response you hoped for.   However maybe you will not be quite as delusional about your ability to form that 'perfect' sentence as I clearly am!

Marcello Ciao from the school Spirito Italiano http://www.spiritoitaliano.com/ and Lucia Ducci are my 'picks' and I can not speak highly enough of them as people and as teachers.  Both have helped me enormously and I love their company, their humour and their PATIENCE!! (God love them, they have needed every ounce of it with me). Lucia is contactable on her email address; lucia.ducci@libero.it.

Separate to Marcello's teaching is his business as an agency for some wonderful apartment rentals in Florence.  While hotels are great for short stays, apartments are my choice of accommodation for any stays over a weeks duration.  I have enjoyed the peace of mind that organising an apartment through Marcello brings, you can ALWAYS be sure that he will do his absolute utmost to make sure you are 110% happy and comfortable. http://www.florenceapartmentitaly.com, he is a delight and so are his apartments.

Note: Learn Italian audio:
For those of you who cannot get to Italy to study the language, I can highly recommend the book 'Teach yourself Italian' by Lydia Vellaccio. I used this method prior to commencing my studies in class. I found it extremely useful and practical (2 cd's are also included). Unfortunately it is not available for sale through my Amazon shop however click here to purchase.

Buon weekend à tutti

Millie x

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©copyright Millie Brown 2011
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