Palazzo Ducale, Imperativo, e Francesco

Allora (which means "well," or "all right,"),

I'm going to stall on some homework to tell you guys about my trip to the Palazzo Ducale on Sunday with my Dad. First of all, I recommend that anyone who goes to Venice should see it. It really is unlike anything else - except maybe the capitol building in Washington DC. That's the closest government building to this place - and it served essentially the same role. There's a lot of history in this place, and I can't begin to tell all of it. But the architecture is just beyond incredible - actually, it's baffling. There are so many paintings by Tintoretto, Tiziano (Titian) and other famous Venetian and Italian fresco painters. There is the "Paradiso" painting in the Consiglio Maggiore chamber, where the grand council met - it's the largest fresco painting in existence, I think. It's also so stunning how such ornate residence halls (for the Doges) were so close to the brutally stark prison cells across the Ponte dei Sospiri (bridge of sighs, because its grated windows were the last sight of the outside world the prisoners would see).

That's really all I can include about the Palazzo Ducale. Each room was so ornate, even the fireplaces. And there was this room that had Renaissance paintings of the life of Jesus - there were two or three of the nativity that I swear I've seen before, like on Christmas cards or something. That room just took me away. I just stood there. The Consiglio Maggiore chamber had frescoes all over the ceiling too, and this was a huge room - I think it was in the front of the Palace. Another thing that was kind of cool was how the Palazzo is built right up to the Basilica San Marco, so the Doge could just roll out of bed to go to church. Sometimes I wish it was that easy. Actually my dad told me that the Basilica was used just for the Doge. Whoa, all that space for just one guy.

The last day my dad was in Venice, on Monday, he came to visit me at San Servolo. My roommate Shunsuke was asleep, so I was like, "Sh, don't make too much noise," but my dad was impressed by how big my room is here on the island. Unfortunately I couldn't show him my massive balcony and its view. We took the 4:50 vaporetto into Venice where we walked around for a little bit, you know, just strolling through the streets. I took us to the Billa, which is the grocery store on Strada Nova. It was fun to point out which products were popular and different from what you'd find at Harris Teeter, for example, or Shaw's.

Later, I went out for dinner with Dad at a little trattoria just east of his hotel. It was really small and nice. We talked about the things we did - I have to say I left out the classical music concert we went to on Sunday night. It was mostly Vivaldi music, so I absolutely loved it since I really like Vivaldi (it's so predictable! and that's what I like best about classical). There was a woman who sang the soprano parts in some of the other parts - her voice was just incredible. The concert was actually in the oldest church in Venice, San Giaccometti. Really small church, but the sound was great. Two violins, viola and cello.

Wow, I just wrote a flashback! Cool, huh? So anyway, we were at the trattoria, enjoying some wine and the cannelloni, and then I figured I should catch the next vaporetto (they leave on the half hour). San Marco has been partially underwater recently. I don't know exactly why, but there have been wooden platforms set up so you can walk on them instead of getting wet. I didn't get wet that time, but I actually did tonight when walking back to the Vaporetto with some friends. We made the boat though. Oh well.

Ok, so this week has been really busy so far schoolwise (I had an architecture presentation today and I have two Shakespeare presentations tomorrow). But that's ok - everything is fine. We actually did a really fun lesson on Monday in my Italian class - the imperativo, you know, imperative. The way we practiced though was putting a few personal objects in front of us (sunglasses, pens, water bottles) and then our professor, Massimo, made us give orders to each other like this: "Put the bottle on your head. Now take it down. Open it. Don't drink though. Now throw it to Anthony. Take Elisenda's sunglasses and put them on. Trade cell phones. Now change back." It may sound dumb now that I realize it, but it was fun at the time. Oh well.

I've been trying to get a lot of practice for my Italian, as you all know, and so I'm always looking for an opportunity. Tonight, I went into Venice with some friends. We went to a restaurant near the Teatro Goldoni that we've been to a few times, and my friend John saw this guy who we've seen before at this place. Actually, he recommended Torino to John and Brian (Torino is a club/bar in Campo San Luca). So John and I went up to this guy, he's maybe a couple years older than us. But we spoke in Italian, and his name's Francesco. He was born in Bucharest, and then moved to Spain, but he's been in Venice for 3 years. But he chatted with John and me for a few minutes - it was really cool, and really easy to understand him.

Ok, basta per ora. A piu tardi (Enough for now, later!)
Andrew