Giorno tre
Have you ever seen the Katherine Hepburn movie Summertime (1955)? If you haven’t and want a romantic mid-twentieth century classic Italian travel movie, I highly recommend it.
In summary, a middle-aged Ohio secretary, Jane Hudson (Katharine Hepburn) has never found love and has nearly resigned herself to spending the rest of her life alone. Before she does, she uses her savings to finance a summer in romantic Venice, where she finally meets the man of her dreams, the elegant Renato Di Rossi (Rossano Brazzi). Heartache ensues when Jane learns that her new paramour is leading a double life!
As you can imagine, this movie, which I happened to re-watch (for the millionth time) a month before heading to Venice is evocative of the discovery of that glorious city post WWII, in the summer, when the world was emerging from the heaviness of the war and boom times were in the air. In my minds eye, at least from the movies , Venice must be a terribly romantic place to travel.
My day started with a standing sardine style bus ride from the parking lot where the car was left to the Venice main station. Having arrived pretty early in the morning the crowds were just gathering steam and the city, while hot, wasn’t unbearably so. At first I thought I would have breakfast… but I lost track of time and felt no hunger winding my way through the streets in search of Venetian glass - just like Katherine Hepburn in Summertime! Lunch was a quick pizza so I could keep strolling and every corner brought some new surprise. Small bridges over tiny waterways, quaint windows full of flowers, the canal boats with men rowing just like in the movies. I found myself sighing continuously.
My delight built slowly and steadily, with the crescendo being Piazza San Marco where I snagged a table to enjoy a cripplingly overpriced icy lemon drink under white canopies of umbrellas. The restaurant employed a house pianist who was playing “She” with lots of flourishes.
By then I wasn’t just sighing, I was practically levitating. I mean pinch me right?
How am I here? How am I living this life and enjoying this? How is this actually me??? Me!??
After the drinks arrived I made sure to sip mine especially slowly to prolog each sparkling moment - and all the moments were sparkling! After a short set break the pianist was joined by two others - a violinist and bassist who proceeded to start to play one of my MOST dearly loved jazz standards of all time! “Wave” by Antonio Carlos Jobim. I could not have ordered a more perfect sound track to this experience. At this point I was just about fighting back tears of happiness. When the song concluded I was so relieved when others clapped so I didn’t feel ashamed to clap my hearty approval of the beautiful music and the ambiance the musicians so generously created. And no, my drink did not seem so overpriced at that point.
By the end of the day, I clocked over 24,000 steps and didn’t feel at all tired - sweaty and decidedly grubby but not one bit tired.
Venice was amazing the stuff of dreams and yes I did find my lovely glass keepsake and marbled paper to boot. I would go back again in a trice. Maybe next time at night for a different feeling. It was a stupendous day!
Bittersweet as it was to leave, I didn’t mind. Back via the sardine crammed bus to the car and onto the next stop. Further adventures await!
Leave a comment or suggestion about my journey in the comments section below. Have you been to Venice? What were your impressions?
