Venice Day 5

This morning we have to pack the bags and vacate the rooms by 10am, but have the techy stuff for filming with us, so a question of logistics. First stop Rialto Market. For one thing we've just realised that Rigby's Ca'da Mosto neighbours our hotel (previous spot on map in wrong place) but is also covered in scaffolding - so what's new - anyway the only place to view same is from Market. Then we think this is also a good place for Libby voice to camera, so she does FB and Piper and decide to leave Rigby for more suitable location - something more cutting edge.
Then down to Academia Bridge for more Rigby shooting and stationary seagulls (Charles has a thing about them and they never fly away, so I am of the belief that they are part of the Biennale art installation, rubber decoys Pritt-sticked to the moorings - but don't let on, I certainly won't). Talking of Biennale's - the submarine we saw yesterday is now morred near Ca' Rezzonica! Libby also spotted a chap in costume talking on his mobile which reminded her of the well known image of the Last Emperor in full regalia chatting on his mobile!

And back to the wonderful gondola yard and this time - sweet success! Not only did the chaps rub the boats down, wander around and look useful - BUT they also launched a new gondola - well you can't say fairer than that! Meanwhile Libby photographed the antiques barge on the canal.
Following this a ham panini for Charles c/o another Brunetti haunt, the charismatic Cantine del Vino gia Schiavi, which he ate route marching back to Academia, boat to San Samuele where more Rigby filming. Back to hotel, a major reshuffle of equipment, and then a couple of hours free until we departed for the plane. Above: Cantine del Vino gia Schiavi
Libby directed footsteps back to the jewellery shop (see Venice day 1) and it turned out the proprietor was also the craftsman, so no wonder the items were extra special and could not be resisted.

An ice cream in Campo Zanipolo, then back to collect the bags, on to the Piazzale Roma, filmed the Rigby chat on the bridge, on to the bus and out to the airport. 900 photographs and 475 film clips in 5 long days!

Above: Charles making a mess as usual, outside Rosa Salva (another Brunetti favourite!)

Farewell Venice, you were truly beautiful, exhausting, but a rare treat, and I will always remember you.

Venice Day 4

Above: No we haven't moved to Switzerland - this is the gondola yard!

Today we are heading for Desdemona's House (Palazzo Contarini Fasan) (FB and Rigby) and the Salute (an iconic symbol for FB and placed in the background of many generic Venetian scenes). Charles got waylaid by men mending street lamps and pile drivers in the vicinity of the Dogano but was finally brought back to reality and wielded round to the other side of the Salute for more (FB) filming (more people blocking lens etc). From there to Guidecca side of Dogana (of course sealed off and undergoing reconstruction or whatever) alongside which was moored hideous Russian millionaire oligarch type yacht. UGH!
Left the trail, along Zattere and back inland to the delightful Campo Barbaro (back of equally delightful C' Dario c/o FB) and Claudia Canestrelli's treasure trove of an antique shop with Bouffon fish prints in old frames, and malachite boxes (too expensive for the likes of us).
Thence along the back of the Guggenheim (lots of over-priced shops as one may imagine), a few wiggles and into Campo S Trovaso, next to which is the gondola boatyard - which FB painted. He must have loved this spot, the yard dating from the 16th century, a wooden chalet from the Dolomites, the same craft and scene existing almost unchanged 100 years since FB first saw it. Magical. And all the sounds which Charles just loves and was about to record when a WI type party invaded the scene and the chaps stopped for lunch!
Give up - so now over to Palanca, where, it being 2pm, we stopped for lunch on the waterfront at what turned out to be an excellent eatery, and reasonable (by Venetian standards) - probably the best meal of the entire trip, Charles having a fish dish and Libby having aubergine and mozzarella salad. We weren't drunk (honestly) but whilst seated we spotted a submarine covered with graffiti gently nudging its way along the Guidecca! (photo follows to prove it!)

From there along the Fondamenta and vaporetta to San Giorgio Maggiore. Here views mainly of St Mark's and Dogana/Salute and back to Redentore and Le Zitelle, plus sound recording.
Above: Charles in obeisance - actually filming water on steps!

Back to St Mark's and Charles decides to do walk-about with the sound equipment whilst Libby guards the bags and takes people shots. A few more obligatory shots from the Riva. Decide to take vaporetto out to the Lido and back, feels like a different land - there's cars for one thing - CARS? A middle aged Italian Mama attached herself to Libby en route and explains everything in detail to a non Italian speaking personage who nevertheless managed (I hope) to sound incredibly interested! Above: Charles having a few minutes well earned rest en route to the Lido, and filming on the waterfront there.
Back to the hotel after another long and exhausting day and thence to local cafe where a rather diappointing meal - but hey, this is Venice and everything has a certain magic, just sitting outside in a pretty square is worth something!

Venice Day 3

Libby's first expense of the trip - bandages and antiseptic for those lanced blisters - a mere £13! Ouch (in every sense).
Off by 9.30 to the Rialto Market, just fab! Full of local colour, fresh produce, Charles did about 16 clips of the fish alone (will we find a slot for them in any of the proposed films?!). Different varieties of aubergines, wonderful spotted beans, courgette flowers, fresh spring garlic (couldn't resist so smelly bags back to the UK), artichoke hearts ready sliced, herbs, really ugly tomatoes (the sort FB would have loved), tall slim sparrow grass, each peach, pear, plum. We could have spent hours there but had to return to the grindstone.
This involved views of the Rialto Bridge from both sides (Rigby and FB), Mike's logo (again), and Palazzos Dolfin-Manin and Camerlenghi (FB). Same problem in the crowds with people standing right in front of the camera lens, but then Charles did exactly the same to a charming young American lady trying to take a photo of some graffiti. Back to hotel about 1pm to dump stuff, put batteries on charge. Lunch at the obligatory tappas (Tappa Obligatoria), not as good as yesterday, then back to work.
This afternoon deepest darkest Cannaregio, slightly out of the tourist beat which made it even lovelier. First stop opposite San Stae (Piper), then lots of photo opportunities in the Campo de la Maddelena, then back to the waterfront opposite Ca' Pesaro (Piper). Unfortunately a passing wave drenched Charles' clogs and socks (yes, you heard me) and he wimped about it for the remainder of the afternoon. Since it was only 4pm we decided to then tackle some more squares in San Marco, so the vaporetto to Sant' Angelo and a walk to Palazzo Pesaro (Piper), rather a drab looking building and narrow canal from which to film. Next stop Santa Maria del Giglio to film the gem Ca' Dario (Piper) and the Salute (FB). Walked inland to the Baroque church (Piper) and from there to La Fenice (Rigby) where Libby rather enjoyed people watching. Onwards to San Moise (Piper) which had a real buzz about it, a wedding party crossing the square, gondoliers merrily chatting and trying to get trade, others slipping through the water with their gondolas and precious loads of tourists supping champagne. £90 an hour to hire a gondola apparently - we judiciously decided against - and anyway only tourists do that!
Returned to hotel about 7pm and watched some footage whilst supping the flagon wine. Ca d'Oro a fun place for a meal and good value, very popular, not only diners but others spilling into the street sampling cicheti. Two very pleasant young Canadian chaps sitting next to us. Great excitement of the evening when a fire brigade launch sped down the Grand Canal, sirens blaring, lights flashing, creating a huge wash. Good job Charles wasn't standing on the water's edge - there'd have been more than soaked clogs!

Venice Day 2

Hardly slept again, and then at 5am the seagulls started squawking raucously, presumably heralding the arrival of fish at the Rialto Market. By 7am the Canal and Market are busy, busy, busy, locals, business people, children being taken to school in motor boats, tourists, a gondola ferry from the Market to Campo S Sofia.
Meeting for breakfast (rather sweet croissants), we decide to tackle St Mark's first. Whilst I studied the map, Charles sorted out the techy stuff and managed to slim it down to the tripod bag, my rucksack and a carrier bag. So off we go - a walk to Ca d'Oro, vaporetto to St Mark's, where, despite the morning being relatively juvenile, we are faced with hordes of tourists sounding not dis-similar to the earlier seagulls. Most of them also appeared to be grossly overweight, which offends C most frightfully, and they had a particularly nasty habit of standing right in front of the camera mounted on its tripod as if it, and its 6ft4in operator, were invisible. Gentle reader, you can well imagine that by the end of the morning, poor Charles was not the happiest of bunnies (to put it mildly).
Anyway, soldier on we did, the big camera, the Super8, a cute little Linux for blog shots and Libby in charge of the Nikon. Piper, Rigby and Brangwyn (FB) had all produced countless images of the Piazza, Piazzeta, campanile, St Mark's, Doge's Palace, the two columns, Bridge of Sighs, Danieli, and views from the Riva of San Giorgio Maggiore, the Dogana and Salute. Half of these buildings were covered in scaffolding or Sisley-wrap, the artists had conveniently moved some buildings to produce a more pleasing composition, there was no shade, the equipment was heavy, temperature 31C. Nightmarish! A ridiculously priced bottle of water certainly helped matters. Libby becomes obsessed with marble patterning (see below) and architectural details.We finally finished about 13.30 and took the equipment back to the hotel before finding a little bar where we indulged in mozzarella and tomato salad, a glass each (we felt we deserved it), followed by an espresso. Just what the Dr ordered but at £28 a trifle pricey!
Collected equipment for the afternoon session and C changed into his beloved Birkenstock clogs. Retraced yesterday's walk. First stop the lovely Campo S Maria Nova where we filmed S Maria dei Miracoli (matching Piper and Rigby images) and made some sound recordings. The reflections in water and the canals generally start waylaying us at every turn - beautiful photographic and filmic opportunities. CM stopped for a Mask opportunity (see below).
From there to Campo Zanipolo (Piper and FB 'did' the Scuolo and FB did the Ponte del Cavallo) where we also shot (not literally you understand) the little cafe, the canal, children skipping. On to the Ospedaletto (c/o Piper), not easy to photograph in narrow street, amazing Atlantes. More fascinating canal stops. Saw some lovely glass jewellery in a little shop - might have to return! Found a wonderful shop where the wine is sold by the litre from huge flagons so we filled up the water bottle - a mere 2 euros per litre, so vastly cheaper than water! On to Campo S Maria Formosa where we stopped for a necessary break and un' ombra. Restored, we filmed the church (Piper) and the delightful 15th century marble relief above the Ponte del Paradiso (FB) - scaffolding next door needless to say. Onwards to San Giorgio dei Greci (Rigby) and San Zaccaria (Piper and Rigby). A final sprint to the vaporetto stop and back to the hotel by 8.30 which makes a 10 1/2 hour day! Noted by Libby's feet which have developed 2 large blood blisters. Ugh.
Tried the flagon wine (pas mal), munched some olives. Walked to Ca d'Oro but no room so booked for tomorrow and ended up at a tiny place near the hotel where I had fried squid (yum) and C had liver and persuaded me to try some. And you know what, it was a revelation, delicious and not a bit like school liver!

Venice Day 1

Above: An excited Libby in St Mark's

Excitement reigns. I've lived in the Middle and Far East and travelled much of the world but have NEVER been to Venice and have longed to do so for oodles of ages, so am hugely excited this morning (in fact hardly slept last night). Ready by 7.45 so set off and arrived at Gatwick an hour early! Had a coffee and read Brunetti's Venice until I got a message from Charles at 10.30 - turned out he'd been 30 minutes early so had also been twiddling his metaphorical thumbs. Absolutely unprecedented for Charles to be early! Quick re-sorting of equipment so that all the valuable stuff goes as hand luggage - if the check-in bags are lost we'll be clothes-less.
Checked in - I got frisked (the titanium hip always produces a beep!) and I had to empty out my small rucksack - meanwhile Charles' bag stuffed to the brim with batteries, chargers, cables etc is not even questioned!
Plane late leaving, but made up for lost time. BA's current financial straits noted in the lunch - a sandwich. Although we were offered a bottle of wine afterwards - which C declared was more akin to paraffin.
Flying over Venice, the sparkling water, campaniles, domed churches - oh gosh, just beautiful, actually brought a tear to the eye. And then the heat on landing at Marco Polo - divine - having spent 23 years in hot countries I just adore the heat (makes me even livelier if possible). Bus to Venice then a vaporetto and then what felt like a lengthy walk (but nothing compared to the next few days) trying to negotiate the narrow streets with 6 large bags including an outsized tripod bag.
Hotel delightful, right on the Grand Canal opposite the Rialto Market, no straight walls, furniture on the slant, tacky overblown Murano glass mirrors and chandeliers. I'm mesmerized by the view from the window, the Canal is so busy, all sorts of vessels plying back and forth, and all very civilised, no water rage - I could watch this for hours. Who needs TV? Not me for one.
It being late afternoon we change for dinner and set off (sans equipment but avec dot littered map) on a recce for tomorrow, delightful Campo S Maria Nova (Campari soda), Campo Zanipolo (ugly hoardings with Communist posters across square), Campo S Maria Formosa and thence to St Mark's where we discover part of the Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs are being renovated and obliterated by ghastly Sisley advertisements. In fact half of the buildings in the square seem to be covered by scaffolding, which is not good news for our filming. Vaporetto back to Rialto for a literary lion photo opportunity (see previous entry). In fact we are beginning to note that the Goldmark logo has taken over this fair city!
Brunetti led us to Antico Dolo in San Polo for some excellent cicheti followed by a divine cuttlefish and polenta. We amble back to Campo SS Apostoli where we indulge in a caffe coretta (and toast Brunetti).

Above: Charles with his caffe coretta

Venice - here we come!

Met up with Charles in deepest Essex, the latter armed with his latest gadget, a light tent. This singular device is designed for photography of sculptures, pots etc, and comes with a variety of different coloured backgrounds. We were charged with photographing some Brangwyn ceramics for the Japanese exhibition next year, and the black background proved to be stunning.

Thence back to Film Farm supposedly to do some FBSG editing - BUT - actually to discover the most exciting news that Mike Goldmark has decided the Piper film needs that extra oomph and we're off to Venice the end of the month! WOWZERS! We've also got to do some Rigby Graham work whilst there (Mike would like to re-publish Rigby's absolutely wonderful illustrations of Venice originally printed in 1986 as Venice, Scaraboti by Rigby Graham) and as if that wasn't enough Mike then added Brangwyn to the equation. We both feel that of the three artists, Rigby's images of the city are by far the most evocative.

Who could resist such an offer? Although when we started looking at pictures (FB did over 100 images of Venice in various media) and putting little coloured dots on a map of Venice we began to realise that this would not be a joy ride but 3 1/2 days of solid slogging around the city. But hey, someone's got to do it!

Part of our dotty Venice map (Piper in yellow, Brangwyn in red and Rigby in green)

Oh, and we've also got to photograph Mike's logo - nicked from the Dieci Savi building at one end of the Rialto Bridge (Mike and said logo a couple of years ago - plus another couple or so)!

26 September 2009

A date to put in your diaries - because this is the date Frances Spalding's book (published by OUP) and our film will be jointly launched at the Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham! So, we've got our work cut out between now and then!

This last week I've been compiling a list of all the images and paintings we have of Piper's work, and have started transcribing the interviews - a lengthy and rather laborious process which I personally find I can only manage in short segments - generally the evenings accompanied by a glass of wine.

I also entered the blog URL into www.wordle.net/create and it came up with this - the site is a wonderful waste of time!