Arrival
e arrived at the airport We arrived at the airport the Friday afternoon before Fat Tuesday. Cold, gray, biting air on our cheeks and noses reminded us we were in the north of Italy.
As always, the best way to get into Venezia is by water - in this case the service is called the Alilugano, an hour’s boat ride first through the outlying islands of Murano and Lido, and finally the main island of Venezia, where we hopped off at the Arsenale stop on the east end.
This time, we would stay out in the Castello denominazione. I think of this side of the city as the “Parisian” part of town. Uncharacteristically broad streets, parks and open-spaces, with a slight belle-epoque look to them. We’ve taken an apartment as the most practical accomodation. Breakfasts are easy - tea/coffee and marmelattas (apricot jam filled croissants) purchased from the local bakeries. We’ll probably be out for lunches and dinners, so we don’t make any plans along those lines.
The rental agency representative met us at Arsenale, and led us to the apartment — a task of huffing and puffing our luggage over no less than four bridges. This is what it’s like to get around in Venice with a load.
We like the neighborhood. We’re on a small calle with a tiny piazza and our own rather large shrine, perched at the end of the street in it’s own small edifice. It’s right outside our door. Joseph and Mary will be watching over us at night.
Once settled in, we hit the fondamenta — the broad walkway along the waterfront — to San Marco in search of Carnevale accoutrements.
The first order of business was to procure a mask. For wearing.
On the fondamenta there are a plethora of shops and outpost stalls. And they’re packed with masks, we’re joyful to discover. Lots and lots of them. Half-masks, eyes-only masks, full-face masks, masks with feathers, masks with sticks, plain white masks, gilded masks in gold and silver, mask with beads and masks with cat’s ears and whiskers.
We have to pick our characters — we could be the Plague Doctor, for instance, with his long, crow beak. Or we could be the Harlequin, with the insouciant grin and curled paper triangles surrounding the face and ending in bells.
Our vanity doesn’t allow hooked beaks or insouciant grins. I opt for a painted Casanova and Rose chooses a beautiful Columbina or Queen of the Night, we’re not sure. She’s a full-faced, fair complexioned mask with faux gold mask, gold lips, and black feathers that surround the face completely, coming to a forward point at the crown. It’s very attractive.
We put them on, giggling. Next, I need a hat. There are plenty of basic tri-cornered black hats, and I find one that fits over the mask nicely. Ha! Halfway there.
We want capes, too, but don’t see anything we like, at these shops. They look cheap, or the ones that don’t look cheap look too feminine to me, with gathers at the top. I remembered on a previous visit going to a shop further off the beaten track that had what I thought was a quality cape, but it’s getting late and it’s on the other side of the island by the Academia Bridge. We’ll have to hold off until tomorrow.
In the interim, we’ve scored good masks and a hat. We opt for dinner and a retreat to the apartment for the evening.
In masks, of course.