Photos from Italy

A few classics from Fiave where we did farm things and Venice where we did...well, Venetian things ;)

Ventisei in Venice

So many reasons to be grateful for amazing friends! Here are two: they take you into their homes and love you like their own; and they are the best companions for going on spontaneous adventures! On May 6, I arrived in Fiave, Italy to visit my friend Sofi who I met while working in India and Cambodia in 2013. We talked about a visit to her side of the world and in less than a year, we made it a reality! After a few days of relaxation, fence-building (yep, we built a fence, no big deal), and farm fresh food, we left the altitude and mountain air behind and headed to the coast. Twenty-six hours in Venice! It seems short, though it is easier to remember all the funny and intricate details of a trip when there are only twenty-six hours to remember. Here it is...

We arrived via train from Verona after dropping Sof's boyfriend off at the airport. We also indulged in a sweet Nutella crepe...to minimize the MTA (meal time aggression), obviously. Once we hit the island, we stopped at Al Piave for a drink--an asian cafe that played 50 cent in the background. No lie. With no schedule and full freedom, we continued on to our airb&b, frequently pausing to check out a store, take in a view, or investigate a potential dinner spot. After several (hundred) extra steps in various directions, Paola's airb&b was in reach. A narrow alley led us to a garden oasis and the door to our room was right beside a beautiful rose bush. With a comfy bed, sufficient space, and soon-to-come delectable breakfast (with Nutella!), our airb&b was everything we needed. We later learned we were the inaugural guests of 'autentico b&b in cannaregio,' which I think is pretty exciting stuff! The neighborbood, Cannaregio, turned out to be our favorite, with more locals than tourists and all the essentials of daily life--panificio, birreria, fruit stands, gelateria and an abundance of vino. Across the south-side canal from our area was the Jewish ghetto, marked by abandoned military checkpoint towers-turned-souvenir shops. And a twenty minute walk brought us to the famous Rialto and San Marco.

Eager to cross as many bridges as possible, we dropped our bags quickly and headed out. First stop: Paradiso Perduto where we lost ourselves in a paradise of fresh seafood and vegetables including squid, octopus, scallops, king prawns, stuffed tomatoes, asparagus, salmon, and carmelized onions. Next, we made our way to the center, first taking in the Grand Canal from Campo di San Sofia (fitting, right?) and then ascending the steps to the top of the Rialto. You could find two types of yellow arrow signs throughout Venice. One said 'Per Rialto' and the other said 'Per San Marco.' These signs helped me navigate better than any tri-fold map and led us to San Marco to see the basilica, piazza, and bell tower. After multiple attempts, Sof and I were able to snap a few decent selfies with these UNESCO heritage site landmarks in the background.

Around 6:30 Sof headed towards Castello to visit a friend for dinner and I set out to get beautifully lost in the maze of canals. Without realizing it until the next day, I managed to explore three neighborhoods and made my way from Arsenal in Castello to the train station in Santa Croce--more than half the distance of the entire island. In between these points, I saw Doge's Palace, la Accademia, Basilica de Santa Maria della Salute, and Chiesa de San Sebastiano, along with countless other landmarks and inscriptions dating back over 500 years. From 6:30 to 8:30, there were two hours of sunlight for this Venice virgin to soak up the magic of the city; to have that initial a-ha moment of being in a place that has no cars or motorized vehicles and truly transports you back in time. It felt like I was walking around a movie set. 

Just as the sun was setting, dark clouds rolled in and a thunderstorm threatened. At this point I didn't really know where I was, my flip-flops were proving to be a horrible choice on the slick stone pathways, and of course, it was dark. While all of this crossed my mind, it didn't phase me one bit. I had no where to be and it's an island, how lost could I get? ...I feel like I'm setting you up for some crazy climax here. I'm not! The rain drops started falling faster and the breeze picked up, canal water dancing up onto the walkways. I called Sof and we decided to meet at San Marco, only for me to realize ten seconds later that I was on the other side of the Grand Canal and it would take me forever to get to San Marco. Eventually we reunited at Rialto and ventured onto our own version of a wine tour. First stop, a hole in the wall called I Rugheti, where we enjoyed a delicious local red and I tried lard for the first time. I know, lard, sounds gross, but it's not-- it tastes like a better, saltier version of American cheese and deli-sliced turkey breast combined.

Moving right along, we found an old mattress factory reincarnated as a restaurant four years ago. The owner had traveled quite a bit before settling in Venice, including a long stay in India. For this reason, he had a map of India hanging and several inspired dishes on the menu. So many reasons to like this place; unfortunately the wine we had wasn't one of them. It was also at this restaurant that we realized we were not heading towards our b&b and were, in fact, farther from our b&b than when we had started. Back on the right path, Sof spotted an old favorite from her earlier days (I would say glory days, but she's still in the midst of those!). We had no choice but to enjoy a nostalgic drink at Devil's Forest. Like many places throughout the city, this bar had free wifi for customers so while Sof reminisced, I skyped my family at home who were together celebrating Mother's Day!

Soon hunger was at the forefront of our minds. Our leisurely jaunt back to the b&b turned into a mission to find some grub. Sadly, it was getting late and not many places, or at least kitchens, were open. A nice man, Peter, offered us free wine as he was closing his cafe, and we accepted, though our ravenous selves wished there was some bread to accompany the wine. Exhausted and anxious for breakfast, we closed the books on an epic first seven hours in Venice.

Refreshed from a good sleep and cool shower, I was ready for day two. Fresh coffee, croissants, granola & yogurt, and Nutella greeted us in the garden. As I happily filled up on more than enough carbs, we decided to explore the ghetto then get on a vaporetto to the smaller islands. On our walk to the water taxi we passed by a glass bead workshop and stopped in to pick up a few beads for Sof's mom. Our quick stop turned into an excavation of glass beads and story time with a passionate artisan named Mauro. He actually showed us the process for making a bead--one rod of glass is melted around a more solid glue-like piece then different colors (rods of glass) are melted in to make designs. Mauro also explained how to make the molds for shaping the beads, first by sanding and carving down a piece of metal to the full shape (not hollow shape). Then that is used to stamp into a block to create a mold. When two molds are finished, they are each welded onto one side of metal tongs. Mauro was such a joy to listen to, sharing the history of the shop and telling us about his curiousity as a boy while watching his mother make the beads. A true master of his craft!

Mauro is also a master of being awesome! Not only did he give us a discount on the beads we bought, but also recommended a great spot for fried seafood. So delicious! Fried just the right amount; a very light breading with uber fresh squid, shrimp, and fish.

For the remainder of the day we cruised around the islands on vaporettos, stopping at Burano to soak up the sun and bright colored houses in the sleepy fishing town. It was a beautiful day to be out on the water, basking in the sun. When we returned to the mainland, we enjoyed a final walk through the city and grabbed sandwiches for lunch on the way. The sun was beating down especially hard, sucking out every drop of hydration we didn't have--so we were exhausted by the time we reached the train. Of course, testing our luck for the second time, the next train was leaving in 5 minutes! Using whatever energy we had left, we bought tickets and ran to the train in lickity-split, record-timing! Once we were on the train we had a solid hour to relax and nap before the drive from Verona to Fiave. As we climbed in elevation on the ride home, my heart filled up with happiness--to be with a beautiful friend in a beautiful place.

Amore,
Mary

P.S. Photos will be posted in a separate blog post

To love and be loved...

I'm going to preface this blog post with, 'this is going to be a long one!' Ten days ago, Camp Rainbow Bangalore finished its first ever season of camp. As we were seeing the bus of campers off, watching it grow smaller down the road, I broke down in tears. It was like someone just flicked a switch. I believe the tears came from the overwhelming emotions of pride, happiness, and even a little bit of shock...the intense pride for the special people who took camp in Bangalore from a vision to a reality in just 7 months, for the determined leadership team in Bangalore who recruited a wonderful group of staff and campers in record time and simply made it happen, for the staff team, especially the activity leaders who I worked closely with, and for our GPP fellow who single-handedly made each day brighter than the last. It was a first for many people at Camp Rainbow Bangalore--including my first field consultant assignment. The month of April 2014 will certainly be one of my most cherished!

Now, after reading this, you are probably thinking it cannot get much better than this...wrong! The day after we finished in Bangalore, I hopped on a train with one of my favorite camp travel buddies and we set off for Chennai, for more camp and for more milestones at Camp Rainbow Chennai. In its fourth season of camp, the team here is independent, facilitating 100% of Staff Training. And not only are they doing it on their own, they are doing it on their own at a remarkably high level--playful professionals at their finest, paying attention to details and doing it all with purpose. On top of this, they are hosting their first Staff Exchange participants (folks from another GPP), managing 3 camp sessions on their own, and having their first ever criteria visit! Criteria is a massive milestone, one that requires focused preparation while also managing camp. Having the opportunity to support this team through their criteria process up to this point has been the most rewarding experience of my career (young career, yes but this is going to stay at the top for a long time!) I am so proud of this team and I know they are going to knock a lot of socks off in a few weeks, including their own ;)

So, with all of these amazing moments filling my mind and heart, I was in the car today driving back to Chennai, reflecting on the past 6 weeks and coming to terms with leaving India, a place that has quickly become near and dear to my heart. About halfway between Pondicherry and Chennai, when my eyes had just dried up from 'goodbye Rochelle tears,' I see a rainbow to the right. Again, it gets better... its a double rainbow. Now, I try not to read too much into things, but here are the facts: in India, camp is called Camp Rainbow and this year we have two Camp Rainbows, Bangalore and Chennai. How beautifully symbolic is this! Watching this double rainbow made me smile inside and out, and brought such nice closure to this trip. This Camp Rainbow journey reaffirmed my values and I will always carry it with me-- it will motivate me to continue setting the bar higher, and remind me to appreciate and praise the people around me.

Jim Valvano, a former college basketball coach, gave an inspirational speech at a sports award ceremony and is famous for this quote in particular: 'To me, there are three things everyone should do every day. Number one is laugh. Number two is think--spend some time in thought. Number three, you should have your emotions move you to tears. If you laugh, think and cry, that's one heck of a day.'

I can confidently say I did those three things each day for the past 6 weeks and Valvano was right--it was one heck of a time!

Over (the rainbow) and out,
Mary