Under the Venetian Sky

I love traveling. Absolutely love it.  To be able to walk the path where Julius Caesar and Cleopatra strolled, eat in restaurants dating back to the 1400’s with stunning vaulted ceilings and waltz the night away in the Hofburg Palace in the same room where Empress Sisi and Emperor Frans Josef danced as Strauss played all night long in Vienna,  invigorates me. And astonishes me at the same time. Traveling teaches me so much about the history of the world, politics, music and art. 

So, although the trip to Venice had a rocky start, it didn’t stop me from having the time of my life.  Aside from the loud bursts of oversized advertisements and Vendors-Gone-Crazy, the mere beauty of Venice is everywhere. And I can't wait to begin exploring this enchanting city.

View from the balcony of the Guggenheim Museum

To understand Venetian life and the development of Venetian painting from the 14^th-18^th century, I head over to Galleria dell'Accademia. Rooms have panoramic views of Venetian painting in theByzantine style that transcend me back in time. 


Miracles of the Holy Cross by Gentile Bellini



Vittore Carpaccio: the Healing of a Lunatic

The Miracles of the Holy Cross by Gentile Bellini and Vittore Carpaccio's Healing of a Lunatic were magnificent artistic statements, giving me a bird's eye view of what life was like centuries ago.  When I finally finished touring the Accademia and stepped out in the golden light of Venice, for a moment, I was dazed and felt like I was part of a different era.

After a quick snack, I went to The Guggenheim Museum. 

The Guggenheim collection is housed in the Pallazo Veir dei Leoni on the Grand Canal.  The stunning building was designed by Lorenzo Boschetti and has a lovely inner garden courtyard and balcony.

The art collection is spectacular and is probably the most important Italian collection of contemporary art.  Although I am drawn to the Impressionists, my taste in art is rather eclectic.  I'm enthralled with the entire collection of art from the various movements:  Cubism, Futurism, Abstract Art, Dadaism (Art is dead movement) and Surrealism.  Collections of Picasso, Duchamp, Kandinsky, Chagall, Magritte, Giorgio de Chirico, Max Ernst, Joan Miro, Paul Klee, and Mondrian feel like old pals that I've come back to visit.  And of course admire.

Having recently viewed Woody Allen’s, Midnight in Paris I can’t help but imagine how wonderful it would have been to have known some of these artists and to hear them discuss their work, exchanging  ideas and bantering about politics, art and love.

The balcony faces the canal and I’m picturing myself sipping Prosecco with friends each evening as the sun goes down. At this point I can only hope to make new acquaintances who have villas like this in fabulous parts of Europe so that I can live out my effervescent fantasies.