Two performances down two to go!

A synopsis of Sleeping Beauty

 I am first on stage during the overture and then talk to Fairy Cobweb and her assistant firefly.  At my side is my dog Coco.

 Here is Gumboil - a rather useless goblin.  Mike doesn't a cardio workout this week he jumps around continuously!

 Here I am telling the Queen & King there will be trouble now she doesn't believe in fairies.

 The King & Nanny are admiring baby Rosebud.

 Snaggletooth, Gumboils boss trying to put a spell on Rosebud at her christening.

Nanny handing the tiara to Rosebud.

Nanny & Coco

Rosebud has cut her finger and is falling asleep.

Nanny has to eat during the interval, early starts and late finishes play havoc with mealtimes!

Prince Orlando about to wake his princess with a kiss.

The Princess & Prince are falling in love.

It seems to be catching as the dull professor has woken up and declaring love for Nanny.

Nanny finally agrees and runs off with the professor.

Sleeping Beauty - First Rehearsal

Here is nanny Pat a Cake  on the stage during her first rehearsal this morning.  

It all seemed to go well.  Frank was a great director, giving us clear instructions and he knew what he wanted from everyone.  Scene 3 tonight.

St Giorgio Maggiore - different views

The Church of St Giorgio Maggiore is just across the basin from San Marco and is also very prominent from the Guidecca and the Guidecca Canal. The first three photographs I have taken over the last few days from different parts of the city.

Tonight walking to Frank's for a rehearsal of the naughty Magic Song the sun was setting and turning the Church a soft pink and there was a full moon above it.

Fabulous.

Rehearsals begin in earnest at 9.00am tomorrow so I am off for an early night!

The Venice Jazz Club

Wednesday night I went along to The Venice Jazz Club and had a wonderful evening there.  Federico has repainted the club walls white and is now holding art exhibitions to draw people in during the day.

The music was great, I loved it.  Unfortunately it is now closed until the end of January but I will hope to visit again before I leave.

Feste - Part Two

The Bridge of Sighs has been released from it's cost of blue plastic and there were lots of tourists sailing
                                                                  under it yesterday 

                                                     

After watch the race I walked down to Piazza San Marco to watch the Angel and Three Kings come out of the clock tower on the hour.  This is how the hour was originally seen but the wooden statues were being destroyed by the atmosphere so they were removed and replaced with drums that display the time.  The mechanism was left in place and twice a year at Epiphany and Ascension day they are replaced.  It was lovely because as they went back inside the Italians all clapped.

Feste - Epiphany

 11.00am on the Riva del Vin near the Rialto Bridge awaiting the boat race.  Brief outline:

 An old woman sees a bright star in the sky and three men appear at her door saying they are going to find a King.  At first she scoffs then after they have left decides to follow and see for herself.

The race is from St Toma to the Rialto Bridge.  it was difficult to tell who won, we think it was the guy in the pink shawl because the canal was full with the rowing boats, police launches, water taxis & vaporetti.  It could only be Venice.

                                                       The fondamenta at 10am today.

                                                Outside my apartment on my way shopping

Well here I am back in La Serranissima!  And I have internet access so all is well!  I had a very long day yesterday and the weather was dreadful, rain this year so the flight was an hour late arriving in Venice.  But there was a wonderful sunset over Marghera on my way on the bus into the city.

Today has been wonderful and of course I had forgotten how long it takes to do anything.  I left the apartment at 9.45am to go and renew my Imob bard to get the local rate on the vaporetto, I was in the office 11/4 hours, it took three people 45 minutes to book two tickets for La Fenice.  Once I was served it was very speedy.

Then back to the Vodaphone shop to buy a new stick for the internet.  I went up straight after arriving yesterday, I needed fresh air and a walk but the old one was not compatible to my Mac so the assistant said I go back with my laptop & they would assist me to get it working.  So I did.  Painless, the new software we had downloaded at the Apple store at a lesson was what was needed so it connected.  In the shop was Nina, the magpie in Cinderella and her mother Laura, we had a lovely reunion.  It is so funny because I didn't see them at all last year & they are the first people I see today.  Then at the Rialto vaporetto stop I see Anna & Guillame and their new baby Alvise so e chatted together until they got off at the railway station.  I also had hugs and kisses from the girl at the pet shop where I buy flowers - I will get my vase back from Annie on Saturday and from Roberto from the Acedamia news stand.  That was wonderful because for my first two visits he barely spoke, he is very quiet unlike his brother.

Back at Palanca I had a lovely lunch in the bar - I was in need of real food and theirs is all home cooking. Then it was back to the apartment for a snooze!  I have just been to the Coop to shop so now have food - and wine & prosecco.  Tonight I am going to the Venice Jazz Club to see Federico and my friends there.

Life in Venice is just back to normal.