I haven’t missed a train… yet. I was 5 minutes away from missing mine today at Stazione San Lucia in Venice. The train to Bologna departs everyday at 13:57, so says the printed arrival and departure schedules. Both the printed schedule and the digital “frequently updated” schedule say that my train leaves from platform 11. What was waiting to depart at platform 11 was not my train, but another leaving for Balssano at the same time. So I asked a lady in a Train Italia uniform what the scoop was, she said that this was not the train I wanted. Yeah, I know. Then she said that my train will come after this one leaves around 2pm. Huh? That doesn’t make sense! So I waited some more, but around 13:50 I wasn’t feeling so sure, so double checked the digitally updated schedule: Platform 11. Oh brother… Thank goodness I happened to look to my right where the old school rotating schedule posted my train as leaving from platform 2, at the other side of the station. So I hurried on over, got on my train 4 minutes before it left. Enough time to get myself and my bags on board, find an empty seat, exhale and eat lunch.
While pondering whether I was at the correct Platform or not, a little girl in a polka dot dress and bedazzled flipflops began to talk to me. I had sat down on the only bench in sight across from where she sat next to her parents (I’m assuming) who were very busy canoodeling. I took out a plastic bag which contained my lunch for the journey. She asked me, “do you have a present for me?” I replied, “No, I’m sorry.” She smiled, “Why not?” I didn’t have a witty come back, “because this is my lunch.” She laughed, then asked “Are you getting on this train,” and I replied honestly, “I don’t think so.” Then she got up, walked in front of me and said, “I am going to draw a circle around your head.” Then with her two index fingers she drew an imaginary circle around my face. “Ha! There’s a circle around your head!” “Where?!” “Around your head, there is, there is, uh-huh, there is a circle around your head!” Then she knocked the 2 Lr water bottle next to her off the bench, laughed, picked it up, and knocked it over again.
I have been spending my mornings at the library inside the Cini Foundation, which is only accessible by boat, and is currently closed to the general public as they are reorganizing their entire collection. I have been emailing with Lucia Sardo, about how I could consult the libretti despite the website publicizing the Foundations temporary closure. Thanks to our discourse, I was admitted into the library no problem and when I entered Lucia was there to kindly show me around and introduce me to the staff. The Foundation has been such an incredible chapter in my journey. It is so calm there, it used to be a monastery, and there is a courtyard inside the foundation that smells like gardenias, although I didn’t see any, and the walls are pink and the columns are white, and there are beautifully manicured green bushes in the style of 19th century Italian gardens. Just outside there is a giant marble entrance way that ends where the tide laps against it, and you can see all of Venice proper. In the library I worked across from an Italian PhD candidate from Berlin. His doctorate, still somewhat unclear to me, was tracing the influence of one very important Italian opera librettist/translator living during the 18th century on all other translators that followed him in all of Europe. He came to the Cini foundation because he says they treat you the best here, you get certain privileges that you can’t get at other libraries. Hearing this fellow talk about his research – about his escapades to libraries pestering the librarians for free reproductions until they almost call the authorities – and how I need to study in Germany, probably Berlin (though I can’t imagine there was any bias), our conversation was a hoot, but I only half understood it all because his vocab was a little over my head. I took a break at lunch to follow a gravel path shaded by cottonwoods. In the grassy areas beyond the row of trees the cotton gathered maybe 2 inches thick, creating the impression we were still in the middle of winter. The path ended on the other side of the island. It was just me, the water, and Venice.
Last night I had a very wonderful time hanging out with Venetian music students. Around 6 oclock I was wondering around Santa Margarita, which is packed with the funky youth of Venice. Their style was reminiscent of what you would see at Oberlin, and being a new-be I wanted to talk to some of these hipsters. So I bought myself a Spritz and walked up to a girl who had the same dog as I do, “Come si chiama il tuo canino?” I asked her what her dog’s name was and that I had the same one. She gave a squeal of joy, and said that Jack Russels are her favorite dogs in the world. She was leaving for Rome in less than 24 hours for good and had to say goodbye to her puppy and that her heart will be forever broken. She was also heading to dinner with her friends so we said goodbye, she gave me her name and told me find her on facebook.
It was turning dark and I had it in my mind to get some more work done, even though I worked 6 hours straight this morning. As I headed back towards the boat stop I passed a cafe where some Italian students were sitting singing U2. I paused for a second and their voices bounced off the walls of the piazza, over and under the bridge of the canal and told me to join in. So I headed backwards and asked if I could join them. PG, or Pier Giuseppe, energetically pulled up a chair with me and started strumming, “Ms Robinson.” We were all singing, laughing, and making up words. They all happened to be musicians at the conservatory here. PG, the only true venetian there majored in Philosophy and is getting his masters in piano. Sara and Celi are both piano students and Adrianna is mastering in violin. Then Roberta and Ricardo joined us. They accepted me into their impromptu soiree and it was so much fun to just hang out with them, talk about whatever, laugh and joke around. It got late and the cafe was closing down. PG, Celi, Sara, Adrianna, and I carried our conversation into a stroll across Piazza Santa Margarita. Then we decided we all were hungry, so they were kind enough to invite me to their home for dinner. I joined them and it was just a blast. Making pasta with Celi, who is about 5”1’ and full of energy was just so much fun. They were all so welcoming and treated me as part of their group. Adrianna helped show me to the boat stop as it was on her way to her house. And as we parted ways we both wished each other the best and to fai brava nella musica.
And that’s what I remember of Venice. The warmth of the people, the generosity, the charisma and character.
