The canaiders on tour

it is my birthday month and we are preparing to travel abroad but,

first things first...

the little horse needs a new yard and a haircut.

check.

see below.....

Then make sure the passport photo is good one

Thats not good, that is "fabulario" you are think to yourself I'm betting.





'then we had to rescue the wild things from the wild places



It made very cute noises and him now safe in a big tree in the secret forest



Then we clean out the pipes of the farm

And the housework

and get the monopoly money from the money shop next door to woolworths in Bega.

By now we were itching to get cracking.

So crack we did.

And flew in a big silver bird for a very long time.

As i flying i thinks i was dreaming,

one time looking out the window and see the mountains

And then the next minutio....



Am outside the pinarello bici shops et Treviso. I go in a little bike race here on Friday. The lady in the bike shop she say she want to take me for a rides but wants me under contract first......

I buy nice tshirts from hers anyway. The one she wearing was best color.

Now,I take a piccolo scarpa around the centro storica



This my new church.

This lady is called Agnes. She a bit stony but very sort of enigmatic in a virgin martyr way.

She lives in the chiesa San Nicolo and was very lovely

This is me being mark after church

I know the people in the archway

Well I know then now, Sue (yes she with me this time. I finally got her passport from the authorities back in Bega) did say not to talk to people in anglaisio as it makes them think you a touristico instead of a native.

I also start the smoking and the fork twirling of the foods and the sitting on the statuatti.

Just around the back of this lion is big hole in ground. I find some crazy paving. Thank heavens they have a fence around it. It reminds a little of Melbourne near Carlton.

 

Is it Thursday already? Answer is yes. We have an appointment at the top of these stairs with an astromoner. A lady one. Apparently you can see all three of the vistas of Treviso from the the very top and at night time you can hear fume sile tumble through the town and see the stars and learn the future. She also astrologica and is never wrong.

Now for the bike hire...

We study the English version of the instructions and decide that they are for stupids and not possible.

We then discover another cunning linguist also trying to hire the Treviso bici. We all say no bici oggi and walk to stazione to make the train tickets for tomorrow. We have to see a man in Verona. He is world expert on hypericum perforatum. He live at the the holy gardenhouse of St John of the Worts.

This is his garden.





After much success at the statzionio we scarpa to the civica museo also called "san caterina the blessed once was a vergine". There is a magnifico fresco by tom of modena. They were truly beautiful. I buy three postcards there.

If you lucky and be good you may get one in the posto with fair dinkum wogalotta stamps on him.

the bicycle rules the streets here. Everyone rides everywhere smoking the cigarillo and yappy yaps the mobile telephone all at once. Talking of the bicyce, it is getting very Rosa in the home town of pinarello. It is on tomorrow. I will be at the pazzale grano for the sign on at 9.45.



Apparently the tshirts lady want me to sign the contracts.

This the tshirts I buy from her.

Weather is good and the pope is still a catholic here in Treviso. Must go, the bells of San Nicolo are ringing my ears and the peloton won't wait.

is fantastic no?

The tourist books say don't bother with Treviso,I agree. If you come here you don't bother ever leave.

It just like Melbourne only no inglese speaks and they don't try o make things new.

I love it here.

 

Hello there and how are you this Friday?

Anyway enough about you, back to me.

Very busy today so we are up and about before the sun. A turn around the blck to stretch the legs and help the world turn a little bit.

Jobs for today include but not limited to:

The crypt

She in the crypt

me in the crypt

The model job

done

The stone mythological beast ( I find the urge to sit with them irresistible, it is like being with a friend that only exists for you )

Done

Get autograph of mark cavendish or Matt goss



Or this guy

Get photo of me with giro girl/s

then meet this one in the lobby of the Relais San Nicolo Treviso



done

Catch train to Verona ( I have to see a man there remember)

Catching the train had it's moments. Apparently "cancellato" means it has "disappeario until later on in a little bit more longo".

Beautiful sun shiny day here and true of Italian stazione the coffee is fantastico while you waits for the magic disappearing trains to come real again.

Guess whats ?

The trano reappears and we go clackity clacks to Verona via Vicenza. Out the window The paddocks are green and the corn is high. A maizing.

The papaver rhoeas carpet the verges and remind me of things never forgotten.

I go in search of the balcony of Guilette. I have a map. Head north on piazzale 25 aprille for 36 m then turn slightly left onto via citta di nimes, walk 300m and look up.

Must be wrong map. This the balcony I find.

And the doves of verona coo in the early early morning out the window of our room in the old town . Our host is famous. He is the most charming and gracious ever.

Fair Verona.



I had to tie the iPad to a long stick to take that one. Stick now called istick. Go nowhere without one.

































It is the antique market today. They happen every third Saturday in the piazza dell junkiana and have been "performed" here for centuries. They were probably new markets once.

Have my copy of L'Arena and will take macchiato at the piazza delle erbe and engage one or two of the 266000 veronians in conversation about did Romeo and Guiletta really exist or were they just imaginings from the balcony.

Guess who I meet at the markets? The seamstress. She had to relocate from Firenze after a scandal about the front room in her shop. anyway I ask her to make me some long shorts bespoke in Italy style. She a bit nervous at first but after I tell I too am a shy person she agree provide for we go over the pattern together. I say to her "don't worry I have a plan" she smile and say I go get the scissoria and the brown paper.

I say I get the zips for the sideways pockets so adjustio the front room not such a problem in publico.

This photo of the results. I just out from her uncle luigi house where she has the sewing room. Nice place he has. I quite like my bespokes Italiano shoorts. What you thinks?

Anyways, back to the balcony story...

His

Hers

now a few facts

This is a unesco world heritage town, complete with a teatro romano

and

A roman arena

And

the tomb containing the remains of love.

You and me babe, how about it.....

Wish those Doves would coo off.

I love it here

Talk later, love and peace Marco

There is always more to a saturday story than first meets the roman mosaic eye. This is an early Sunday morning redux.

On this day I had my bespoke shoorts made ( see above)

I wore my suede sneakers from home for the firt timre . A creature crept out of them when I unpacked from my luggage. I catches him and took him to the polizia statione, they say take it to zoologicalio, I did. Today we go the movies...

During the morning scarpa we crossed the Fiume Adige three times, only once the same bridge. I think Verona got two too many bridges. The old bridge best one in the world and the oldest in all of Verona.

After bridge there was the beggar incident. I can't talk about it yet.

We decided to skirt the usual touristico things after that and went straight ( well sort of straight, the beggar stole my thoughts and I misplaced our map) for the casa di giulette. For the balcony glimpse.

For those of you with little imagination it is a bit like walking through the little lane between the old bank and the news agents walls in Bega.

Those doves have started again which makes nice change from the one word song bring sung by the inmate ( Italiano for patient) in the care facility for the dementianio opposite our fancy B&B. The lunatic starts at 4.00 am, the doves about an hour later. They go coo, the lost minded one goes "l'polenta" repeatedly . He has a nice voice but it is a a little flat.

Anyway back to the saturdays doings

I love a ruin, any sort usually but a roman ruin overlooking the Adige river complete with caveo and stones worn silky smooth and charmingly elegant bigiletreiii sellers whom multi lingual everything including the shrieks from the German amatuer acheaologistica who " accidently "stumbled into my side of the uber modern toilet facility. I was innocently trying out the zip function of my new shorts and she thought otherwise. We all had a good laugh after the ruin security goon left. Who said the box heads don't have a sense of humor.

It was a day of adventure. After the ruins we crossed the three bridges once more each, looked out for the beggar and could not find him.

We walked three times around the arena and found the best gelateria in all Verona, they serve prosecco there

We found the most expensive train tickets from Verona to Venezia Santa Lucia and bought two.

We had dinner at the oesteria de giulette e Romeo.it was that good I thought I had cooked it. Hand and home made everything. How they handmade veal is a mystery to me.

Something I seek your opinion on. When in Rome....but that is not for a few weeks yet.

Whoops I nearly forgets, a picture

 

It still Sunday and am just back from the walkies. I went and sang a little from a Verdi opera about Romeo and giulette at the anfiteatro arena.

The people's there seemed to like it. I have very good singing voice in italy.

I also measure the flood waters because I can.

 

One last look the statuatti di Verona. All very fabulouso but they all look like they lost their marbles...

 

Leaving Verona

More later

Love and peace

Marco

And now it is evening di domenica in dorsoduro Venezia. campo San margherita is singing and many thoughts have been thought.

I saw fishes in the rio di botte and I can hear the bambino grizzle in the room down the vicolo.

And now

Lunedi e sestire di dorsoduro il grande fantastico. Il campo San margherita la dolce vita and all the girls are pretty especiolo the one with the square shoulders.

WeNt in searchio the famous Hugo of corto Maltese this fine primavera morning. Because I know Venezia like the back of a friends hand I no get lost in Venice. Well I don't get lost in Quattro of the six sestierre of Venice? But, in cannereggio it is a whole new world and one needs the navgazione skill of Lt. J. J. Cookio to find a windward passage. Luckily I have that skill, all one needs to remember and be is, that the sun is in the southern sky.

Other fascinato things fom this day

my tower,

I lean a little to left also.

I am taking some students on a fondo di sestierre di Venezia . They are all shy and my contract is that I show them ways to become " skin deep".

First is to take photo being shy

This my example

Then we airs our Che scufoso laundry ( I had little accident the night time)

I noght used the artichokes

Then I teach them the rules of life

Dogs

dogs

horses

Self

Then people

This example of a people

they called Nonna's

They at the end of the "calle dell'Amor deli Amici"

They love being friends.

Then the studentias they have make the poem of they selfs in venezia

This my one for examples

Is called

the other creatures of the laguna

It goes like this

This day in Venice, on the fondamenta zattere

I saw a tuna in the guidecca canal.

It is supposed to be a myth

but it means good fortune on all those who believe

the story.

The tuna only appears when he thinks you are ready

The tuna

He swim where ever he wants

The tuna is free but

he is always swimming through the sea

The sea of life

I like the tuna

He like the dolphin of home

He looks us in the eye

The tuna he see me

It must be his birthday

I likes this poem, hope you do to.

My students don't do so good the poems, so I make them all fail and they go home full the crying and the tears. Terrible noise. I hope i never see them agains .

Only one I make pass. She a relo of you know who and me needs some asstiance with the adding of the money from the scula di philantropica and the fixie the electrocution of the appartimento.

So guess what? I learn very important thing. It cost nothing to put in the wires but plenty to take out. She also tell me old Venetian blind joke. Now you see him, now you don't. I don't get the joke but I laugh anyway and say it better than her sisters joke about the need for the toilet because of the problem with the intercoursio. Didn't get that one either but always smile and say "alore" or prego. Those Italian girls pretty and funny....and I make them a focaccia to take home their Nonna's.

btw

I cook penne alla abbiatto this night time. Is delicious. I serve in the kitchen of the penzione for the other 23 guests. Everyone loves it a lot. The americanos eat more thn a horse but at least it stops them talking for few momentos. I made them use a tray.

I also go the plonkitoria me and the Julio go last season. The plonkitoria maestro, he remembers me. His wife was the señora that tell me go the farmalogicia after I swim the grand canal from the ponte-accedemia last time. ahhhhh memorias....

This the one

Drop in the canale of the campanille and the crano

 

Now is most importanti oggi

Is the anni of the day they banned all the San Marco lions from the walls the houses in 1797

Very impotant day in Venezia cultutistico. Also luck day if you have birthday Or get married same day. You get free drinks anywhere that has a san Marco lion. If you name Marco they all want a kiss.

I very very busy and need lip salve for the stops the kissing blisters, but I save best one for you.



"di de ti e poi di me dirai"

I finish the free kissing job just before lunch.

Now we go the sala superiore for the spritz con prosecco and the toasti, then returno campo San marcorita for the sleeps.

Well we nearly did

But on the way home we go the left instead the other way and abracadabra we in fronts the gelati nico on the zattere fondamenta.

Is the casa most grand cono di fragola e vaniglia all the laguna.

At a street stall run by silvio I win free tickets to the Klimt exhibi by correcto guess where is the heart of Venezia.

Is San Bartolomeo in case you ever go to a triva night and that comes up.

The Klimt is superbo. He a bit nutsy and think he pretty special but I must admits. He sure know how to draw the ladies. Apparently the grand Nonna's of the seamstresses used to " work" for him as a pencil sharpener. Grand Nonna must have had the square shoulder and the steady hand also.

I wonder she had long feets,anyway that another story.

Back the birthday story.

This my dinner is called riso di Venezia

If you wants to try this home you:

Must be clever

Must be man or good look lady

this what you needs:

onions,garlics,olives Verdi, tomato,mushroomio, melanzane lunghe ( little melanzane never do the jobs),pepperoni Rossi, riso arborio, chilli, parmigiana, pesto, soave, stock of the veggie and a stove and two big heavy basso potsio and a salad greens and two nice bowls for the service and a pretty plate and a well weighted fork for the eat up bits.

And about 40 minutiae.

I go sleeps now, I finish instruct tomorrow so just buy take away till then

Bye bye

I get high on Venezia

buona Sierra from the campanille.

Yes I knw it's very early morning, but I already have the morning walks and the rowboats across the grande canal. The water very still this day. Not even the gulls bob up and down. They just sits there like made from wood on a glass sea of aquamarine jade green ( just imagine the colors yourself).

Today I go see in the ghetto di cannereggio. Is a long way a walk but does mean vaporetto número uno ride down the canale di grande. Is fabulouso. I know the ships captain and he let me have a go in the wheel house. I have a sit his knee a little while but is ok, he not a weirdo just very squashy because he very big man.

Anyway back the culinary lessons; ( skip to next page if you get borio at any time)

Puts the oil in the heavy pots and sketch hot but not burn. Put in the onions and the seasons and the olives. All chopped up small. Cook to the onions translucent ( no translation in google )put the garlics in last, they cooks quick. Put in mushrooms and cover lids on low heats 3 or 4 minutes. Then in goes one cups the arborio ( use no other types) stir little bit and cover, no liquids yets.

On other hot plates in fry pans you have the circles of the lunghe melanzane and the perperoni Rossi and some olio and the little bit chili and the tiny tomato until cooks hot.

back to big pots. Pout in one gass the Soave, carefull of the steam and the hissing from the vino hitting the hot bottom, stir all up, lids on heat down. Drink one sips the Soave you self. Give little sigh of pleasure you doing good.

Keep other eye on frypan. You wants the melanzane crispy not burn, moist not sloppy.

Back big pots, pour in half more glass stock veggie( massel cube one ok if you in a hurry and don't have stock from yesterday). Give little stir so no sticky bottom, even in Italy sticky bottom unforgivable.

Your probably need trio/quattro litro of the stocks for ths, little bits each time, what you try do is cook the rice ( break down the starch with the heat so no crunche) but not bake him gluggy or still raw. Is quite a trick to get perfecto but me never fails, even someone else's cucina. Best way to tell is to taste very a lot while cookio.

Getting the hang of it yets ?

When rice is ready it looks diff from when not. This hard to explainio in inglese but all about the color and the feel. When cook the rice, she go good color and feel nice you mouth. When not, the rice she still to white and no goods the mouth. Pretty straightforward I reckon but takes some practicio.

Ok

Now the servings.

In nice big blue bowl puts in the greens of lettucio and rockets and basils all fresco. Little olio and litte limoni juicio, stir in the things from the frypans while still hots. Grates the hard cheese and the "pepper with that madam" ( old Australian joke).

In plates put the risoto from the hot big pot. One and a half big tabespoons fot te ladies and two for the man. But importantio you stir in the risoto the pesto to the big pots while still on low heats two or three mins before you serves him. Is the part of the plan you must never forget to make it perfect and still bit a mystery.

Finish Soave and eats up with some pane fresh the day.

Pink lady apple for dessert.

Sorry for long story but I thinks this is good way for you to feel like you here and not there. So tHat me recipe for the risotto di Venezia da Marco. Never anywhere else the worlds has it cooked.

Bellissimo.

grazie e arreviderci.

Marco

Motto excito

The ground shakes here

Everyone very worry and gone their casa to save the precious things. They all get the doggy and the foto di Nonna's before she expirato and di wardrobio. Nothing else matters because they all believe the boat will save venexia.

We only tremble with the anticipation, but we still waiting the rumble. But we did have the thunders and the lightnings over the laguna before the lights go out.

I had to contact the chief pointy head in the antipodes to get some instructionio to fix the valves in this.

He send me diagram

Looks like this! Well I have to do the schematic later cause this part of story only little true but the earthquakio was real and so was the lightning and so was the bit about the back amorous and the dark lane and the scary dancing ladies in the night time, I think I need a relaxiantio.

 

This bird attack my lunch

this bird adopt me, I still have him 36 hours later

some of the seamstress work, which one u want .

Just a glimpse of home. Rupert sent me a photo. I think he has fallen for his new keepers and has accepted the cloak of grandeur. I a little sad but happy for him.

I treat myself, time for a vaporetto up the grande canale on número uno.

Ltr

Mio

Is Thursday

Mio appartimenti down the first on the leftio.

Is grande

I now remembers something from Treviso, I met yoko there in a museo di civics. Because she famous she allowed to do the graffiti. I inspire her write

This room moves the same speed the clouds

See foto



I also find the red bag lady who is the amici all the worlds whippets. She knows me from a story about a dog called ruby. I gave her a photo ( of me and Rupert). She was delighted. Her whippets are called Paulo e Caterina.

today is our day to arrevederci di Venexia.

I loved it here and am very sad to go so we jam packed many things into our morning 6 chilometre walk through the sestierre. Today we do the loop from San margarita to Santa Lucia to giardini and back to S. margarita.

We do a little by vaporetto número uno.

I borrow the boat of amici. I motor up the canale.



 

A few gondola facts

280 pieces of eight different types of wood.

The port side ( left) is longer the starboard by 24cm ( how Italiano)

This means they list to starboard which assists the balance of the gondolier and the raised bow improves manoeuverability.

The gondola is venexia. The front representing the six sestierre, the aft section ( the bit the guy with the stripey shirts stands in) is the Guidecca and the lunette ( a wonderful world which sort of means the arch of a woman's back ) is the Rialto bridge.

None of that is made up.

Talking of ladies

Cop this shiela

foto di lion

very fierce but somehow appealing

getting ready to leave venexia

Foto the newe bridge

Venexia is divide about and by this new one. Some love it some hate it.

There is no room in my Venetian heart for hate

I love it here.

Foto the bridge of sighings

I sighed

bye venexia

Wipe the tears away baby.

ahh, Padova, is exactly like the carlton bit of Melbourne.

I love it here. The streets are lined with elm trees and statues of my relatives. Just like Edinburgh gardens in the bit of Melbourne that is nearly Carlton.

there is even a bike shop that is owned by a man called Dominique. He as curly hairs on all his body and his legs are like walnuts tree and he has eyes that look the best line aways. He popular with the ladies for some strange reason....

This his shop window.

 

I sign my name in his visitor book. He think i fabian cancellara slighty older brother who lives in austria ( i did say australia) anyway when i show him a photo of my training partner inthe cover of the phone book from home he cracks open the vino, taste like stuff you wash your sprockets in but hey who cares when you in the company of great curly haired men. Did i mention he haste cury hairs all over hs body ?

No brakes on his road bike, he a fearless.

Sierra

We go see how my plastering works are holding on at the scrivegni chapel. You may recall I was there last year to help with the paintings clean upio.

The blue vaulted ceiling makes you crane the necks but well worth the stretchy backwards. The massacre the innocent I still second best painting the world.

this not the innocent I but I not allow to take a foto of them

Why are all the men there weeping when they look the innocents painting

Is because they are all so sad.

Time to go a happy place

the simple gardens from the olden years ago does the trick

Padoa Is superbo and remembers me

Ciao

It is sabatao and time to split for Firenze.

Before we go I had to go see the man who commissioned this glass wallio at our apartmenti in padova.

It reminds me very much of a work I piccolo involves with many years ago in one the worlds great cities. In Melbourne is grande art museo and cultutistico called

" The MMBW South Carrum treatment works."

Is very important place. Anyway long story short ( this not a recipe). My friend the warragul wine farmer he get job to make glass wall for the big office the treatments works. He and somebody else famous ( I don't remembers they name) make the glass panels just like this but different of course. I go the place with them to make fix the walls for the entrance. Was beautifully. Thanks John.

also a bit like the wall at the ngv by mr french no ?

Is now time to blow the trumpets and catch Treno 9427 for the citrate dell di Arno e di Michelangelo e di ponte d'vecchio

 

Blow hard mr trumpets.

Ps. I saw the big fishy in the canale d padova early morning today. Reminds me the time I catch the fish in the wilderness of yesterday times. I like the fishes.

I love Padova