ROD in VENICE II

Ah yes, Dont Look Now wasa Dylan film by pennebaker I think?  I'm always getting them mixed up!  Have you seen the Venetian Flower Sellers plying their trade by the Rialto Bridge yet?

Glad to see that neither of us is a film nerd Michael, no I've never seen such magnificent flowers on a gondola but I did once see a Herring Gull eating offal at the fish market

How offally nice!   What scavangers eh?  One once took Hazel's prawn sandwich as we had a picnic on Llandudno beach!   He ate it in front of us and laughed hysterically , like only gulls can!

Despite the fact I have spent a large part of my life flying I am still surprised by the fact that I can step into an aircraft in Maastricht, The Netherlands and step out in Venice, Italy just 80 minutes later. The sun was shining through crisp air when I left home and it was raining when I arrived here, so, instead of walking through the island city from the bus station to the apartment, I took a vaporetto Nr. 1 to Mercato and took these photos as we chugged and bumped along the Grand Canal. This is my third residency in Venice the light continues to astonish me.

We live in rapidly shrinking world.  Great photos, especially since you were moving at the time!  The light in Venice is amazing isn't it - like being on a Fellini film set!

Beautiful light and color, Rod...even with the rain!

Oh my word! Never been to Venice - but now I will. Your photos are beautiful. It still seems so weird to see water lapping at doors. My first thought - knowing full well you were in Venice- was FLOODS! I love the algae around the door. It has a slightly nuclear fall-out quality to its fluorescence!

My first full day here!  The sun shines brightly and it is comfortably warm.  I spent the morning working in the gallery with Jürgen looking through all the jointly produced material we will exhibit.

Some news for ancient mail-arters! On the 25^th of October Vittore Baroni, Jürgen Olbrich and me will be in Venice at the same time, a mail-art congress of the ultimate kind, photos will be made and posted here.

I'll post todays photos later

AZh, the crumbling walls- that sinking feeling?  How long will Venice last after the ice caps melt?  How long will any of us last?  O dear I seem to have woken up with a touch of the "dooms"!   Lovely photos nevertheless - those day to day scenes that the tourists miss.

ahhhh, a wonderful impression already. Also fun to know you will meet Jürgen O. Olbrich and Vittore Baroni. Always fun to meet old friends!

Wow, yes, that banana eating session was a long time ago! Anna, Bill (Gaglione) Liz and me sat round a table eating bananas in the crumbling house on the Capucijnenstraat.  I took some great photos today (in between working with Jürgen in the gallery) I'll post them here later this evening.  Wish you were here, the wine (Valpolicella) is excellent the weather mild:)

What can I say about today? It was the same as yesterday, sunny bright and warm, the only difference being that today I am rested and recovered from the transition from The Netherlands to Italy.

I did a little shopping today, tomatoes, cheese, rice and wine and have to remark on the friendliness of the Venetians, at first the shopkeepers, market stall holders, assume I’m Venetian but when they hear I’m an Englishman they smile and are genuine and helpful.  I spent a half hour today in the computer shop discussing why my internet connection is so slow and how there is nothing to be done about that, I am spoiled at home by having fibre optic high speed connection and here the net runs via the telephone cable.

Here is a small selection of today’s photos

Beautiful colors the light is perfect the red drapes in the large room is wonderful and so is the reflection off the water.  The food sounds great if I could afford the airfare I would be there for tomorrows dinner but gotta work!  I was in south Italy and Sicily last fall wonderful food, people and antiquities and the sea was beautiful

Fantastic photos, Rod! Red drapes is a stunning pic! Wow!

...so, if the weather is fair and sunny, maybe I'll

fly over to Venice for Oct. 25th??? IF only.... :-)

Wow! Beautiful photographic diary, Rod, I do love your pics!

80 mins? Really? After flying for 8 hours we haven't even left Australia...

Hi Rod,

Just made some advertising for this group, so the 18 members following already will hopefully increase soon. Lovely photo's already! Keepup surprising us with your views please!

Love the crumbling brickwork and the little shrine.  Venice is a photographer's dream - around every corner is some delight to focus on!  All that washing strung between buildings, down the back alleys, like a parade was coming and they'd hung out all the flags!

Beautiful photos of a very beautiful city which I was lucky enough(...

Nice¡

Rod, thanks for this!

Thinking of you from icey Iceland to sunny Venice while listening...nice!

I like the bricked up hole particularly because of the white stones surrounding the elliptical shape that has been filled in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esPZ2vqzI7c

Balloon%20Card%20recto_verso.pdf

Links below are 1. to the second in my Venice Transit video series and 2. the invitation to our exhibition at the EHF Gallery, Jurgen, Berty and me would love to see you at the opening... there will be wine!

So no speed limit if you're paddling and drumming or/and in a race.

I look forward to following your adventures in Venice, rod. I have a residency there in late 2014.

Despite the fact I have visited Italy I didn't get a chance to visit Venice.

I'm interested to see your adventures.

Ok amigo, vou estar atenta para ver as fotos..

Hello Ruud, even if I know Venice, I'm still nice to see in your photos, enjoy your stay in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

BEST REGARDS!!!!!!!!!>>>>> -DOMENICO.

The sun shone but rarely on this day and there was a wind cold enough to have the tourists wearing coats, there were even less tourists on the streets than usual... less but still thousands, when I flew in on Monday there were 5 of these giant cruises ships tied up at the harbour. 

The day was spent firstly mounting collages in the gallery and releasing red balloons to float down amongst the crowds that cross beneath the gallery window. Buying vegetables  from the splendid market close to this apartment, talking and walking with Sylvia the secretary of the foundation which has the residency that Jürgen and I are on and which John has next year, buying train tickets to go off the island to see the performance of Gruppo Sintetico with Antonio Sasso on Saturday and late this afternoon walking around the calle close to the apartment looking for light and finding, much to my surprise, that a museum no more than 100 meters from here has an exhibition of audio art. I also made one short video in the transit series today, I'll upload it to YouTube later.

Lovely photos Rod.  Has that little red hooded figure been seen again down those mysterious alleyways and dripping back streets?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4q1jcY...

Yesterday morning I received an email from a friend in Iceland to tell me that mutual Icelandic friends were in Venice and would like to meet me; Icelanders have been doing the European tour for more than a thousand years;-), so we met at the gallery yesterday evening, came back to the apartment, drank wine in Jürgen’s roof garden in the apartment above this one then went out to dine in our regular café. A splendid evening by anyone’s standard.  Here are 7 photos from yesterday’s quick wander in the close neighbourhood. This evening we are going off island to see a performance by Antonio Sassu’s performance group in a villa in the countryside an hour’s train ride from here.

Sounds like a fine time.  But what is that bear doing in the canal?   

Did you ever have one of those days when so much happens that you think to yourself “I’m glad I don’t have a blog where all this has to be reported.”?  Yesterday was nearly one of thoseJ.

I saw a gondolier who was texting as he rowed.

I saw a broken umbrella in a dustbin.

I saw a tour guide who was reading his speech directly from a tour guide book.

I saw a train station in the countryside not far from Venice where all the lights and ticket machines were turned off.  I was really happy when the train to take me back to the island pulled into that darkness and stopped to pick me up, even if it did come in from the opposite direction than the one  I had expected.

I saw a black & white cat that came to say hello and accepted the bit of biscuit I offered it.

I saw the inside of a magnificent villa and met Antonio Sassu and the performance group Gruppo Sinestetico… but you don’t want to know all that, you want to see some photos right?

I seen a peanut stand

I seen a rubber band

I seen a needle that winked it's eye

But I think I'd seen about everything until I saw Rod Summers photos.

And I did sigh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhDleLJxtgM

I have not visited Venecia. It's a pain, I do know. Somebody want to 

invite me? Best women, of course¡

I am worthwhile.

Blessed Be¡

The photos reminds me of a book I brought while on holiday in Barcelona. It was entitled,"Colours of Barcelona."

I took some architectural shots of building in Park Guell. Sadly all my holiday photos were gone.

There's still loads of places I haven't visited yet in Hong Kong and heard news to trip to Japan(yes!). 

Could take some photos of natural surrounds like local animals, parks, arty stuff. I'm interested to see what is out there in Venice. 

Tenho muita pena, mas ainda não visitei Veneza. Talvez um dia.

Saudações criativas para todos os elementos do Grupo

Mizé

Colorful Venice, Rod!

And are you to launch red balloons?..."The way the wind blows"!

Thank you for the invitation...and the mail art xxx

...and thanks for the balloon :-)

"The Red Balloon" what a great film that was!  Quite touching at the end when all the balloons of Venice came and lifted the boy up and dropped him in the Grande Canal!

I had 1000 balloons printed with the BJR logo and every day I stand before the gallery window and blow up and release about 30 of them, on one of the pages on this group there is a photo of Jürgen before the window doing just that. It was a wet day yesterday (today isn't much better) so I only took a few photos and one video, I'll be walking with the camera again later today, but time is short, I have to work in the gallery preparing our exhibition and I'm also writing the script for a performance for the Herring Factory Art Place in Hjalteyri next July ... oh and half a dozen other jobs I have promised to do!  And, of course the tea won't drink itself.  I'll be back later to upload the photos.

One other thought for the day... I read today the America owes China 1000 billion dollars!  And there was me thinking it was all the MSG that was keeping the Chinese awake at night:)

They own us Rod!  These egotistical fools who supposedly lead this country are making the Chinese richer by the minute.  If they call in the debt we will all be floating in the canals face down.