Impressions of Venice

Spending a day or two is enough to give you a strong idea of Venice. But spending a week or two unveils an entirely different mood. Venice is an enigma that can shift your consciousness if you sit with it long enough. Take the time to probe unknown corners, step down that crooked passage. Stay long enough to lounge at a café. Study the people. Get to know the old woman at the vegetable stall. Return to that tiny mask shop again and again. Then the seduction begins and you will never be the same again. Here are some samples of the impressions of previous Il Chiostro participants ...

Gondola - David Kinports

Artisan in Shop - Sal Fusaro

Entry hallway of convent

Masks ©robinglassersacknoff.2007

Afternoon Light - George Hodges

Under the Rialto - Barbara Sklar

Embark full of fatigue and apprehension.
Will you find magic or mystery?
Decadence or Delight?
Decaying beauty, left worn after Goths, Persians, Emperors and Popes.
City of Footsteps and Voices.
Wood and Velvet.
Marble and Gilt.
Intricate mosaics and rooftop tapestry.
Is she only that pearly relic rouged in cinnamon?
That Byzantine muse in resewn shirts?
Will this serpentine seductress deliver sensual ecstasy?
Do not hurry to find out.
Listen to music and melancholy as tears stain your face.
Let church bells and echoes vibrate in your head.
Gaze at her handsome men and elegant dowagers.
Study her opulence.
Smell the sea and fragrant herbs.
Breathe them in.
Inhale her perfume.
Taste the chocolate and spices.
Allow them to excite your tongue.
Touch the glass and ancient stones.
Read them with your fingertips.
Ascend a bridge with unsure feet.
Once you have done all this with wild abandon and joy,
you will not only know what La Serrenissima means,
you will know how La Serrenissima feels.

John Caminitti, October 2005

Venetian glasses, 2006

I am very grateful for the opportunity to have experienced Venice with such a congenial and interesting group. This truly is one of the most memorable and fun trips of my life, and I feel richly blessed to have experienced such a beautiful city with wonderful friends. Paul, 2005

Aqua Alta, photo by Sal Fusaro