Good Intentions, Faulty Memory

Learning the language is the number one priority for assimilation into a new country. However, though I am a very good student, my memory isn't so hot. I try my best to communicate using whatever words and phrases I can remember, spliced together with mime. Though I have the opportunity to make non-Italian friends who speak many different languages, I understand that none of us will ever 'become' Italian. We will always be straniero.

You cannot shake off decades of being raised in your own culture. Before moving to Italy, I underestimated the differences; now, I have no choice but to just make peace with them.

The U.S. seems to thrive on assimilation. Americans want to know all about where you came from; having a huge curiosity seems to our national trait. Italy seems to thrive on its regional differences. Italians just want you to tell them that wherever you came from, it is better in Italy.

Regatta Storica, Venice Part 3

The real Regatta follows the historical parade. This is the last and most important Regatta of the Season. Only Venetian rowers participate. The six sestieri (quarters, or areas) of Venice compete with each other for the winners' flags. The rowers compete 'alla veneta'...standing up.
The Venetians cheered and yelled for their favorites. I just took it all in.

These three boats were neck and neck all the way from the Rialto Bridge, after the turn, to the finish line. This was the most important final race for the championship. The orange (arancio) boat won...it is the one in the forefront...for the Sestieri of Castello. Castello is where the Arsenale is located, where the great ships of the seagoing empire of the Serenissima, Venice, were built, centuries ago. Here are my five buddies again (the fifth is on the far left in the striped shirt). Two had come up from Australia, a 23-hour trip, with a 3-day stop in Kuala Lumpur to break up the trip; they will be here for two months. Many many Italians emigrated to Australia, and these are just visiting the old country. Their wives had seats in the reviewing stand...one of the couples lives in Venice. But these five guys just had a ball...please note Umberto with the bandanna.

This was late in the day, one of the last races...the shadows are lengthening.


Did I mention that it was a clear perfect day, with the sun beating down all afternoon? Thank you, God, it wasn't also hot and humid. We had lunch before the Regatta, sitting in a campiello (the only piazza in Venice is San Marco). By the way, our gondola was tied up at the foot of the sign for Parrocchia di S. Stefano...De Stefano is my family name. And we passed a construction sign telling that the architect for the renovation of that particular palazzo is one Barbara De Stefano...my sister had the same name. But my family is from the South (il Sud), so I can only be Venetian for one afternoon.


That's it. Our day at the Regatta. Just not like New Jersey. *big smile*

Regatta Storica, Venice Part 2

Part of the enjoyment of the long afternoon was watching the people around us. We had lucked onto two seats in a gondola at the traghetto stop near San Toma. Walking through the alleyways, we saw a sign that said, in Italian, Reserved Seats in Gondolas to View Regatta. So we took two. We sat in the gondola, on the divan, facing out to the Canale, of course at water level, so we were right 'in it'. There were thousands of gondolas, private and commercial, as well as other types of boats, lining both sides and all up and down the Canalasso. People were sitting in huge reviewing stands built for the day (those seats were long since sold before Sunday) as well as chairs set up on the short piers and quayside. We thought we had the best seats. The photo above is Angel in 'our' gondola, King for a Day.

These two Venetian men of a certain age in their wonderful white clothes and sportiva Bardolino hats really caught my eye.Brilliant colors abounded, especially in these balloons. The racing boats were in six or seven colors: orange, red, green, violet or purple, yellow and blue.

The gondola to our right contained five Italian men who all spoke English with us. This is one of them with his bandanna hat and the dog on the gondola to his right.

To our left was a young family in a private gondola. This is the absolutely adorable little girl. She bedeviled her older brother until she fell asleep under an umbrella.

Regatta Storica, Venice, Part 1

The photo above, along with any photo of a Lion of Saint Mark, always symbolizes for me the spirit of Venice. Every gondola its own version of some wonderful fanciful creature, very often a seahorse.

From the brochure: The Regatta Storica opens with a historical parade, re-enacting the welcome in 1489 of Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, when she renounced her throne in favor of the rule of Venice. The Regatta is in typical 16th Century style, led by Serenissima, the boat that represents the Republic of Venice, manned by 18 oarsmen with a helmsman [sounded like that scene in 'Ben-Hur']. Following are about ten pageant boats with gondoliers in typical costume who transport the Doge, Duchess Caterina and other important people from the ancient government of Venice. La Serenissima is above, with the great Venetian flag dragging through the waters.

We were presented with a choice: to go to Rovere in the mountains to the funghi (mushroom) festival, or to go to Venice to see a gazillion boats coming down the Canalasso (the Grand Canal). This is like another choice we made: do we want to retire to North Carolina (nothing against NC) or to Italy? As you can see, Venice won.
I love the photo below...the all-oars-up (there must be a nautical term for this manuever) salute to the crowd.