I felt very uncomfortable doing tho show last evening. Part of the reason was that I was very, very tired. Another thing was that I was very hungry and hadn't really eaten much that day (always very bad for me), and thus felt weak in addition to hunger. I also had my new summer teaching assignment on my mind. And finally, once again my engineer had trouble getting everything right, and only did when I made a suggestion. You know things are bad in the studio when we get on the air because of a suggestion that I make!!!!! Also, I hadn't realized that this was the first broadcast since before we went away, so five weeks. All this combined to make this a difficult performance on my part, although, and I kept thinking this all during the broadcast, my audience probably had no idea of any of this. I made several mistakes throughout, just as I used to do in the "old" days; the most annoying and perhaps glaring (but again perhaps unnoticeable) when describing the work in the Uffizi by Botticelli, I indicate that the artist depicted the Medici Family over "three centuries" when I meant to say "three generations." I thought that was my most annoying error, but unfortunately I did not realize it until I was viewing the show at home several hours later. In the Adoration, which is my favorite of Botticelli's work, we see Cosimo il Vecchio, his son Piero, and the young Lorenzo off to the side - hardly three centuries!!! I also picked up a few other mistakes along the way, but the mistake I just mentioned was the one which kept me awake all night.
I liked being on the air again, talking about our recent trip to Italy, "the agony and the ecstasy" a weird combination of magnificence and great strain and anxiety (watch the show). Now the hard part - putting together enough shows to last for the next year. I have a couple which I could fashion into shows quickly, but to get everything together will require time, a commodity I may have trouble finding since my teaching schedule will be totally dominating my time, at least for the next five weeks. Then since I have applied for a full time position at the college, that could be a future difficulty.
In the meantime it is on the schedule that the makeshift studio may closed for a while and we will be moved into the new studio in the refurbished Woodstock Community Center. Last time taking the equipment out of the old studio and setting up the trailer temporarily consumed several months. If that occurs, I will surely not be very upset, because time is what I need most to get the new year's broadcasts together. Do not expect a show now for perhaps three weeks. That show will probably be the one which is about 25 % completed on my favorite sculpture museum in Florence, the Bargello, the former prison and now the National Museum of Sculpture. After that, if we are not closed down, I will probably begin the new year of broadcasts with the one titled, Oasis in Castello, Venice - Hotel Sant'Antonin. I owe the gracious and dedicated owner of the hotel in which we stayed in Venice the honor of my first show of the new season.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Back in the USA!!!
On Tuesday, May 26, we left Newark Airport and the next day flew first to Zurich, Switzerland, and then the next day connected to a plane which landed in Florence for the first time ever and this was wonderful. For every other time we have visited this great city, we arrived by train. After we landed, a short taxi ride and wham, in the hotel!!!! However to get to this point we left home at noon on Tuesday, had a 2 1/2 hr car ride, 3 hr wait (it could have been less but I like to get places early), 8 1/2 hr plane flight to Zurich, 4 hr layover, and a one hour flight to Peretola, Florence's airport. For the next day and a half we relaxed with great food, and did very little. I developed a minor stomach disorder which extended to Friday and prevented our day trip to Civita di Bagnoregio and Orvieto to visit with Franco. That was disappointing, but I just could not travel such a distance the way I felt. Saturday Lidia and her friend Sabrina and her husband, Giulio, drove us around Tuscany visiting the stunning town of Badia a Pasignano (never heard of it before), lunch at Cantinetta di Rignana (high in hills overlooking Tuscany - beautiful), and then the town of Montefioralle, a really fun and relaxing day with Lidia doing all the driving. Sunday Luca took us to Volpaia in the Chianti Region of Tuscany, near Greve in Chianti. Although I have been all over in Chianti, this is one place to which I had never been. We had a great time dining at a great restaurant. He then insisted on driving us home back to Florence!!!!!
On Monday, June 1, we wheeled our luggage down via della Scala to the train station Santa Maria Novella (SMN) about 10 mins away. Then a high speed train, 2 hrs, to Venice, water taxi to Hotel Sant Antonin. This amazing hotel is only two years old, but already one of the top places in Venice and for very good reason. The Scarpa Family owns the hotel and Elena runs it for her father who worked in the stunning back garden. In fact when I first saw him, I thought he was THE gardener instead of the owner!!! She gave us an amazing room right off the marvelous garden with its own entrance, and beautiful full wall of windows overlooking our own private patio. We were treated as if we were part of the family, with warmth, caring, and excellent service. The reception people are friendly and accommodating recommending a wonderful restaurant, Jonny's. You get to meet Jonny and he is very pleasant, helpful choosing the right dish for you (gave us Spaghetti Vongole - Vongole means Clams even though it was not even on the menu!), and his restaurant is right on a wonderful campo (piazza) in the charming and less touristy Castello Sestiere of Venice. The food was delicious. The hotel and restaurant have quickly become our new standard for every trip we ever take to Venice!!!! Elena gave a wonderful 10 min interview in the garden on the history of the hotel and a bit about her family. Thank you Elena and Jonny.
For recreation we spent two miserably hot days at the Biennale. The art was weird and I hate to say, not that pleasing to me - but what do I know about art? The art is presented in a very non A/C area (it would probably cost way too much to air condition the place). It is fun, however, visiting such a plethora of creative geniuses, a veritable World's Fair of Contemporary Art. We had for lunch one of the days one of the best salads we ever had in a lovely garden. Another day we visited the Palazzzo Bembo, largest of the "collateral exhibitions" and the scene of Laura's work in 2013. Also no A/C but really a fun two hrs with some magnificent stuff. The heat, however, was oppressive, the crowds in the most heavily trafficked areas of S. Marco and Rialto overwhelming, and we always had the impression we were being ripped off (which we probably were). One of the highlights of the whole stay in Venice - 4 days - was the Bead Store a short 5 min stroll from the hotel. Here Manuela and Moulaye run an amazing business at Muranero, Arte African in Vetro. The latter is from Senegal, studied bead making in Murano claims to be the only African in the business (I don't doubt it), teaches and makes stunning beads right before your eyes. Manuela then puts them together for you as you also watch and runs the business. We have a great video of our interviews with him, her, and also his bead making which will make for a wonderful TV show. However wonderful it was to be in Venice, the oppressive heat for sure put a damper on everything.
Then again water taxi picking us up right from the dock in front of the hotel, whisked us to station, Santa Lucia, and then another high speed train ride of 2 1/2 hrs to Milan. Everything going well for this transfer until we were told our connecting train to Varenna was cancelled due to suicide on the tracks. We waited for an hour, by now exhausted from the heat, boarded a train which had no A/C and people who were dying to just close every window for a reason I have yet to determine, and finally arrived in Varenna on Lake Como at 3PM, although only an hour late. The worst part of having a train canceled in Italy is that it is very difficult to find out any information. The lines are unbelievably long. In this case there was one official walking around giving people advice; if not for him, we might be still waiting there on line. Marco Barili's wife Nelly picked us up at the station in Varenna and off we went to Hotel du Lac for our room overlooking the lake with balcony. It was good to get to a place where we had very little to do. In the past we had seen all the villas open to the public, visited most of the towns on the lake, so basically spent each day sipping prosecco at Bar il Molo on the lake. We did an interview with Simone's publicist, Giuditta, in his new venture, il Bottaio, which last year was devoted strictly to art, but now a maze of 5 wonderful stores - see the show which will focus on this. But again, not much doing here thankfully except for the day we took the ferry to Bellagio and had lunch at the Baita Belvedere high in the hills above the town with absolutely positively breathtaking views of the landscape below. We also walked the approx 11/2 miles from Varenna to the tiny town of Fiumelatte where they boast the smallest river in the world. It is a spout of water from the rocks that empties into Lake Como during part of the year. It was a beautiful thing to see. For dinners we ate at Vecchia Varenna and Cavatapi, both old standards for us, one other evening at Bar il Molo, and the final night at Sole for wonderful pizza.
Then Marco's Taxi Service back to Milan Malpensa for the ride home, 9 hrs which became 12 hrs when Newark Airport was closed for a while. We landed in Hartford, Conn, refueled, and finally arrived 3 hrs late. Got home at 9 PM after a 22 hr trip!!!!! Now experiencing the worst jet lag I ever had. My jet lag seems to be getting worse each year. We came to the conclusion that 15 days away was too much, and we will probably cut that back significantly in the future. The transfers very hard so we might limit that even further than we have already to perhaps a maximum of two different locations. And finally when one travels in June, there is always the chance for very hot weather so an earlier time may be in the cards as well. However just too early to start thinking about the next trip.
Please tune into Alan's Italy during the fall to see my take on the experiences we had!
On Monday, June 1, we wheeled our luggage down via della Scala to the train station Santa Maria Novella (SMN) about 10 mins away. Then a high speed train, 2 hrs, to Venice, water taxi to Hotel Sant Antonin. This amazing hotel is only two years old, but already one of the top places in Venice and for very good reason. The Scarpa Family owns the hotel and Elena runs it for her father who worked in the stunning back garden. In fact when I first saw him, I thought he was THE gardener instead of the owner!!! She gave us an amazing room right off the marvelous garden with its own entrance, and beautiful full wall of windows overlooking our own private patio. We were treated as if we were part of the family, with warmth, caring, and excellent service. The reception people are friendly and accommodating recommending a wonderful restaurant, Jonny's. You get to meet Jonny and he is very pleasant, helpful choosing the right dish for you (gave us Spaghetti Vongole - Vongole means Clams even though it was not even on the menu!), and his restaurant is right on a wonderful campo (piazza) in the charming and less touristy Castello Sestiere of Venice. The food was delicious. The hotel and restaurant have quickly become our new standard for every trip we ever take to Venice!!!! Elena gave a wonderful 10 min interview in the garden on the history of the hotel and a bit about her family. Thank you Elena and Jonny.
For recreation we spent two miserably hot days at the Biennale. The art was weird and I hate to say, not that pleasing to me - but what do I know about art? The art is presented in a very non A/C area (it would probably cost way too much to air condition the place). It is fun, however, visiting such a plethora of creative geniuses, a veritable World's Fair of Contemporary Art. We had for lunch one of the days one of the best salads we ever had in a lovely garden. Another day we visited the Palazzzo Bembo, largest of the "collateral exhibitions" and the scene of Laura's work in 2013. Also no A/C but really a fun two hrs with some magnificent stuff. The heat, however, was oppressive, the crowds in the most heavily trafficked areas of S. Marco and Rialto overwhelming, and we always had the impression we were being ripped off (which we probably were). One of the highlights of the whole stay in Venice - 4 days - was the Bead Store a short 5 min stroll from the hotel. Here Manuela and Moulaye run an amazing business at Muranero, Arte African in Vetro. The latter is from Senegal, studied bead making in Murano claims to be the only African in the business (I don't doubt it), teaches and makes stunning beads right before your eyes. Manuela then puts them together for you as you also watch and runs the business. We have a great video of our interviews with him, her, and also his bead making which will make for a wonderful TV show. However wonderful it was to be in Venice, the oppressive heat for sure put a damper on everything.
Then again water taxi picking us up right from the dock in front of the hotel, whisked us to station, Santa Lucia, and then another high speed train ride of 2 1/2 hrs to Milan. Everything going well for this transfer until we were told our connecting train to Varenna was cancelled due to suicide on the tracks. We waited for an hour, by now exhausted from the heat, boarded a train which had no A/C and people who were dying to just close every window for a reason I have yet to determine, and finally arrived in Varenna on Lake Como at 3PM, although only an hour late. The worst part of having a train canceled in Italy is that it is very difficult to find out any information. The lines are unbelievably long. In this case there was one official walking around giving people advice; if not for him, we might be still waiting there on line. Marco Barili's wife Nelly picked us up at the station in Varenna and off we went to Hotel du Lac for our room overlooking the lake with balcony. It was good to get to a place where we had very little to do. In the past we had seen all the villas open to the public, visited most of the towns on the lake, so basically spent each day sipping prosecco at Bar il Molo on the lake. We did an interview with Simone's publicist, Giuditta, in his new venture, il Bottaio, which last year was devoted strictly to art, but now a maze of 5 wonderful stores - see the show which will focus on this. But again, not much doing here thankfully except for the day we took the ferry to Bellagio and had lunch at the Baita Belvedere high in the hills above the town with absolutely positively breathtaking views of the landscape below. We also walked the approx 11/2 miles from Varenna to the tiny town of Fiumelatte where they boast the smallest river in the world. It is a spout of water from the rocks that empties into Lake Como during part of the year. It was a beautiful thing to see. For dinners we ate at Vecchia Varenna and Cavatapi, both old standards for us, one other evening at Bar il Molo, and the final night at Sole for wonderful pizza.
Then Marco's Taxi Service back to Milan Malpensa for the ride home, 9 hrs which became 12 hrs when Newark Airport was closed for a while. We landed in Hartford, Conn, refueled, and finally arrived 3 hrs late. Got home at 9 PM after a 22 hr trip!!!!! Now experiencing the worst jet lag I ever had. My jet lag seems to be getting worse each year. We came to the conclusion that 15 days away was too much, and we will probably cut that back significantly in the future. The transfers very hard so we might limit that even further than we have already to perhaps a maximum of two different locations. And finally when one travels in June, there is always the chance for very hot weather so an earlier time may be in the cards as well. However just too early to start thinking about the next trip.
Please tune into Alan's Italy during the fall to see my take on the experiences we had!
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