While I'm waiting, I'm going to attempt to get caught up on at least some of the things I haven't blogged about yet that I should have.
Realized I've said nothing about the weather - HOT, HOT, HOT, CALDO, MOLTO CALDO. Get it? It's HOT.
Venice is still PACKED. Which I guess is why most (as in certainly not all) Venetians are still pretty nasty to tourists although you'd think they could use the money.
Food next. (Surprised?)
Thursday night - returning to the scene of the crime - Al Volto. With a small bag of three perfect truffles from VizioVirtu in hand, we went back to Manolo's for dinner. A peace offering from me after asking for a spritz in a wine bar. He wasn't there, the place was pretty empty - two of the four outside tables were available - there are only a few things on the menu each night, the chef is German (renowned, apparently, and German), and we thought, well, the food will be good, let's stay anyway.
interrupt - hopefully, Wanda's plane has just landed or is close to landing...
Back to Al Volto - White Aspargus Salad with spicy radish sprouts, concasse of tomatoes, balsamic syrup, purple salt and a little purple flower (a violet, pansy - I don't know, I'm urban).
Marcia has this salad, too, with a grilled quail on top. I don't like quail. And we both had the same pasta - bavatte (like tagliatelle or fettucine only much thinner and without eggs) with tiny little shellfish that are like scallops but not scallops and I can't remember the Italian name - I have canestrali written in my notes but I'm not sure that's correct. (Fonso, I have all the shells for you - or me - for art.) And a great bottle of wine. All delicious. No need to go back again.
Friday night - you already know, dinner with Contessa Anna at Riviera - spaghetti with those dreamy vongole.
Saturday night - Vini da Gigio - FANTASTICO. Friend Gill and I had dinner there in '07 and I knew Marcia would love it. She had a beautiful assortment of seasonal vegetables and then penne with Gorgonzola sauce - unreal the sauce; I had another amazing Caprese salad (not quite as good as La Bitta but close) and fettucine with white truffles. I figured there'd be a few grates of white truffle on top of the pasta. I should have known better. The whole bowl of pasta was completely covered with paper thin slices of fresh white truffle. It was absolutely incredible - one of the best bowls of pasta I've ever had. And for dessert, a lovely cheese platter with homemade tangerine marmalade and mostarda pears diced very small. (Mostarda are fruits - apricots, pears, peaches, cherries - marinated in a really unusual blend of sweet and savory including hot mustard - delicious, in small amounts, and unique - there's no description I can think of that will adequately explain the flavor. Come here. Try it. We have a jar in the fridge.) Of course, the Battle of the Bands: Tiramisu needed to continue. It was fantastic but Arturo is still very much out in front. And no panna cotta so...
Sunday night - this was our Molino Stucky adventure and deserves its own post. Later.
So a few words about art. I am done with the Biennale's two main venues - Giardini and Arsenale. Don't even ask about the rules, the press credentials, the power trips, and on, and on, and on. Especially in a year when, after the press, artists, curators and celebrities left last week, you could shoot a cannon through every pavilion in the Giardini and every section of the Arsenale without hitting one single person.
I would classify the art this year - for the most part - as flat, safe, "let's just phone it in and be done with it." Not a lot of "statement" about what's going on in the world. Which is not to say there is not some inspired, inspiring, and thought-provoking work - there most certainly is. And most of it, for me, is at the small, careful installations around town. These nations and individual artists seem to be more passionate. And, as I've mentioned before, the juxtaposition of contemporary art in ancient structures is very exciting to see. And I should add, as my dear friend and kumu Hoku would say, "Ko'u mana'o, wale no." This is only my opinion. (Obviously.)
And there are non-Biennale venues that deserve to be blogged about. And I will - Puna della Dogana, Palazzo Grassi, Museo Fortuny, Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Thing is? None of these allow photos - so I'm going to be pretty brief.
So, I have just downloaded Picasa hoping that I can put together some Biennale photo galleries that you can access at your leisure if you choose. Formatting on blogspot is not very easy - for a non-geek like me - and very time consuming so I'm going to try Picasa. What do you think, Gill? Can I do it?
It's now 9:49 a.m. Let's hope Wanda is on the Alilaguna and on her way to Palazzetto da Schio.
Ciao...
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