In the winter, Venice is like an abandoned theatre. The play is finished, but the echoes remain. (Quote by - Arbit Blatas)
On tow /
Blog
Mystery boat /
Being on a boat that's moving through the water, it's so clear. Everything falls into place in terms of what's important and what's not.
James Taylor
Burano (Colours of the Lagoon) /
Burano is a collection of islands linked by bridges and divided by canals, located approximately 9km to the north-east of Venice.
Historians are divided as to whether the island acquired its name from the Buriana family, who were amongst the first settlers, or from the smaller neighbouring island of Buranello from whence its first inhabitants originated.
Burano is a densely populated, neat and attractive little town with a population of around 5,000. Visitors usually remark on the brightly painted houses which create a colourful ambiance: a feature which the authorities have attempted to preserve by insisting that residents observe the municipal colour scheme when painting their homes.
Black (and White) /
Any colour - so long as it's black. Henry Ford
Cargo Celtic Fortune near the Arsenale
Thanks to Titti for being my Muse of the day......I do not think there is anything wrong in painting around the house in black....as long as you leave a bit of white!
Black is the colour, is young, is trendy, is cool, is fun, is a statement, is strong, is nice, is warm, is cold, is anarchist...
Black is......
The Tree (Colours of the Lagoon) /
Autumn Tree at San Francesco del Deserto Island
Mary Queen of Scots /
" I really think you should take this picture!" he was repeating to me....while Piero was talking about the sailing boat. Was at that point that I realised I had not taken any picture. My mind was miles away, for some unknown reasons I had been taken back to my loved Scotland and Mary Queen of Scots and was wondering if Mary had fled in a similar boat when she left as a child Dunbarton Castle heading to France or when she set sail with so many hopes for Scotland in 1561....and for sure this vision must have been in her mind during her captivity.
Taking on water, Sailing a restless sea From a memory, A fantasy. The wind carries Into white water, Far from the islands. Don't you know you're Never going to get to France. Mary, Queen of Chance, will they find you? (Mike Oldfield - France)
"So did you take this picture???" asks again Federico. click...click...click..... before I give my secret away!
Rosemary (Colours of the lagoon) /
Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region. The name "rosemary" derives from the Latin name rosmarinus, which is from "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), or "dew of the sea" because in many locations it needs no other water than the humidity carried by the sea breeze to live.
Rosemary plant growing on the Island of Santa Cristina
Baked Mackerel with Rosemary
The ingredients for two people are: 2 mackerels 1 garlic clove, 1 lemon, and 2 big fresh rosemary branches.
Cut the lemon in half, thinly slice the garlic and wash the rosemary branches.Now you need to clean the mackerels: You can cut the belly such that you can remove the entrails. Wash the fish well removing all the remains of the entrails otherwise the meat could get an unpleasant sour taste.
Once they have been rinsed, dry them well outside and inside so that there is no water left. Then place some garlic slices and one rosemary branch inside the mackerel’s belly cavity.
Make two rectangles of aluminium foil and place the fish on one of them, squeeze the lemon juice inside and on the mackerel, then folds the foil over the fish.
Lastly, bake the fish at 200 °C (390 °F) for 20-25 minutes.
Ever changing /
The Venetian Lagoon is an ever changing environment. By the sea, by the tides, by nature and especially by men that have sculptured this area since the very beginning.
The Island of San Clemente is an example of this concept on a single relatively small island. A monastery, an hospice, a military barracks, a mental asylum...now a 5* Luxury hotel! What next?
The spaceship /
Late afternoon at the water bus stop of Madonna dell'Orto
I've always thought that a lot of the problems in the world would be solved if a spaceship did arrive, then anyone with one head and two arms and two legs would be your brother! It wouldn't matter where they were from or what they believed or anything. It might be good for us. Sigourney Weaver
Venice Biennale head ousted /
If the Venice Biennale art exhibition now runs like a normal international event, with adequate toilets, refreshment points, marketing, press facilities and ticketing, and also manages to cover nearly 80% of its costs, it is almost entirely due to former banker Paolo Baratta, 72, chairman of the Biennale Foundation from 1998 to 2000, and from 2007 to last week.
Yesterday Baratta heard that his mandate would not be renewed and his successor would be a foodstuffs importer, Giulio Malgara, 73
I strongly believe it is the wrong choice...possibly the worst choice to be correct.
This appointment, which is reminiscent of the years before 1998 when the post was a prize allocated on the basis of party politics, was greeted with indignation by the mayor of Venice, Giorgio Orsoni, who immediately put out a statement saying: “I am convinced that Giulio Malgara is an unsuitable person to carry out the role of chairman of the Venice Biennale and that it would be a mistake to confirm him in this position. It would interrupt a vital and fruitful process that needs to be seen through to the end.” Former mayor Massimo Cacciari said: “As long as cultural appointments in this rotten system are in the hands of the political lobbies, it will go on being like this.”
The Guardian alredy commente: "Back to Earth, or Venice, with a bump. Silvio Berlusconi is trying to replace Paolo Baratta, head of the Venice Biennale, with his friend Giulio Malgara, a 73-year-old businessman whose greatest cultural achievement to date is bringing Gatorade to Italy."
Think Different RIP Steve Jobs /
R.I.P. - STEVE JOBS. One dies, Millions Cry. Millions die, No-one Cries.
We remember your Memory:• A 'Genius' whose Global Empire was literally built on the back of Underage Chinese Slave Labour working in horrific conditions. Some were driven to SUICIDE.• Your fearsome Legal & Private Security Team that ANNIHILATED smaller prey.• Oligarchal Power/Bilderberger Elitist Ruthlessly Striving for Global Domination• Wielding Power Over Government, Media with fellow Global Plutocrats
• Censorship, Authoritarianism, bullying, humiliating, manipulation, intimidation & fear of Staff
• The HUNDREDS OF 1000's of people that SUFFERED due to your relentless pursuit of GREATNESS, Love of GREED and POWER.
• Not 1 cent did you ever DONATE to Charity.
Did you leave your $7 BILLION to any of the underage Chinese workers whom you ruthlessly exploited driving some to suicide?
Finally, does your £7 BILLION keep you warm at night?
R.I.P.
No Budget for photos? Sorry...it will not be me /
I had the usual call yesterday morning from an MD of a blue chip company-"If you want to work with us, just sign the contract. The copyright is all ours, and if you don't like it, nothing I can do, that is the way it is. We'll get another photographer, possibly cheaper or that may be will do the work for free in exchange of credits"
......... guess it's another photographer then.
Poveglia...Poveglia! /
Since moving to Venice, it has been a great desire of mine to visit the mysterious island of Poveglia, with its ruined mental asylum and haunted burial grounds. Finally, yesterday, thanks to two wonderful skippers Luca and Jacopo, and accompanied by fellow journalist and writer Robin Saikia I managed to visit the island.
For more images check the Poveglia gallery here or as a slideshow
Robin Saikia writes: "Shortly before we left Poveglia, I forced myself to lie on an iron bed in the ruins of the psychiatric ward, recalling the images of the day: the desecrated chapel with the scabrous remains of its cheerful Tiepolo-blue ceiling, the claustrophobic corridors, the rusting beds and lockers, the quay, the bell-tower, the woods, the bridge. I closed my eyes tightly for a few long seconds. When I opened them, I saw a very clear picture of hell..."
The island of Poveglia, with its ruined hospital and plague burial grounds, is said to be the most haunted location in the world. Though the island is a multi-million dollar piece of real estate, it remains deserted and off limits to the public. Its dark, derelict and forbidding shores are only minutes away from the glamour of the Venice Film Festival on the Lido, but there are few visitors. Very few Venetians are prepared to talk about the island or answer questions. They believe that while the rest of Venice is governed by the Comune di Venezia, Poveglia remains firmly in the Devil’s jurisdiction. They see it as a kind of supernatural penitentiary, an outpost of purgatory and hell. This view is captured in an unnerving local saying: quando muore un cattivo, si sveglia a Poveglia; when an evil man dies, he wakes up in Poveglia. I visited the island in August this year with the photographer Marco Secchi. Our account is a drawing together of truth, half-truth, speculation and urban myth. It is based on conversations with local people and our exploration of the island. It is an attempt to make sense of the fear and revulsion that Poveglia continues to provoke, despite the best attempts of sceptics to exorcise its ghosts with the bell, book and candle of reason. (Robin Saikia)
Robin Saikia is the author of the highly acclaimed book, The Venice Lido, recently published by Blue Guides (http://thevenicelido.com). Please contact us to discuss licensing our 4000 word photo documentary of the island, words by Robin Saikia, photography by Marco Secchi. msecchi@gmail.com
A Sufi Ramadan /
By Paul Salahuddin Armstrong
Paul of the Wulfruna Sufi Association tells about Ramadan in Sufism. Read about the significance of fasting, the symbolism of the rose and the importance of prayer and meditation.
Ramadan, the month when God revealed the Holy Qur’an, is a time of deep reflection and contemplation for Muslims. Considering past accomplishments and where our life’s journey is leading. Ramadan is a good time for us to make changes for the better, an excellent opportunity to turn over a new leaf, shedding any old bad habits.
Sufi meditation
Walking in the footsteps of the prophets
"O you who have attained to faith! Fasting is ordained for you as it was ordained for those before you, so that you might remain concious of God" Holy Qur’an (2:183) Asad
"Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant - the Ten Commandments." Exodus (34:28) NIV
Muslims aim to be walking in the footsteps of prophets and saints. While Ramadan is unique to Islam, most religions have their traditions of fasting. We spend much of our lives concerned with mundane activities, work, meals, television, fashion. Without even realising it, time passes, often wasted on nothing special. Fasting helps us to regain self-discipline and self-restraint.
Tayyaba Mosque
Realising the difficulties of others
An important role of fasting, is to help us realise the difficulties and suffering of others. Caring for those in need is so important, charity is the third pillar of Islam. One important benefit of fasting, is we learn what it is like to feel hungry. Once we realise this, hopefully we will show more compassion for those in need, for those who have no food to break their fasts, or cannot afford to buy it.
The rose blooms amid thorns
Sufis are people striving for an inner, personal experience of the Divine. Seeing the basic practices of Islam as only the first step to this higher goal. To allow one’s soul to grow and ascend, one needs to strive against the bad characteristics of one’s ego. In Sufism, the rose is symbolic of our soul. As like the development of our own souls in this world, the rose blooms amid thorns.
Seeking to lose themselves in the Divine
While all Muslims are on a quest for inner peace, Sufis seek to lose themselves in the Divine. Fasting is an important stepping stone on this inner spiritual journey. Sufi saints perform the greatest form of fast, while others go without food, they exercise the fasting of their mind. Put another way, they do not think of anything except God.
Prayers and meditation
Sufis consider their existence in this world as only the seed, for their existence in the next world. In a similar way to how small acorns grow into mighty oaks, we reap what we sow. In addition to their daily prayers, various forms of meditation are practised by Sufis, enabling them to become more conscious of the Divine.
"unto everyone who is conscious of God, He [always] grants a way out [of unhappiness], and provides for him in a manner beyond all expectation" Holy Qur’an (65:2-3) Asad
Laylat al-Qadr
God has promised great rewards for those who fast. One of these occurs during the last ten days of Ramadan. During the night of Laylat al-Qadr, for one who has fasted perfectly, God sends an angel to personally meet this person, and grant them any wish they desire.
Fasting is an enormous blessing, it is a great way of improving one’s self discipline and physical health, yet at the same time conveys immense spiritual benefits.
Sufi Ramadan traditions /
How do Sufi practices differ in Ramadan?
Kunqu Opera in Venice /
Luo Chenxue from the Kunqu Opera of Jiangsu performs at Teatro Goldoni on July 29, 2011 in Venice, Italy. Kunqu Opera, now under the Unesco patronage, originated in the Jiangsu province, dating back to the early Ming dinasty. With a history of more than six hundred years, Kunqu Opera is a traditional type of Chinese drama and one of the most ancient opera forms in China and in the world.
Image Gallery is here
Redentore Festival in Venice /
Redentore is the celebration most loved by Venetians, to remind the end of the plague in 1577 higlights of the celebration are the poonton bridge across the Giudecca Canal, people gatherings on boats in the St Mark's basin and spectacular fireworks display
Redentore is a popular festival that combines the sacred and profane, as Venice celebrations often do. Redentore is the celebration most loved by Venetians, to remind the end of the plague in 1577, one of the most disastrous plagues in Venice history, still commemorated today with "the famous night of fireworks", on the 3rd Saturday of July. On the 3rd weekend in July, religious and political authorities, inhabitants and guests walk on this passageway to reach by foot, from the historical centre of Venice, the temple dedicated to Christ the Redeemer in the island of Giudecca
For the "famous night of fireworks", between the 3rd Saturday of July and the Sunday after, thousands of Venetians and visitors come to celebrate, in the S. Mark´s basin swarming with boats crowded with people who bring typical culinary delights. Beginning on that Saturday morning, people engages with the organisation and preparation for the Redentore Festival. Foods are cooked for up to 20/30 people; candle-baloons, leafy branches and other trinket are hanged on the boats, terraces and rooftop loggias. Soon as they are ready, those on the boats start looking for the best places in St. Mark´s Basin. After supper with relatives and friends under the showy ornamentation, everybody waits for the great firework show (the "foghi") to begin, usually around 23:00.
How are you using LinkedIn? /
Professional networking service LinkedIn blasted through the 100-million-user mark in March, making it even more powerful for finding a job, keeping up with colleagues and promoting your resume.LinkedIn is growing so quickly, it’s adding a new member each second.As the size of its network grows, LinkedIn is steadily getting more useful.
But how are people really using the fast-growing service? Researchers at Lab 42 asked 500 LinkedIn users that question and many more, and came up with a variety of answers in this infographic.
Among the fun facts they uncovered: We found it interesting the way top level executives use the service in vastly different ways from entry-level workers. How are you using your LinkedIn Account?
The last TwitPic /
I have recently sent my last picture using Twitpic, the photo sharing service on Twitter, because I was made aware of an important change in their Terms of Service:
You retain all ownership rights to Content uploaded to Twitpic. However, by submitting Content to Twitpic, you hereby grant Twitpic a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicenseable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform the Content in connection with the Service and Twitpic's (and its successors' and affiliates') business, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Service (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels.
I suggest using MobyPicture.com, or even better PhotoShelter, both sites offers terms of service that are much friendlier to photographers.
Flying above Venice /
The Seawings tours are specifically designed to complement your cruise experience, Seawings encourage you to relax as your guide whisks you away to the historic Island of San Clemente; explore the grounds of the luxurious San Clemente Palace Hotel & Resort and hop on board for memories that will last forever.Providing unparalleled and rarely seen aerial views of the Venetian Lagoon and the islands of San Servolo, San Giorgio Maggiore, Giudecca, Torcello and Lido, Seawings promises you all the excitement in a lot less time.
No other tour provides such a complete picture of the enitire empire of Venezia. Seawings guided sightseeing tour of Venice is truly a unique way to see Venice as never before.
