CANNONBALL

Here's my current situation:

I just made a baked brie wrapped in filo dough with the absolute freshest prosciutto danielle and basil.  Everything I make here is amazing.  The ingredients are so fresh it makes it impossible to screw something up.  Kelly and I are sitting in the living room near food coma and we heard a singing gondolier coming down our typically quiet canal.  We popped out onto our balcony and got a free show.  The couple being paddled along filmed us as we clapped and cheered.  Super cute.

I tried some sort of fried dough, mozzarella, and anchovies today.  I nearly puked.



Opera Concerto
Barocco e Opera

This place was no Carnegie Hall or the Met.  The opera was set in a preserved scvola (an old fashioned union building, much like today's elk's clubs and rotary.)  The ceiling was beautifully decorated with 3 large murals.  Acoustics were not that great

 but the three singers (soprano, baritone, and tenor) eloquently compensated for it naturally.  All were in 16th century traditional Venetian dress.  The 10 piece chamber orchestra was traditional and accompanied the singers, along with on their own very nicely.  My question is how in the world can you possibly properly clean those costumes?  They're very elaborate and I highly doubt that it comes with a little tag saying "IRON. "  It was a nice introduction to the opera world.  The show went quickly and was entertaining.  There was A LOT of clapping - a bit excessive if you ask me.  I felt like we were a state of the union address and not a play.  After each piece, the singer would leave the stage and applause became a bit redundant.  The chairs in the place took away from the experience.  They were blue fabric and folding, not exactly elegant.  It was overall an enjoyable experience.  Prior to the play, Kelly and I snarfed down 2 slices of pizza that were the size of our heads while dressed to the nine's.  Talk about the epitome of class.

Later on, my heel got stuck in the cobble stone....


You can view the opera house's website here.

Green Industry

Gardens are great here but the disposal of waste and conservation sucks in Venice.  Recycling is such a disappointment.  It blows my mind that Venice just hopped on the environmental train within the last year and it's not strongly enforced.  I'm not saying that the US is much better, but with celebrity endorsement - we've made great leaps.  

Growing up in the literal green industry, it was not a glamourous and hip movement.  Plants were mediocre and only hippies hugged trees.  Thankfully this American green revolution has started to shed some light on dire issues.  Just recently, I spent a considerable amount of energy getting The Raimondi Group nationally certified as a green company.  First off, it ain't easy.  Secondly, it's a lot of work.  If we're setting the bar for education and standards (or at least think we're cool), why don't we do more international education and improvements?  Let's get stuff cracking!  Perhaps I could pursue this a bit...


Flower Shop/Garden Center



These fountains are all over the city.  They continually run-


Canal Swimming
Upon arrival, Marina scared the group collectively saying that you would contract a blood disease if you swim in the canal.  That comment left me so petrified that I found myself jumping out of the way as a fire boat's wake splashed onto the deck of the vaporetto  (I did have time to snap this pic though).  Enough is enough.  I swam at the Lido which has to be the same water.  Geographically, it's not far and the tides have to take the junk somewhere - right?  I swam in that and I still feel healthy.  That lead's me to my insane ploy - late night cannon balls off the balcony in my apartment - clothing optional.

1. I need to find out the depth.  As silly as this is, I would like to live to report on the activity.  Hey, I've jumped off 30 foot cliffs before (almost dislocated my shoulders, but had a hell of a time.)  This is one, two and three stories.
2. It has to be late at night.  I want to encounter the creature from the Venetian lagoon.  I need the whole experience.
3.  Kathy (la profesora) has to photograph the event, as per her request.

Rock on.
 
Some other observations on the day:

• We ate lunch at a cafe and their was a British family next to us.  Excuse me, a small Royal Army.  They too were just as loud as our American comrades yesterday.  So much for the English speaking nations.  The Australians I met the other night were loud and unruly as well.  I guess it's OK to blast my Brittany Spears throughout the canals...
• How in the world do Italian's keep their white pants so clean!?  I am envious.