Friday, November 12, 2010

New Chessie Puppy




As most of you know, our beloved Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Kelly, died this summer on Beaver Island.  We decided our house was too empty without a dog.  Well, now we have our hands full with a brand new Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy!  She is 8 weeks old and has been with us for 5 days.  Above is a video of her chasing her water bowl around.  She didn't like it when it got turned over.  And then we found out she knew how to bark, sort of!  


Her name is Niko - named after a shipwreck near Beaver Island, Michigan.



We'll take this one!  This was at the breeder's house and we kind of gravitated towards this little girl.

 Her favorite toy is the squeaky frog we got from the Humane Society.  She loves it!

 These two photos show her little mouth which I think is hilarious!  Looks like someone took a stitch and pulled it too tight!  I guess it is probably her jowls which she will grow into.



 Yes, she gets to lay on the couch but she is being crated.  Or she is learning to be crated!
 One of her favorite poses.  She will run and chase her toys and then all of a sudden stop like this!  Or she will fall asleep.  
 
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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

More about Venice and Aqua Alta

 Just wanted to say some more about the flooding of Venice with high water (aqua alta).   There is a building project on going in the lagoon that hopes to correct some of the high water.  It is called MOSE.  There is an interesting video on YouTube that explains some of this massive project.  The Corps of Engineers here in the U.S. would love to be doing this project (my former employer)!  And here is a piece from Wikipedia:

 The MOSE Project (acronym for Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico — in English, Experimental Electromechanical Module) is a project intended to protect the city of Venice, Italy from floods. The project is an integrated defence system consisting of rows of mobile gates able to isolate the Venetian Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea when the tide reaches above an established level (110 cm) and up to a maximum of 3 m. Together with other complementary measures such as coastal reinforcement, the raising of quaysides and paving and improvement of the lagoon environment, these barriers will protect the city of Venice from extreme events such as the floods and from morphological degradation. Work on the project has been under way since 2003 at the three lagoon inlets of Lido, Malamocco and Chioggia, the gaps connecting the lagoon with the sea and through which the tide ebbs and flows. The name MOSE is also a play on the Italian name for Moses, Mosè. The project is being executed by engineers at FIAT.[citation needed] The MOSE project continues to encounter vociferous, well-organised, well-informed opposition from many sides.


San Marco Square flooded during high water.







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Monday, October 25, 2010

Rain in Venice

Sitting outside our cafe this morning (our last full day) we watched the morning traffic of pedestrians and cani. Umbrellas were prevalent.





We walked to the P. Roma to get our bus ticket for the 5 am bus to the airport in the morning. Hopefully it isn't pouring rain for our walk rolling the suitcases tomorrow. It is a short walk with four bridges. This morning Sharlyn heard the aqua Alta high water siren go off.

We boarded the #1 vaporetto down the Grand Canal for our last trip ( in the rain). It was crowded.








See the casket in the boat going for their last ride down the Grand Canal too.








See the cell tower on this government building on the Grand Canal? Got off near San Marco Square and found a mess!

Water over your ankles in many areas, crowds of people pushing and shoving and jabbing with their umbrellas, and the ramps placed. You are suppose to walk on the right and let people pass going the other way. Some of the ramps are narrow and this becomes a test of your endurance!
Police were there to keep things fairly orderly. Some of the smart people had boots so could just wade through the water. We did not have extra room in our suitcases to bring our Bean boots!













This photo shows that most of the main San Marco area was underwater.

Caio from Venice ; I'm flying home tomorrow.

Nancy

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Sunday, October 24, 2010

Dominica Marathon in Venice

Today is a quiet day here in Venice. Lots of church bells this morning. We went to the Tonolo Bakery in the Calle San Pantalon for our caffe. I got a brioche with cream in it versus my usual with jam. This bakery is mentioned in my favorite novels of Venice, the Dona Leon Inspector Brunneti series. Their display of pastries was endless; so much to choose from that I got my usual!






This is my usual brioche with jam.



 


Along the way to the Giudecca waterway we saw this boat loaded with wine. Sharlyn thought they were the bottles that families have for their personal wine in their homes.



 




 


A marathon was going on when we got to the Fondemente along the Giudeca. Ramps had been put up over all the bridges so they didn't have to run up and down steps!



 





 


This alpine looking place is the gondola workshop. The workman are from the Dolomite region as they need to be good with wood. New gondolas cost about 35,000 to 50,000 euros. Every 40 days the gondolas need new varnish to protect the hull from wood eating creatures in the lagoon.

Gondolas are always painted black (six coats) because of a 17th century law by the Doge to eliminate competition.



Across the rio from the gondola workshop were painters.
 




 


Dogs and more dogs were out enjoying Dominica in Venice.


 



And we found one of those little boxes/face where people could tattle on their fellow Venetians. Funny thing is there was a little mini me mouth high up the wall too? Looks like the building was an opera house at one time.






 

Shoes anyone?



Another view of Santa Margherita Square on a weekday.





This is the Campo Santa Margherita where I catch the wifi under "Venice Connected" each day. The old building in the middle has some antennas connected to a light which is probably my wifi source. Last night I talked to my husband on Skype here; worked great!

Caio!

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Saturday, October 23, 2010

Traghetto ride

Today our goal, beside shopping our way to San Marco Square, was to ride a traghetto across the Grand Canal. Only four bridges cross the Grand Canal but traghettis are like shuttles across the canal. So we rode the one at St. Samuelle for 1 euro. Best euro spent here in Venice! It was fun..we didn't stand like locals but sat down. You are down low, right on the water.






















This car was at one side of the St. Samuelle stop. Decorative art I guess.











Wanted to show another bead of Vittorio Constatini..his Monarch is impressive. Looks real doesn't it?





And this is for my hubby...it was in an antique shop and appears to be a pocket pharmacy. The one behind was even smaller but had more little bottles.






Medusa mask I believe.





Me and my favorite winged lion!


Sharlyn and a lion.


Caia from Venice!

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Friday, October 22, 2010

Supermarket & Jewish Ghetto in Venice

This morning was cool and partly cloudy here in lovely Venice. After I washed some clothes by hand (easier) and hung out on our elevated clothes line we took off for Capacinno and then to the Billa Supermarket. What luck but we found how the goods are shipped and loaded into the store!









The semi truck is loaded onto a barge and brought right out front of the supermarket! Following are photos inside the market.

















Eggs don't seem to be refrigerated.






These giant cookies are for the feast of St Martin on November 11. This is a shortcrust biscuit baked in the shape of a man on horseback and decorated with colored sweets. Children beating pots and pans do the rounds of the neighborhood singing traditional songs and demanding sweets. Almost sounds like America's Halloween although we have seen Halloween decorations and cookies in some stores too.




The deli section.









These weren't in the supermarket but in a bead/jewelry shop!









The two above photos were in the Jewish Ghetto in the Cannaregio District.
In medieval times Jews were grudgingly allowed to do business in Venice but they were not permitted to live there until 1385. In 1516 the Doge compromised by restricting Jews to a special (undesirable) neighborhood. It was located on an easy to isolate island near the former foundry, or
geto, coining the word "ghetto" for a segregated neighborhood. Bet you didn't know this little factoid!






Gas station for boats on the Fondamente Nuove.





Me at an old water well.









This was an actual bead shop. Not many here.






I bought this little painting in the ghetto which shows gattos and cani racing in the Regatta on the Grand Canal.

Tonight Sharlyn fixed delicious salmon from our fish market in the square. Fresh bread and spinach.

Caia from Venice!

Nancy


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