Roberta di Camerino

Back to Venice today to the Museo Fortuny and an exhibit of Roberta di Camerino.
Idiot moi did not even know who de Camerino was - a famous Venetian fashion designer.

Particularly famous for her trompe l'oeil bags that graced the arms of Callas, Princess Grace and were adored by Dali. She died in December of last year at the age of 92.
La Museo Fortuny with it's ancient figure sculptures was the perfect setting for her collections..
And Grazie tanti to Liz in London who sent me a Donna Leon signed (!) copy of her latest, Drawing Conclusions. Mio dio! I haven't read it yet but Commissario Brunetti never disappoints.
Camerino's jersey dresses fool the eye/trompe l'oeil...

With their printed drapery...

And criss-crossed faux pleats...

Especially over the derriere...

Here a faux cardigan and skirt set all in one-piece...

So witty, so convenient. Who has not left a cardigan in a restaurant or somewhere else? No chance of that when wearing a Roberta di Camerino!

If you have a di Camerino bag do you need to wear anything else?

Did the painting come first or the jersey dress?

These glasses turned upside down sitting out in the sun at a nearby Venice cafe reminded me of di Camerino's brilliant colors...

BUON GIORNO ROBERTA di CAMERINO!

Lions of Venice

Along with the multitude of artichokes, gelaterias, and bridges in Venice, you can hardly walk two steps without bumping into a Lion...
The winged lion is Venice's symbol or mascot, since the remains of San Marco, the Evangelist, were stolen from a tomb in Alexandria, Egypt, and brought there in 828 AD. Vitorio Capaccio painted this lion in 1516. The lion is usually depicted with its paw on an book inscribed with the Latin motto goes: Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus.
Aka: Peace be with you Mark, my evangelist.
Being Mark the patron Saint of Venice.
This lion guards the Accademia bridge...
Another lion protecting the courtyard at La Fenice opera house...
Each of the arcades of Piazza San Marco have different lions heads. Fortunately not all are roaring at once...
Caffe Florian in San Marco sprinkles lion heads over it's china, napkins, and sugars. I know. I saved the sugar packets... If a Venetian house has a door knocker, it's likely to be a lions head...

You can follow suit and bring home a lion knocker or doorbell...

Or a winged paper weight. I did not see any Lion masks. Did you?

For a while Venetians kept live lions in their gardens in the 16th century. For a longer while there were thousands of cats, but they were removed to a shelter on the Lido. This Fu dog (Lion of Buddha) is the most current lion to reside in Venice.

Venetians had a penchant for Rhinos as well, illustrated in this Pietro Longhi painting. You do still see a few. There was one on my street corner, fortunately in bronze. Donna Leon has yet to take up Venice's lion in her mystery books, but I've only read four...

The Venetian lion must be a good cell conductor. "Can you hear me now?" This one is lounging in Piazza Mani.

BONJOUR LIONS OF VENICE!

The Bridges of Venice

It's impossible to visit Venice...
And not walk over a bridge.
In fact there's some controversy over exactly HOW MANY BRIDGES THERE ARE IN VENICE?
Some say,

"Venezia è costruita su 117 piccole isole e ha 150 canali e 409 ponti"

Or...

"Venice has 117 small islands, 150 channels and 409 bridges"

Whilst others proclaim,

Venice has 117 islands connected by 378 bridges.

Whatever. You're bound to walk over quite a few if not all of them...

Looking at these photos I'm a bit sorry I didn't spring for a gondola just for a different perspective from leaning over bridges...

Certainly you'll need a good 'cuppa' before venturing over the bridges.

Though I wouldn't venture out it these shoes...

Nor even these gorgeous Italian numbers...

Remember the steps are very wide...

So workers can cart everything under the sun over those bridges. How else will you get your pane e tulipani?

I hope you enjoyed this little escape from reality. I did.

BUON GIORNO PONTI di VENEZIA

Death At La Fenice

BEAR insisted we take a tour of Venice's opera house, Teatro La Feniche...
Since he was on page 1 of Donna Leon's 1st of the Commisario Brunetti series, Death at La Feniche.
(NO spoilers included.)
Conveniently the same opera in the book, Verdi's Traviata sung by Donna Leon's tempermental diva (and possible murder suspect) Donna Flavia, was featured on the walls...
La Feniche is appropriately named after the phoenix (a reference to the mythological creature reborn from its ashes after it's destroyed). The opera house has risen from ashes many times since 1789. As recently as 1996, recorded in detail by John Berendt in The City of Falling Angels.

You and your audio guide enter the grand hallway leading...

Into the very grand theatre...

Ah...to sit in one of those boxes...

Or the gold-encrusted royal box in your diamond-encrusted stillettos...

Nevermind. Just sit in one of these cushy velvet chairs. You can do that on the tour. Then pretend you're hearing Traviata...

Leon's first book in the series was conceived in backstage at a performance whilst chatting with the conductor and published in 1992. She's produced a book every year since. I must say the first book is quite consistent with the others I've read. Very character-driven and always you experience everything through Brunetti's sharp eyes and ears. You climb all the steps with him too in elevator-free Venice...

At least I did get to Gelateria Nico mentioned in the book on the Fondamente Zattare waterfront. Why do I always get pistache + nocciola/hazelnut flavors? I have no imagination when it comes to gelato...

I did not get to the pricey Ristorante Galleggiante in Bacino San Marco, where every course is described in the book and the order in which it was served. For example salad must be eaten after the meal, not with it.

I did get to have a pricy seafood antipasti elsewhere. But who knew it must be served on an oblong plate? If I'd read my Brunetti I'd have known. Plus who knew the vaporetto don't run in the fog? At Caffe Paolin, only the foreigners eat outside in bad weather. The sensible Venetians retreat inside. I love all these little details of everyday life in Leon's books almost more than solving the mystery. My copy is a mess of yellow markings...

There's a terrific interactive map on Leon's British site for browsing excerpts related to various Venice locations... Now I'm on to Blood From A Stone...

BON APPETITO LA FENICHE!