Today’s notes will be a bit shorter as it was a repeat of yesterday! Breakfast was simple yet delicious and my walk to class was by myself today and the weather was just perfect. Something new along my walk was a fish market (see photos for a giant fish head) and a boat in the canal carrying supplies. Interesting how goods are delivered here. Guy saw them offloading cases of bottled water yesterday with workers scurrying off with them on dollies. So much work. Understandable that it is expensive to live here. So I arrived at class this morning a few minutes after 9am and I was still the first one there! I jumped in by spending almost all morning cutting my pieces for today. Since my buildings are getting a little bit further away in the scene, I’m cutting much smaller pieces and it’s taking quite a bit of time. Antonella did critique my hammer and hardie technique today and wanted me to do it a little differently. I welcomed any suggestions as I had LOTS of time to practice what she showed me and I think I was finally getting a tiny bit better at it. It’s all in the wrist. That’s why they call it a Master’s class. Being taught by the masters in the field. She has been doing mosaics for 41 years, therefore I’m going to practice it exactly per her instruction!
Today Guy and I joined my new little glass family for lunch and they tried a new place close by Orsoni. It was simple food that was delicious and we sat outside. Guy and I only got one plate, but Boris, William and Margaret all go two plates. My pasta with tomato sauce was perfectly cooked and Guy had pasta with crab and zucchini in what looked like a simple butter sauce. I failed to get photos! But the conversation at the table was even better than the food and before we knew it, we were 30 minutes late getting back to class. But since we WERE the class…no one minded. Again, a super relaxed atmosphere. Boris continues to make me laugh and I’m finding this to be one of my most interesting and fun classes I’ve taken so far. The surrounding environment is definitely making me feel like a true artist. While working this afternoon a tall man was walking around our little room and visiting with everyone and asking questions about our designs. After he left, I asked Boris who he was and he said he was the owner of Orsoni. If Sahar had been by me she could have popped up to shake his had and then told me afterwards he was also f-a-m-o-u-s. 🤣
In the afternoon I made some progress by getting my cut pieces glued down and so far I’m really pleased with the outcome. Tomorrow will be a tour of the factory downstairs in the am as the furnaces will be on and possibly a tour of some mosaics in St. Mark’s Square. I really need to finish up tomorrow because it will need to dry overnight before I can transport it around. So since I can stay as late as I like tomorrow, I told Guy not to make dinner plans just in case. Will have to ponder transporting my art on Thursday tho. I sure don’t want to mess anything up!
After a nice relaxing time in the AC, Guy and I took out on a 25 minute walk to dinner. He has eaten at this restaurant before when he came with his family a few years ago and promises it has the BEST spaghetti Vogole. We walked around through the tight paths that led back to the Muro Venezia Restaurant. It’s located in what I would call more of a residential area between the train station and St. Mark’s Square. I wouldn’t have pictured a restaurant in this area, but buy 7:30 the restaurant was completely full and people were standing everywhere trying to get in. We sat outside but all the tables were very close to each other, so when the smokers lit up, we were ALL smoking. Our starter came out quickly and it was a puff pastry with cheese and sauce inside as well as some fried vegetables. Both were fantastic. I ordered risotto with scallops and Guy ordered Spaghetti Vogole (with clams). Our main entrees came out much slower than the starter, so when it did arrive we were almost full from the appetizers. That happens. But we did our very best and my risotto was buttery and perfectly cooked with scallops that were grilled to perfection. Guy’s pasta was heavy on the garlic and my one bite of clam was all I wanted. He did his best to finish it, but had to leave some behind that was bathing in the sauce.
We had a nice leisure walk back to the hotel and the breezes coming off the canals were a pleasant surprise from such a hot and slightly humid day. I stopped frequently for some photo ops as we made our way back to the hotel for the night. I’m hoping to sleep well and wake refreshed and ready to FINISH my masterpiece tomorrow and wrap up a memorable experience at the Orsoni factory.
Our full bellies say goodnight from beautiful Venice.
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