VeniceWord.com

"BUONGIORNO VENEZIA - The News from Venice"

published weekly by VENICEWORD INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SERVICES in Venice, Italy -- 29 December 2008

Sand Nativity in JESOLO

Christmas in Glass (Natale di Vetro)

FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE:

• NEWS. New Year's Eve, dinner with.. strike
• TIPS: coping with the high tide in Venice 
• NEWS. Sand Nativity in Jesolo
• NEWS. The new face of Porto Marghera
• NEWS. The "permanent" Accademia Bridge
• NEWS. Hydrogen vaporettos, at last
• NEWS. A Kiss-In in St. Mark's
• UPCOMING. It's a date: the 53rd International Art Exhibition
• NEWS. Lying at the movies
• REMINDER. Biennale Theatre... in two acts
• SERVICES. The Venice Card delivered: don't visit Venice without it
• UPCOMING EVENTS (see below):
  MUSIC, THEATRE, and EXHIBITS
• DINING. Suggested restaurants

EVENTS IN VENICE

(more details and suggestions)

EXHIBITS

• "Carlo Cardazzo. A New Vision for Art", 1 November 2008 - 9 February 2009 - Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni. Hommage to the Venetian gallerist and artist Carlo Cardazzo, and its important collection of art
• Depero: Works from the collection Fedrizzi, until 1 March 2009, Museo Correr,
• "Georges Barbier in Venice, the birth of Deco art" until 5 January 2009, Palazzo Fortuny
• "Italics. Italian Art between Tradition and Revolution, 1968-2008", Palazzo Grassi until 22 March 2009

FESTIVALS, MUSIC & THEATRE

• “CHRISTMAS IN GLASS” ("Natale di Vetro") offers you the chance to enjoy a December rich in art and culture. Take a stroll through a festive Murano where splendid glass sculptures will be on display in the most picturesque locations, visit exhibitions, be a spectator of the traditional Glassworks Regatta, or give your children the chance to try the thrill of glass making. The main routes around the island will be illuminated with Led spheres: a new, creative and ecological way to conceive traditional Christmas decorations. Until January 6th, 2009 (www.nataledivetro.com)
• “LOVE", New Year's Eve in St. Mark's - VENICE , Kiss your loved one(s) in the most beautiful piazza in the world. www.capodannovenezia.it
• “AL PES.CO.", New Year's Eve in TESSERA (MAINLAND, near Marco Polo Aiport) , Dinner from 9 PM; dance music and Latin music until 5 AM. 70 euro per person all included
  PES.CO, via Triestina, 159 - Tessera (VE), Info: 0415416343
• Teatro Goldoni (from 27 December) "Cirk. Il teatro del circo”, by Pantakin - The show tells the story of a small circus with huge crestivity and imagination". On 31 December starting at 9 pm. Tickets: 12 up to 35 euro. Info: +39 0412402011.
• Teatro La Fenice: 30, 31 December and 1st January 2009: orchestra and choir, conductor Georges Prêtre. Mariella Devia soprano, Massimiliano Pisapia tenor. Tickets 15 up to 300 euro. Info: +39 041786511
• Teatro Fondamenta Nuove, 1st January 2009 at 6 pm  “Happy new ears”, Tubolibre quartet jazz concert, for a new year with "new ears". Gianluca Petrella, Mauro Ottolini, Gabrio Baldacci, Cristiano Calcagni. Tickets from 12 to 18 euro. Teatro Fondamenta Nuove. Cannaregio, 5013. Info: +39 0415224498.
• Bauer Hotel, from 8.30 pm aperitif, Gaal dinner and party in the terrace.  550 euro per person Info: +39 0415207022.
• Luna Hotel Baglioni from 7.30 pm aperitif and Gala Dinner , music. 490 euro per person. Luna Hotel Baglioni. San Marco, 1243. Info: +39 0415289840.
• Stucky Hilton Venice Hotel, Giudecca, gala dinner at 220 euro per person. From 10.30 pm dj resident at the Skyline Rooftop Bar 100 euro per person. Info: +39 0412723317
• A romantic dinner? "Algiubagiò" restaurant,  Fondamenta Nuove.  100 per person. Cannaregio, 5039. Info: +39 0415236084.
• Glamour dinner? "947 Club", Campo S.S. Filippo e Giacomo. 95 euro per person. Castello, 4337. Info: +39 3404773693.
• Exotic dinner? "Ganesh Ji"  indian restaurant. 65 euro per person. San Polo, 2426. Info:+39 041719804.
• Dogado Lounge: 
  1) dinner & dance: 120 euro;
  2) drink & dessert:  35 euro;
  3) just dance: 25 euro;
  Cannaregio, 3662. Info: +39 0415208544.
• Ostaria al Vecio Pozzo: from 2 am of 1st January 2009, pasta e fagioli and musetto with lentils.   60 euro per person.  Ostaria Al Vecio Pozzo. Santa Croce, 656. Info: +39 0415242760
• At the Lido Beach (Blue Moon Beach) Wien waltzs and the hibernists first swimming of the year.

• IN OTHER CITIES:

  “JESOLO, NewYear's Party in Piazza Mazzini, Live music (Alexia and DJ's) 

  
  
  

   

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  DINING
  

  "Met", Hotel Metropole, Riva degli Schiavoni 4149. Open every day. Phone 0415240034.
  One star in Michelin guidebook. Creative. Ask for the "Fettuccine di seppia alla carbonara".
  
  

  BUY NOW Harry's Bar Cookbook
  See also Restaurants.

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  Buy at AllPosters.com

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  Dressing up for dinner?
  The Editor's pick
  

Greetings from Venice!

AND FONDEST WISHES FROM ALL OUR STAFF

Dear Subscribers,

Every week since 2000, VeniceWord has brought you the latest news
about activities, events, and culture in one of the world's most
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NEWS. It's very likely that the trade unions will get what they're asking for -- since the party must go on -- but if you booked your New Year's Eve party in one of these five-star hotels (Danieli, Gritti, or Europa & Regina, all owned by Starwood), it is cordially recommended that you enquire. An eight hour strike has been announced by workers after Starwood declared that, because of the economic crisis, 45 employees will be fired in 2009. Over the next few days, we'll update this webpage with information about the labour dispute and with additional suggestions about parties (see the right side of this page).

(Hotel Danieli, Venice)

ACQUA ALTA? A high tide information service alerts the cities and islands which face the Venice lagoon (such as Venice itself and Chioggia) some hours before the peaks. Sirens placed throughout the city and SMS messages on residents' cellphones try to update pedestrians and SMS subscribers ASAP. You can get information from a 24 hour call centre - with recorded messages - on (+39) 041.24.11.996. To subscribe to the free SMS service, click here. Weather forecasts can be found at:
http://www.veniceword.com/weather.html

NEWS. The 2008 Sand (Sculpture) Nativity is part of the New Year celebrations. The event takes place until 18 January 2009 in Jesolo (30 km. from Venice) in Piazza Marconi, and it's open every day from 10 am - noon, 2-7 pm and, on Saturdays and holidays, from 7 pm - 10 pm. Gathered in Jesolo to create gigantic sand nativity scenes are the best sand sculptors in the world: Lars Borst (Holland), Mark Anderson (England), Damon Farmer (USA), Pavel Zadanyuk (Russia), Alexey Schictov (Russia), Radek Zivney (Czech Rep.), Daniel Belcher (USA), and Ray Villafane (USA). The Artistic Director is Richard Varano (USA). The Sand Nativity is associated with a charitable organisations and, since its first edition in 2002, more than 238,000 euros have been collected and donated. The donations by visitors to the 2008-2009 Sand Nativity will support two projects: the reconstruction of a flood-destroyed bridge that connects two cities in El Salvador and Honduras and the construction of a mill in the state of Bahia in Brazil for the production and processing of manioc (also known as cassava whose flour is called tapioca). Organisers expect 80,000 visitors from Italy and around the world.

NEWS. In the former industrial area of Porto Marghera, new houses, hotels, and shops facing the lagoon are being constructed a few kilometres from the historical centre of Venice. It is the central project which, starting in 2009, will change the face of the Venetian mainland and represent investments totalling -- in spite of the general economic crisis -- more than 100 million euros.

NEWS. True love is priceless... and inexpensive. In these hard times, kissing in St. Mark's Square is the cheapest and most well-wishing way to salute the New Year. For the second time, after the successful 2008 edition, Venice is organising the "Love" feast in St. Mark's Square on New Year's Eve -- a midnight kiss during a music concert; a very simple thing which last year attracted 80 thousand people in the most famous piazza in the world. The organisation is seeking 200 couples willing to kiss for the cameras. Check www.capodannovenezia.it
See the webcam over the Calatrava bridge at and the other active webcams of Venice clicking here

NEWS.After the much-criticised and expensive Calatrava Bridge, the Venice Municipality is facing the problem of the "temporary" wooden Accademia bridge which, after 77 years of being temporary, the city intends to rebuild "without spending public money". In other words, after the mistakes that were made in financing the Calatrava Bridge, the Municipality will rely exclusively on sponsors. The cost of construction is estimated at four and a half million euros, and the project is expected to take two year. Renovating the present wooden bridge would cost more than two million euros and that is a fiscal impossibility in the current municipal budget.

NEWS.The announcement is not new but, this time, the intention sounds genuine: the public transportation company ACTV is about to introduce an ecological waterbus which will be powered by hydrogen. In four year's time, the hydrogen vaporettos should replace the present ones along the Grand Canal while a new, more comfortable and less noisy vaporetto is also being studied..

UPCOMING. The 53rd International Art Exhibition will take place at the Arsenale and Giardini in Venice from 7 June to 22 November 2009. New projects by the Biennale have been set up: at the Arsenale, the Italian Pavilion in the Tese delle Vergini area will be enlarged, expanding into an adjacent facility and facing the adjoining Giardino delle Vergini. The Pavilion will be linked to a new Arsenale entrance via a bridge to be built between the Garden and the Castello neighbourhood. The Biennale intends to rename this new facility "Padiglione Italia". The Board also proposed that the City Council change the name of the historical building in the Giardini area to "Palazzo delle Esposizioni" of the Venice Biennale.

NEWS. "Proiezioni supine"  means watching films while lying on one's back, in some cases from 8 PM until past midnight in movie marathons. The Eyemove and Cinit associations organise programmes of screenings on the ceiling of the Parish Cinema in Calle Drio l'Archivio ai Frari in Venice. The movies are viewed while lying on the ground on thin mattresses. Covers and pillows are not included, but you can bring them from home. Ceiling screening marathons are scheduled until 6 May 2009.
The next announced Proiezioni Supine movie marathons:

Thursday 22 January 2009
Proiezioni Supine: "I Neo-Noir"
8:00 pm: A History of Violence by David Cronenberg (2005, 96')
10:00 pm: Notturno Bus by Davide Marengo (2007, 104')
12:00 am: Slevin - Patto Criminale by Paul McGuigan (2006, 110')

8:00 pm: Charlie Bartlett by Jon Poll (2007, 96')
10:00 pm: Guida per riconoscere i tuoi santi by Dito Montiel (2006, 98')
12:00 am: C.R.A.Z.Y. by Jean-Marc Valée (2006, 127')

May we also suggest you:
Thursday 15 January 2009 (regular screenings... with dinner!): "Maratona Cinegastronomica IV Edizione: Il piacere del cibo sugli schermi e a tavola"
7:00 pm (aperitif): Big Night by Stanley Tucci (1996, 107'); 9:00 pm (main course): L'abbuffata by Mimmo Calopresti (2007, 102');11:00 pm (desserts and coffee): Lezioni di cioccolato by Claudio Cupellini (2007, 107')

Admittance requires the Cinit Frari 2008 Card, and reservations are required. Contact us.


REMINDER.  The International Theatre Workshop took place in Venice from 27 October to 29 November 2008. Shortly after, the 40th International Theatre Festival will take place, running from 20 February to 8 March 2009. The programme of the Venice Biennale's Theatre section is closely integrated in the two segments. The first, in October-November 2008, featured an international training and specialisation workshop; the second, in 2009, will incorporate an International Theatre Festival in February of that year. Both are associated with a single artistic theme: the Mediterranean.

The director of the Theatre section, Maurizio Scaparro, has conceived Venice as a workshop-city. An Ariadne's thread made of water will reach from the middle of the lagoon to the Mediterranean Sea, the Sea being the theme of the Theatre section's current activities. Many of the workshops scheduled in October-November will then be part of the 40th International Theatre Festival, which also includes performances in front of an audience.
 

FOOD. The Espresso Guide has announced the best restaurants in Italy. The top spots in Venice, in the guide authors' opinions, are still two hotel restaurants -- the Bauer's and the Metropole's. According to the Espresso Guide, these are the Top Ten restaurants in the Veneto region:

* Le Calandre, Loc. Sarmeola, Rubano (Padova), tel. 049.630303, closed on Sunday and Monday. Average price per person: 150 euro
* Perbellini, Isola Rizza (Verona), tel. 045.7135352; closed on Monday, Tuesday, Sunday evening. Average price: 130 euro
* La Peca, Lonigo (Vicenza), tel. 0444.830214. Closed on Monday and Sunday evening. Average price: 98 euro
* Dolada, Loc. Plois, Pieve d'Alpago, tel. 0437.479141, Open only PM; closed on Monday and Sunday. Average price: 85 euro
* Locanda San Lorenzo, Puos d'Alpago, tel. 0437.454048, Closed on Wednesday. Average price: 65 euro
* Hotel Villa del Quar Arquade, Loc. Pedemonte, San Pietro in Cariano (Verona), tel. 045.6800681,  closed on Monday. Average price: 100 euro
* Laite, Borgata Hoffe 10, Sappada, tel. 0435.46907, Closed on Wedneday and Thursday lunch. Average price: 70 euro
* Il Desco, Verona, tel. 045.595358, closed on Monday and Sunday. Average price: 120 euro
* Antica Osteria Cera, Loc. Lughetto, Campagna Lupia (Venezia), tel. 041.5185009, closed on Monday and Sunday evening. Average price: 100 euro
*  Locanda di Piero, Montecchio Precalcino, tel. 0445.864827, Closed on Sunday, Monday lunch. Average price: 65 euro

SERVICES. Avoid queues at the ticket office... We are launching a new service for the online purchase and home (or hotel) delivery of  Venicecard tickets, complete with a map and PDF guide. Please allow 10-15 days for mail delivery!!! Click for details.

You may remember a series of children books dedicated to a young "detective", Nancy Drew. She's back in a videogame, which offers a new perspective to discover Venice, with the 360 degrees images of its set.

In  "Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice," from Her Interactive for the PC, Nancy has been invited to help the Italian police solve a series of crimes where priceless Venetian artifacts have been stolen. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Venice, as depicted in almost photo-realistic scenes, the mystery takes you around the city, letting you ride on gondolas to get from place to place. You play as Nancy and see Venice through her eyes. The game uses point-and-click navigation, with several of the scenes allowing you to look in 360-degree views by placing your cursor at the edge of the screen. The book which inspired the videogame is PHANTOM OF VENICE (NANCY DREW 78): PHANTOM OF VENICE (Nancy Drew).

Wish to comment?
Click http://blog.buongiornovenezia.com/

Would you like to own a gondola?  Buy a gondola, "park" it in Venice, and someone will take care of it for you in the wintertime, ensuring that you'll always have your own gondolier when you come to Venice, (and even give you rowing lessons, if you wish, so that you can be the gondolier!). Or you may decide to have the gondola packed and shipped home. This strange but, just as strangely, well-received idea already has many fans. If you're interested, contact us. (More about gondolas)

VENICEWORD INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SERVICES

Editing of the English language edition of BUONGIORNO VENEZIA
courtesy of Wordsworth & Company, www.wordsworthandco.com