Google visit

I didn't know much about Zurich other than its in Switzerland, there is Lindt chocolate and that Google has their European headquarters there. I arrived mid-afternoon to visit Marco at Google and discuss a project with another Google intern that may be useful to Umonya in the future.

The Google office is huge and is highly quirky. Each floor has a different theme, cool kitchens that are fully stocked and their restaurant has a slide... New interns are made to go down the slide on their first TGIF (I visited on a Friday) but thankfully I got to go down without everyone watching.
I did manage to stay for TGIF Pub Quiz (which allowed Androids...cheating!!!) and then hang out with the interns in the evening, first to play Rock Band and then to dinner. Chatting to the various interns Marco and I expanded on Umonya and the logistical problems of following up post courses. As nearly every intern is an ex programming competition participant (between IOI and ICPC) they understand how much the mentorship and sustained training helps. Exciting things are happening :)

Verona

Verona is an hour away from Venice (by train) but that hour makes all the difference. Nestled in the bend of a river its a beautiful setting with the Alps as a backdrop. The churches are of Italian Gothic Architecture, very different from the abundance of the Baroque style. I much prefer the beautiful arches, frescoed walls and quiet celebration of religion.With one day to see everything I followed the recommended walking tour that took in all the sights. I was thwarted by the Italian long lunch (12.30-3) to see some of sights in the 'correct' order but it meant I got to explore all the side streets and soak up the sun on the rivers edge.
My first stop was the Verona Arena that hosts the opera in Summer (I missed it by 2 days). Built in the first century AD its all pink marble and huge (466-by-400 foot if you believe the guidebook) with 72 aisles. From the outside it doesn't seem that large but it is in fact sunken like the Colosseum.Moving on down the "shopping" street you can still see various Roman era pillars and Medieval reliefs. Moving on past Piazza Erbe with its hustle and bustle and gazebo in the centre with manacles still attached I visited probably the most well-known Verona sight, Juliet's house with its infamous balcony. The walls into the house are covered in graffiti from years of messages from young hopefuls. In the courtyard people line up to get a photo rubbing Juliet's breast, apparently to bring you luck.The Scaligeri family ran Verona and you can see this in their buildings (they made everyone else chop off their towers so theirs was the highest) and especially in their tombs which are beyond extravagant. There is a really funny story that I will have to look up later about some fortune of Khan being thought of as "cane" for dog and that is why there are dogs on their tombs.

Sant' Anastasia is one of the Gothic churches I mentioned earlier. It has two very interesting figures holding up the holy water bowls, a hunchback and a "easter figure". I really liked this church and the ceilings. I've also learnt why there are paintings in Venice instead of frescoes. Frescoes are painted into wet plaster which would melt(?) or fade with the high humidity in Venice. I now understand the abundance of canvas covered buildings.
There are many viewing points along the river that encloses Verona's Old Town but the best view I got was from Castello San Pietra on the hill across the river. I walked up the numerous stairs into lush gardens with spectacular views. I wish I had taken a picnic up there.



S. Maria Matricolare was the last major sight on my list and is yet another church, also Italian Gothic with frescoes. What made this rather interesting was all the different outfits displayed at each altar depicting the various ceremonial robes of the church. Definitely one of the most comprehensive collections seen outside of a museum. I'm currently writing this post from the train to Zurich (via Milan) to meet up with Marco and hangout with the Google interns. It should be a geeky adventure, I've heard rumours of an indoor slide... The countryside is swishing by with vineyards, beautiful farm houses and the Alps to complete this tranquil scene, there is even a massive lake (which I should probably know the name of but don't)

Venice on high

My last afternoon and evening were spent between two bell towers, one attahed to San Giorgio Maggiore Church and directly across from the Doge's Palace and the other the Campinale on St Mark's Square.



San Giogrio Maggiore Church is a sort boat ride from St Mark's and delivers you to the church stairs. The church itself has yet more Tintoretto's and a really cool wooden statue that used to sit on the steeple but was struck by lightning a few years ago (even churches can face the wrath of the gods). The bell tower offers a 360 degree view of Venice and all the surrounding islands (and the Alps in the distance) without fencing in the way (like the Campinale).




The Campinale closes at 9pm offering a beautiful view of Venice at sunset/twilight. The sun is still setting over the Alps and the markers in the canals are all alight to guide boats through the shallow waters. St Mark's Square looks sort of like a cake full of candles with its hundreds of lights. The music from the duelling musicians floats up to provide the background music as the camera pans over the scene :)



Next stop is Verona (which I am currently on the train to) which is an hour away from Venice and the home of Romeo and Juliet, the Verona Arena and gorgeous Italian fashion (and shoes) :D The train trip through winelands region reminds me of home and I am eagerly awaiting a wine trip once home (at least to Stellenbosch for the Python course in September).

Churches galore

My last morning was spent gawking at paintings by Tintoretto and Titian in the various churches in the Frari district.

Frari Church was built in about 1492 and in some ways seems like a monument to Titian and Canova (artists of Venice) with all the art they produced specifically for this church.

The same could be said for Scuola San Rocco, the only brotherhood to survive intact during Napoleon's reign. Its a homage to Tintoretto and I actually bought an audio guide to listen to the history of each painting that literally lines the walls and ceiling. You may not take photos within (wiki the paintings or artists if you are that interested) the building though I'm not sure my camera could capture the sheer size and colours of the canvases anyway.

It felt like the churches were groaning under the weight of the art attached to their walls and if Venice would float better without all the art on its walls.

Following this rather history of Venetian art tour I set off to the Rialto Fish Market and my real destination of Arsenale, the old ship building factory at the tail of Venice. It is not listed in my guidebook but I saw an architectural plan in the Correr Museum. Arsenale is guarded by 4 lions at its main entrance and it seems is now a military area and not visitable. I had to make do with sneak peaks through the doors and later from the bell tower.

My lunch was spent in the beautiful gardens on the very tip of the fish's tail basking in the sunlight, watching the cruise ships go by and eating ham and mozzarella paninis. Sometime being a student is so tough :P

Burano

I was contemplating skipping Burano after almost 5 hours on Murano but I am very glad that I didn't. As you arrive by boat you are bombarded with colour, each house is painted a different colour, very similar to Bo-Kaap, in fact the colours are similar too, none of this pastel stuff. Lime greens, burnt red, bright orange, luminous yellow, the range is endless. I couldn't stop wondering down side alleys into courtyards to get the full effect.



Burano itself is tiny, you can cross it in 10 mins (if you don't stop to shop) but it has amazing character, far more so than Murano. The main attraction in Burano is the lace-making (notice how I mentioned the buildings first). Here they produce the most intricately detailed lace table linen, bedding, clothing and these cute umbrellas (which I'm not sure what their use it, sun maybe?).







I ended up exploring a few stores while watching the lace-makers at work and I have decided I do not envy them in the slighest. The stitching is minute (you practically need a microscope to see what you are doing) and it is painstaking slow to produce. If I actually had a dining room table I would have bought a tablecloth, it would be a talking piece for years.

Murano

On the way to Murano the boat stops at Cimitero, the cemetery of Venice, created when Napoleon declared that it was unhygienic to bury people on Venice itself. The cemetery forbids cameras so I could not photograph some of the amazing tombstones. The church on the island is beautifully decorated in gold mosaic and beautiful glass. The cemetery is sorted into sections for priests, nuns, military, children etc. Some tombstones even include photographs of the families buried in the tombs. There are a few famous people buried here like Igor Stravinsky (Modernist composer) and Diaghalev (Russian dancer/choreographer)


Visiting Murano is something I have been looking forward to ever since I heard I was accepted into the YSSP. Why you ask? I do a lot of beadwork at home, mostly with cheap Chinese glass but every once in a while I get to use Venetian glass beads as a signature bead. These beads are truly beautiful works of art and to come to the place where glass-making is famous is truly awe-inspiring.


Murano shops are an odd mixture of the very snooty and the very friendly. Glass studios with famous designers practically check your credit limit at the door and look loathe to serve the common tourist. The smaller 1 man shops and workman's benches are happy for you to potter about and look at their handmade pieces. I fell in love with a glass statue of a dance couple done in clear glass with swirls of blue and purple throughout. This colouring seems to be a signature of some designer as most of the work was in these colours. If it was anywhere near my price range I would have bought it but at 2800 euros I had to leave it in the showroom :(


The Glass Museum wasn't worth seeing my opinion. It shows the progression of glass-making over the centuries starting from the 1st century AD by the Romans to modern day pieces. The most impressive items were the centrepieces and chandeliers (which you cannot photograph).


Murano has an amazing array of glass art pieces scattered throughout the island of which I managed to capture a few (I found 6 official pieces, they may be more). One I didn't have a chance to photograph was of a series of birds all in various stages of settling on a branch.

Cruising the Canal Grande

I followed my guidebooks advice and took a vaporetto to see what Venice's main 'street' looks like at sunset. As I cruised the length of the canal I had a chance to see all the front facades of the fancy buildings that are inaccessible by foot, to go in the front door you need to arrive by water. Venice is a little faded in colour but I can imagine the splendour of yesteryear from the architecture and remaining paint. The sun bathes the buildings in a golden glow and you start to get the romantic feeling that everyone describes.


I strolled around St Mark's Square a bit and had dinner at a fairly hole in the wall restaurant. Italian restaurants (I can generalise after having seen this in Rome) place a cover charge "for bread" AND a service charge of between 10-15% on a bill. You don't need to tip as its already included. In some ways it nice to not have to do the math at the end of evening but it does not encourage waiters to be friendly or efficient, they will receive a tip regardless of their behaviour.


I took the vaporetto for the reserve of my earlier journey now that the stairs were out. Buildings are lit from within by beautiful chandeliers and side canals by decorative streetlamps.


On the note of chandeliers, I will have to revise my opinion on Swarovski crystal versions in favour of Murano glass creations bedecked in flowers. They are truly breathtaking. I also discovered that taking photos at night (which require a stable surface for light exposure shots) on a moving boat is not the easiest task.

Venice: The city of bridges

I decided to travel 'smart' and take the overnight train to Venice to maximise the number of days I had on holiday. I didn't reserve a sleeper seat and everyone warned me that I had made a terrible mistake. With this in mind I boarded the train in Vienna at 9pm and realised that the train was going through Salzburg on the way to Venice. Anyone who knows any geography will realise that this adds a 5 hour detour. I now understand why the train takes 11 hours. Once on the train I ended up in a compartment for 6 with only 5 people so we shared the extra space and managed to get about 5 hours of sleep.

Arriving at Venice Mestre (not on the island), I had to catch the #2 bus (which I still haven't figured out how I was meant to pay for it, so I didn't) and was dropped at the bus terminal...somewhere. My tour book doesn't provide the most detailed map and the street names on it are in English, not Italian *sigh*. I think I managed to walk over about 10 extra bridges to reach my hostel.

The hostel I'm staying in is Domus Civica, normally a boarding house during school time (i.e. not Summer). They have a student discount even if you didn't book as a student :) This said I have a curfew, welcome to a strict boarding house with rules. You have to be home by 12.30am and cannot leave before 7am...No sunrise of the Grand Canal for me :( I'll have to deal with a sunset instead.

Finally orientating myself I headed off on a random path through Santa Croce and San Polo to the Grand Canal at Rialto and my target St Mark's Square. Along the way I spotted a number of bridges, beautiful canals and 'garages' for boats. The canals do not smell at all, something else everyone had warned me about. I took a Traghetto, a gondola ride across the Canal Grande for 0.50 euro cents, an awesome experience, and something I will definitely do again tomorrow. You stand up while they ferry you across. There are only 4 bridges across the canal and these 7 crossing points serve as convenient transportation.



As I arrived at San Zaccaria (church) the heavens opened and I got drenched, but this is not the end of it. Carrying on to the Doge's Palace I bought my San Marco Musuem Pass (normal price 13 euros, student price 7.50 euros) and froze as the wind whistled through the dungeons and meeting rooms. I can only imagine the enormous heating bill for that place in Winter. The Doge's Palace prohibits photography (a common theme here) and so everyone will have to be content with photos of the facades of Venice.



The palace has these cool letterboxes throughout that people used to slip complaints or anonymous information into for the Doge to follow up, the one shown is called the Mouth of Truth. There is a lot of artwork in the apartments, too many to name, but the clocks deserve a mention. One runs anti-clockwise, one has the phases of the moon and one has the astrological signs.

Stepping out of the palace into the St Mark's Square caused a bit of a problem...squelch...it was underwater after the rains (and a high tide I think). Cue to take off the shoes and run through the calf deep puddles taking photos. The problem was even more evident in St Mark's Basilica that had raised wooden flooring over the flooding, all signs of a sinking city. What concerned me most was the air bubbles rising from the mosaic flooring.



After this rather water-logged experience of Venice I actually followed my tour guide for the San Marco to Rialto Bridge walking guide and then the Rialto to Frari path. Along the way I found a beautiful handstitched in patchwork mask in teal that had to come home with me.

This evening I am going to cruise along the Canal Grande on a vaporetto and take in the sights at sunset and then back again to see the city lights (from the chandeliers inside the buildings).
Tomorrow I'm going to visit Murano and Burano for glass-making and lace-making. They really have the most exquisite craftmanship here.