VENICE, EVERYONE?
By Kim Devore/Entertainment Writer
Sometimes even entertainment professionals need to quit the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and get away from it all. So we did. Leaving the crashing surf and swaying palms of Malibu, we made our way back to the magical palaces and twisting canals of Venice, Italy.
I hadn’t been home since Sept. 11th, which for me was an impossibly long time. Since then, a few things have indeed changed.
The Flight.
Sadly, Alitalia’s nonstop from Los Angeles to Milan has been discontinued. There is, however, a very nice connection operated by those fine folks over at Delta, which goes through JFK. After a brief layover, you’re on your way to the most beautiful and romantic city on earth.
The Euro.
The economic community may be giddy with delight, but I miss the lira. I miss everything about it. I miss the different sizes and the different colors and the different historic notables who were depicted on it. I miss having to count in ridiculously high numbers knowing that when it came to the beloved lira, 1.2 million of them could buy you a very nice handbag. The Euro also has made things more expensive. The 36,000 lire hamburger at Harry’s Bar is $36 once again. We spent accordingly.
The Crowds
Venice is a delight anytime of year, and Christmas with the twinkling of lights and perfume of panetone is no exception. You will, however, encounter a crush of people between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve-so be prepared. If you truly want the city to yourself, set out after Jan 1.
That being said, there is no place like home. While wandering the enchanting maze of cobblestone pathways, we took in an astounding Strauss concert at the sumptuous palace they call Ca’ Rezzonico. We marveled at a kaleidoscopic exhibit by Klimt-contemporary Vittorio Zecchin at the Correr Museum and admired some of the artistic restorations made
possible thanks to Save Venice, Inc. To soothe the soul, nothing can match the power and the glory of an evening mass at Basilica San Marco.
Although restaurant New Year’s Eve dinners are perfectly fine, we opted for a quiet evening with friends. Sailing over the Rialto for a dash through the open-air market, we hit our favorite stands and came home with our booty, carrying succulent prosciutto and bresaola, tangy pecorino and asagio cheese, fresh artichokes, olives, tomatoes and arugula, juicy tangerines, soft Christmas cake and loads of prosecco.
After savoring a decadent and delicious dinner fit for a doge, we piped in for the 2003 countdown and watched fireworks from a rooftop terrace in Cannaregio.
What came next was a bit of exercise in guerrilla navigation. Being on the other side of town with the wonderful Romanelli family, I decided to brave the direct route home, dodging my way through the main piazza, where 3,000 sloshed revelers swayed back and forth like gyroscopes. After a few soccer-worthy moves, I reached the front door of the Flora and plopped down in my digs for the sweetest of dreams.
By 9 a.m., the crowds had gone home to pass out. The 25 meters of broken bottles, corks and confetti they left behind had been swept away.
Church bells chimed throughout the city-hundreds of them-one right after the other, ringing in a brilliant day with the clearest and bluest of skies. We joined the locals for a passeggiata down Zattere, where we saw the water sparkle like a thousand diamonds against the architectural gems of the Redentore, San Georgio Maggiore and Santa Maria della Salute. It was the perfect start to a wonderful and joyous New Year.
It’s a feeling that defies description when you are wrapped in the loving arms, not of a person, but of a city-safe in the knowledge that while everything else in life may shift, rise and wane… the magic of Venice is always the same.