Sunday, August 10, 2008

Venice in the early morning and late night hours . . .

As I look forward to my Spain trip in 88 days from today I can't help but reflect on my trip to Venice last year. With each trip that I take I really try to do something new and different. One of the things that I really did differently last year was to spend some time exploring Venice during the early morning and late night hours! The experience was truly unforgettable!

Here's a YouTube I created to give you an idea of my experience.



I can't wait to find out what I will discover and experience in Spain!

24 comments:

  1. Oh Kathy, that is so beautiful! What a treat for a Monday morning back at work. You really got some amazing photos and I love the way you put them together. Thanks so much and have a great week!

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  2. Kathy,

    That was so beautiful! I also like to wander in the early morning when the town/city is beginning to awaken especially in the winter months when the air is so crisp and clear. The photos are gorgeous and they show Venice in a perfect light. The gondola images were my favorite and made me very nostalgic.

    Thank you for sharing this wonderful slide show with such a lovely melody.

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  3. Hi Annie, thanks so much for your comments. I'm really sorry that it's taking me so long to finish my trip report. I think I might have it done after this weekend (especially since I am off on Friday & Monday!) Whoo hoo!

    It's not Slow Travel worthy but it will definitely reflect my experiences pretty accurately. I was putting my photo album together for the section where I talk about my early morning and late night walks and on impulse I did this quick video. I get distracted so easily. :)

    Have a great week too Annie!

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  4. Hi Maria, thanks so much for your comments. I also enjoy venturing out early in the morning too and for the same reasons. I love watchng the day come alive.

    I actually decided to use Alicia's song because I heard it on Professor Pausch's video. I guess I wanted this video of my beautiful experiences in Venice to always remind me of his very inspirational message to live life to the fullest and with no regrets.

    Have a great week Maria!

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  5. Kathy,

    Here's something you may not want to miss: Anthony Bourdain's show, No reservation, on Monday 8/18 at 10pm. It's all about the food in Spain.

    http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Anthony_Bourdain

    ¡Ochenta y seis días!

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  6. Hi Maria, thanks so much for the tip on Bourdain's show! I'm a big fan of his shows, so this will be very exciting to watch! I may have to even tape this episode so I can watch it again.

    Annie also mentioned another show called Spain on the Road with Gwyneth Peltrow and Mario Batali (sp?) to be aired on PBS. Have you heard of that show too? I have to check my PBS station here in Los Angeles for their schedule. Hopefully I didn't miss any episodes yet.

    Thanks so much Maria!

    Ochenta y seis días! Whoo Hoo! I am beyond excited . . .

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  7. Ooo, I love Anthony Bourdain, so will also be watching for that one!

    Kathy, your video (as always) is wonderful. Beautiful photos and lovely song selection (my daughter brought me back an Alicia Keys cd from NY when she went on her school trip, so AK has a special place in the music room of my heart!)

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  8. Hi Anne, I can't wait for Bourdain's show. I like the comments he makes in the scenes of his show. I especially like that his show is about food as well as the people.

    You daughter has excellent taste in music. I really like Alicia's music. Prince, of course, is still number one for me though! :)

    Thanks again for your comments. Have a great day!

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  9. Kathy,

    I read that the Spain on the Road program airs sometime in September but I didn't find it on the schedule of my local PBS station. I hope it will air here because I enjoyed what I saw on the preview.

    I'm recording Bourdain's program just in case I forget to watch it. It'll be a fun show, for sure!

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  10. Hi Maria, very cool. I checked my PBS station's entire schedule for August but didn't see it and when I went to check in September they didn't have September's schedule posted. So now I'll keep checking until they post it.

    Thanks for the heads up! Bourdain's show should be really good too! Can't wait...

    Thanks Maria!

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  11. I checked my PBS channel website and could not find it either. I found out about it in the new edition of "Food and Wine" magazine which said that the show would start next month (which I took to mean September). I'll keep looking for info.

    Also, you probably know this but the new Woody Allen movie is set in Spain and stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. I saw a preview for it on TV and it looked pretty good! It's a romantic comedy.

    And finally, I am SO happy to learn that you are thinking about kitten names. Yay! Maybe a Spanish name?

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  12. What a great video, Kathy! Beautiful shots, and a great idea to study Venice in the early morning and late evening.

    You're inspiring me -- I waste too much of my holiday time lolling around in bed. Mornings can be so very beautiful, offering a different perspective on a city. I'm determined to get up early at least some days on my upcoming trip.

    Thanks for this! (and just 83 days until your next trip, yay!)

    Sandra

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  13. Hi Annie, I'm surprised that my PBS station hasn't posted September's schedule and maybe all PBS channel's are like that since you haven't seen it on your PBS channel website too. Actually, I'm glad it's showing in September because it'll be after the Olympics.

    I'm learning about the food in Spain but know very little about their wine. I think one place I'm visiting is known for their Spanish Sherry, so I could sample some of that. Truth be told, I'm not a very big drinker and that's why I loved the prosecco in Venice. Very light. I can go as high as maybe two glasses of prosecco, but I'm pretty much done after one glass of wine. Wine goes straight to my head.

    I have not heard of that movie yet so I will definitely have to check it out since I am a new and huge fan of Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem after watching their performances in Volver and Mar Adentro. And I'd love a chance to see a movie with Spain in it.

    And yes, I am very happy to finally be making serious plans to get a kitten. Still haven't decided if I'm going to be able to handle two yet, but I like the idea that having two will give them company while I'm away at work. I'm off today (Whoo Hoo), and I've been wanting to check to see if I can find some additional books with more on the churchs, monuments, history and art in Spain for my trip. I'm going to see if they have that Cats for Dummies book you recommended so I can learn a bit more. Ooo . . . a Spanish name? That would be so cool. Maybe on my trip I'll see something that'll inspire a few recommendations! :)

    BTW, did you catch the gymnastics competition. Individual Women All Around Gold & Silver for USA! Whoo Hoo!

    Thanks again for all your tips and encouragement and have an awesome weekend!

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  14. Hi Annie, I'm surprised that my PBS station hasn't posted September's schedule and maybe all PBS channel's are like that since you haven't seen it on your PBS channel website too. Actually, I'm glad it's showing in September because it'll be after the Olympics.

    I'm learning about the food in Spain but know very little about their wine. I think one place I'm visiting is known for their Spanish Sherry, so I could sample some of that. Truth be told, I'm not a very big drinker and that's why I loved the prosecco in Venice. Very light. I can go as high as maybe two glasses of prosecco, but I'm pretty much done after one glass of wine. Wine goes straight to my head.

    I have not heard of that movie yet so I will definitely have to check it out since I am a new and huge fan of Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem after watching their performances in Volver and Mar Adentro. And I'd love a chance to see a movie with Spain in it.

    And yes, I am very happy to finally be making serious plans to get a kitten. Still haven't decided if I'm going to be able to handle two yet, but I like the idea that having two will give them company while I'm away at work. I'm off today (Whoo Hoo), and I've been wanting to check to see if I can find some additional books with more on the churchs, monuments, history and art in Spain for my trip. I'm going to see if they have that Cats for Dummies book you recommended so I can learn a bit more. Ooo . . . a Spanish name? That would be so cool. Maybe on my trip I'll see something that'll inspire a few recommendations! :)

    BTW, did you catch the gymnastics competition. Individual Women All Around Gold & Silver for USA! Whoo Hoo!

    Thanks again for all your tips and encouragement and have an awesome weekend!

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  15. Hi Sandra, thanks for your comments. I am an early bird by nature, but even more so during trips because I always have that need to get out there.

    Early mornings hours is a fantastic way to experience a place. I love watching the cafes set up their tables, the vendors setting up their products, and of course the sunrise can be just as beautiful as those fabulous sunsets in Italy!

    Whoo Hoo . . . 83 days! :)

    Thanks for again for your comments. Have an awesome weekend!

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  16. If you like Prosecco, you may want to try Cava, a Spanish white sparkling wine similar to Champagne. A good introduction to this wine can be found here: http://spanishfood.about.com/od/drinks/a/cava.htm

    Sherry - Jerez in Spanish - is very good also but strong. I have a bottle of Amontillado which is my favorite. I use another type of sherry for cooking and I love sherry vinegar. Jerez de la Frontera is the town known for its production of Jerez and it's about an hour from Sevilla, on the way to Cadiz. The alcohol content of Jerez is high - compared to wine - so be careful with how much you drink :wink:

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  17. Hi Maria, thanks for the great explaination. See how little I know about wine and even less about Sherry (Jerez)! :)

    I think I will probably enjoy Cava. It even looks like the proseccos I enjoyed in Venice. However, since I'm not driving on this trip, maybe I will sample a little Jerez while in Cadiz! He he!

    I checked out the Tapas explanations on that link too. Great ideas for what I need to look for. I haven't eaten pork or beef in years, and I don't eat chicken very often. So I got some great seafood ideas that I can sample.

    I think I'll prepare a pocketmod thing just on the topic of food and drinks so I don't miss out on anything while I'm there. :)

    It's great having a nice long weekend. It's going to give me time to catch up on projects. Now, I'm off to B&N.

    Hope you have an awesome weekend too!

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  18. Oooh, I just have to follow up on Annie's comment about the new Woody Allen movie set in Barcelona, with Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. Its called Vicky Cristina Barcelona and it sounds wonderful (apparently it's also a bit of a love letter to Barcelona. Allen is treating it the way he used to treat New York in his movies!)

    Anyway, the reviews are coming in very good and I can't wait to see it!

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  19. I'm definitely going to see that movie too. The pairing of Cruz and Bardem with Spain as the setting. Totally looking forward to seeing it!

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  20. Lots to catch up on here!

    First, love the slide show! Makes me want to be there right now! The song is perfect!

    I saw Scarlett Johansson on David Letterman the other night (think it was David Letterman?). They showed a clip and she talked a little bit about her time in Spain. Looks like a fun movie.

    The gymnastics all around was great! I am a Nastia fan, although also love Shawn Johnson. I was thrilled to see them go 1-2. If you really love gymnastics, I found video of ALL the gymnasts online at nbc olympics - the gymnastics section. They have tons of video, which I spent most of Friday watching. Luckily I brought my pc laptop home from work since my non intel mac would not play the video.

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  21. Oh, and I forgot to say: lucky you! Friday AND Monday off!! I just looked at my school calendar and counted the days til my next long weekend.

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  22. Hi Girasoli, thanks for your comments on my video!

    Yes, I have to see that movie too. I just recieved my third movie Habla Con Ella from Netflix and will probably watch it tomorrow. I have to remember to set my VCR to tape Bourdain's show too. I hope he went to one of the cities that I'll be going to.

    It's funny that they kept saying that Shaun was the front runner but after watching the Olympic trials I was thinking that Nastia had a realy great shot. But like you I'm thrilled that USA finished 1 & 2. They are both deserving! It's been a great Olympics so far!

    Yes, definitely great to have two extra days off. And I really can't wait for my 3 weeks in Spain! 81 Days and counting . . .

    Have a great day!

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  23. Good morning Kathy! Maria I is right, if you like prosecco, you'll love Cava! It's light and refreshing, just like prosecco, and won't go straight to your head.

    Not long ago, I had a Spanish sparkling rose....fizzy pink but not sweet. Very good! I'll have to try to find out what it was. It might have been a pink Cava but I'm not sure. I think it came from Trader Joe's.

    Other Spanish things I love...Manchego cheese, piquillo peppers (esp. when stuffed with Manchego or goat cheese), and of course, olives. A friend who went to Spain raved about the little fried fish he ate in a tapas bar; he said they were so good he ended up eating 25 of them! But he said they were very small. I bet you'll be able to find some great shrimp too.

    Hope you are enjoying your long weekend! I missed the Olympics yesterday but plan to watch some today. Have a good one!

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  24. Hi Annie, that pink sparkling cava sounds very delicious. And that Manchego cheese and piquillo peppers sounds equally good. Yum! I really like eating fish and shrimp so any dish or tapas that I can find with them as filling will be awesome! Your friend ate 25 of those fishes. They must have been very good. I'm getting pretty excited just thinking about it.

    I am so enjoying my long weekend, thanks. I have been taping what I can so I don't miss any highlights. I still have tomorrow off so I get to play a bit more today! :)

    Enjoy catching up with the games! Have an awesome Sunday and a great week Annie!

    P.s I have been reading that "Cats for Dummies" book you recommended and I am finding it really useful. It's making me think about things that I have not thought about. Very interesting read! Thanks again for the recommendation!

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It's me Trekcapri (aka Kathy). Thanks so much for visiting and leaving a comment.