20- Italy for me-2

20-Italy for me- 2

It was darkish when I opened my eyes. I could hear my friend Kusum’s heavy breathing. Having come from Delhi, I had gained 5 hours and traveling East, she had lost 5. We were dealing with this along with other mis-matches, like her excessive energy and faster reflexes compared to mine, her dynamism compared to my laid backish-ness, her fondness for the various little edible residents of the Sea with bubbly wine to my having detached somewhat from desires of fanciful foods etc.

Under the soft blankets I, dorsi and planter flexed my toes to get a head start, I squeezed various muscles of the top and low back, I dug my shoulders, small of the spine and Knees into the mattress and finally stealthily got out, responding to my nature’s call.
The ‘loo’ was as luxurious as the room. Outside the window, the sky was turning a slight pink. The Brick building was the Stazione/station with sparse tourists at this time. The steps going down, a wide platform and then the Canal, the Grand Canal which was the main street of Venice, right beneath my window---. A boat stopped at the Hotel steps with boxes, which were downloaded by the staff. Another boat with groceries, a water taxi as they call it speeded fast, the passenger water bus stopping across with hardly any people, suitcases coming out of the hotel queuing before another boat----. It was fantastic, so much going on so smoothly, the muffled sounds and the natural lapping of the waves of water flowing on----. The sky was brightening------

We had had a 4 hour run by Euro-rail from Rome and reached here yesterday. It was better than 1st class travel back home. Outside, were the range of Blue hills under Blue skies. The train would advance into them and then get enclosed by Chalets, villas, fields and the valley. Lunch was lavish with many courses and lots of pasta and Meat.

Orienting ourselves to this water city and reaching Hotel Carlton was a bit tough with our bags but once in, we were really taken in.

Called the Queen of the Adriatic, Venice was built on 117 small islands with many bridges and a town settlement around Rivo Alto later called Rialto. It was an enduring Mercantile Sea-power in the 5th-6th AD but down the years has become neglected and polluted. It nevertheless, is always bursting with tourists visiting its monuments, Boroque back street churches and quaint markets.
St. Mark’s Basilica is a spectacular house of worship with Golden Mosaics and 12th century marble pavement.
St. Mark’s square with the columns and bell-tower of San Marco, was chosen, plundered and housed by Napoleon, later flocked by pigeons and tourists alike. A statue of Garibaldi stands with the ‘winged Lion’.
Rialto with its stone Bridge is the commercial center of Venice. In the interior one can find the over full vegetable market called the ’Erbaria’, the ‘Drapperria’ for the sale of fabric and finest silk, the ‘Beccaria for the sale of meats, the ‘Caseri’ for cheese and Pescheria’ for fish--- Every day, among sardines, and giltheads, clams, tramps, basses and sturgeions a tradition is celebrated. All around are also several Artisan shops with Glass works from famous Murano and colorful jewelry items.

Personally after riding the Shikaras of Kashmir I was a little disappointed with the famous Gondola ride which was rather expensive and cold at night---
Ofcourse when they sang “O Sole Mio and Be Sami Mucho” I was truly missing Vikram Seth’s---- ‘Equal Music’, the part where Michael and Julia re-visit Venice and go to the performance---Was it Bach? Mozart? “No, Monteverdi and Vivaldi”, she had said.

“The gleaming fractured ochre and black floor of the main hall led to the rooms. Each room became more fantastical, filled with the assorted brilliance and bric-a-brac of centuries, tapestries, gilt sofas with Brocade backs, painted doors, huge ornate green marble topped tables, glass candelabra bursting into wings and flowers, clocks supported by yawning bears, little statuettes peering and beckoning at us from every niche and corner------ ” goes on Vikram Seth.
Sorry I got carried away ---He does that to me----

And so then, we were carried to the Stazione by the water boat and left the Adriatic also known as the city of the ‘Winged Lion’.

Veena Kapoor