The first time I visited Venice was with my parents, I must have been aged 10 or so; that would be around mid-1960s.
The next time was in 1978, with my girlfriend (now my wife). Another visit followed in 2009, rather more for allowing my aging mother one last peek at her favourite city. My visit in 2015 started to include personal 'themes'.

In 2020 we benefitted from the Corona pandemic travel restrictions: other continents than Europe were notably absent.
This time I went for that famous festival: Il Carnevale!
I hope you will enjoy my report, my 6th visit to 'La Serenissima', also known as 'La Dominante', 'Queen of the Adriatic', 'City of Water', 'City of Masks', 'City of Bridges', 'The Floating City' and 'City of Canals'.

PAGE ONE | PAGE TWO THEMES | BLACK & WHITE | IL CARNEVALE | IL CARNEVALE IN B&W
To bottom this page

PEGGY GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION

With each visit to Venice I became more and more curious about the Peggy Guggenheim collection and decided to visit.

My curiosity was satisfied but I wasn't overly impressed. Probably just not my cup of tea.

Salvador Dalí, 'Birth of Liquid Desires' (1931-32)

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is a modern art museum on the Grand Canal in Venice; it's one of the most visited
attractions in Venice. Since people from Asia don't travel dus to the pandemic, it wasn't so crowded, but one needed
to make an online reservation the day before at the latest for a time slot.

Peggy Guggenheim, a most fascinating woman.

Funnily enough I came across exactly the same sculpture, by the same creator Marino Marini in Los Angeles,
visiting the Getty Center! Maybe between 2018 and 2022 it was purchased and moved to Italy?!
CALIFORNIA 2018

I did like this one!

Ending our visit with a refreshment, among some nice sculptures.

PRINCES & PRINCESSES

Now this was a surpise! Sold here as a delicacy called 'Fritelle' in january & february, in Holland we
enjoy them from 01Oct-31Dec as 'oliebollen'. They sure tasted good!

ICE SKATING

Now for something different: ice skating on Campo San Polo (04Dec-01Mar), during the evenings.

These photo were taken with my Panasonic FZ1000 II, an excellent all-purpose camera.

VARIOUS

I also had with me a Leica Q2, which has a fixed Summicrom 28mm lens.

A few months later I traded my Leica Q2 for a Q2 Monochrome.

OnREADING

One of a few themes I always have an eye for: people reading in public. I share their love for books.
"The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest (people) of the past centuries." - Descartes

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . .
The person who never reads lives only one." - George R.R. Martin

"Think before you speak. Read before you think." - Fran Lebowitz

PHOTOGRAPHY

Unfortunately I was too late for this exhibition in the Tre Oci, of work by Mario de Biasi.
But I did get the book!

Photo exhibition at the 'Università Ca' Foscari'.

Alessandra Chemollo, Fotografa

PROTEST & GRAFFITI

'No' to the immense cruiseships!

'Basta' against violence against women!

'Draghi Dittatore' for his measures during the Covid-19 'Corona' pandemic.

What does this graffiti mean? And what does Ollanda! signifies here?! EMAIL

'Eye Spy'-mural

COMMISSARIO BRUNETTI @VENEZIA

'Transient Desires' is another Commissario Brunetti novel (#30) by Donna Leon.
This was my book for this Venice trip, enjoyed it too!

The book opens with two injured women, one severely, being abandoned at the 'Ospedale' during the night.
The speedboats of this hospital are moored here on Fondamenta dei Mendicanti.

Various police departments work together with Commissario Guido Brunetti. This one is of the Guarda Costiera.
Brunetti needs to enlist the help of both the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Costiera as the investigation leads him
to sea, outside his jurisdiction, his colleague Claudia Griffoni at his side. The book is discussed on MyBlog_2022Q1

This could be a scene in a Commissario Brunetti novel!

This newspaper 'Il Gazettino' is often mentioned in Donna Leon's Brunetti novels.

CONFETTI

No doubt it will all end up in the canals and the Adriatic Sea.

Kids love confetti during these days!

'Nonno' fell victim to the confetti thrown by his grandchildren.

BOOKSTORES

Bertoni Bookcase.
I love bookstores. In 2020 I made a point of looking for them here in Venice (another theme of mine) and found this
one closed due to holidays of the owner. This time it was open but the shopkeeper walked away with a few people..

Libreria Marco Polo.
I bought here Thomas Mann's novella 'Death in Venice' (Der Tod in Venedig, 1912).

Bookshop 'Libreria Ca' Foscarina 3' (cafoscarina.it). I bought a new & recent Donna Leon title here.

'Libreria Ca' Foscarina 3'

Librerie La Toletta. This is the bookshop I always score my best results.

Studium, near Piazza San Marco, was a new bookshop to me. They had an excellent selection, but I had my shopping done.
This is what I call a 'lucky strike'! To remember this bookshop I wanted to make a photo, then father & son ran by!

My first visit to 'Libreria Acqua Alta', a fascinationg secondhand bookshop. Weird and wonderful.

A bookshop with a gimmick, so many selfies were taken here, sign of the times. Like the Corona masks.

<Don't forget to check out below links for more of this visit!>

Back to Top

PAGE ONE | PAGE TWO THEMES | BLACK & WHITE | IL CARNEVALE | IL CARNEVALE IN B&W

EXTERNAL LINKS:
en.wikipedia.org_Venice
www.visit-venice-italy.com
venice blog
theculturetrip.com/europe/italy/articles/venices-best-independent-bookstores/