Carnival is a festival celebrated by most Catholics before Lent in February. The one in Venice, Italy, is world-renowned because of its elaborate masks and 17th-century costumes. Our friends the Quinns and us rent an apartment together in a quiet neighborhood. Venice is a “floating city” built on 118 small islands in a marshy lagoon, linked by over 400 bridges. There are no cars on these islands. You either take a boat or walk to go anywhere. Ray was fascinated by all the criss-crossed canals and the narrow alleyways. The weather was in the 40s, but with all the water around us and the constant drizzle, I had to put on all the layers I brought. The best things to do in those chilly, dreary days were to visit museums. Luckily, Venice, being a historic town, has many of them. We purchased a city pass that covers 10 museums, including the famous Doge’s Palace. For seniors 65+, we even got a 50% discounts. We went to Ca’ Rezzonico in addition to the Doge’s Palace; we also checked out Carlo Goldoni (a famous playwright), the Museum Fortuny (father-and-son fabric designers), and the spiral house Scala Contarini del Bovolo. However, the San Marco Basilica requires a separate ticket, but it is definitely worth a visit.
The Venice Carnival is full of people dressed in costumes. On one of the sunny days, we put on our costumes and walked down to the San Marco Plaza. Along the way to the plaza, we were stopped numerous times by people who asked to take pictures of us or with us. We did the same to other people in costumes. San Marco Plaza is humongous and sits at the lowest points in Venice, so it gets flooded twice a day. People didn’t mind it and splashed around in plastic boots, some even sitting in the water to enjoy their lunch. We saw many intricately designed outfits, but I like the ones that are unique and creative. At night, we went out to a party boat and danced away the night. What a fun carnival we had in Venice!
Christiane and I went to an opera at the ‘Phoenix’ Opera House. This building was named ‘rising from the ashes’ after three devastating fires in 1774, 1836, and 1996. We got tickets to see ‘Simon Boccanegra’ by Verdi. I am not familiar with this opera, but with the English title, I was able to follow it and enjoy it. This was the first time I ever watched an opera from a luxurious, private box seat, and Teatro La Fenice was the perfect place to enjoy this experience. We encountered a group of a dozen people, all in period costumes, even with a Doge (a supreme authority in Venice) as their leader. They sat in the Royal box below us, and we felt that that’s how the 18th-century patrons enjoyed their shows. The advantage of a box seat is the perfect view, the sound of the stage, and the orchestra. I highly recommend this experience in Venice.
Murano Island is famous for its glasswork, and it was about a 45 minute ride on a water bus to go there. The glass museum holds the largest historical collection of Murano glass. The exhibition highlighted many techniques for unique artworks, including stained glass, carving (wheel carving, engraving, or acid etching), frosting, enameling, and gilding. One specific method attracted my attention involving creating patterns or images with multicolored glass rods called “murrine.” The process begins by heating and stretching a bundle of these glass rods until they fuse together. Once cooled, the rods are sliced into thin cross-sections, revealing beautiful floral, geometric, or portrait designs. The most amazing thing is that the resulting beads were less than 5 mm (0.2”) in size. I have no idea how these masters managed the microscopic work hundreds of years ago.
