Training Log Archive: Charlie

Out and around with Rhonda while G&L were on the boat to Burano. We worked our way through San Polo and Santa Croce to the railroad station, then through Cannaregio to the area around the hospital, San Francesco della Vigne and the Celestial boat stop on the north side. Then we went along the iron pathway suspended from the n side of Arsenale, ending up at the Bacino stop, where further walking seemed unlikely. We took the boat one stop to San Pietro. Lovely day to be on a boat, even for such a short trip. Walked around San Pietro, into Castello, and eventually back along the Riva, cutting up toward Santo Stefano and the bridge. A little shopping on the way home.

Out again with Rhonda for a light lunch of cicchetti at her favorite wine bar, Già Schiavi, then back over to the vicinity of the hospital to see if we could get a reservation at Alla Staffa (they don’t have them), and here and there, coming home through Rialto. Still running a light cold.

Headed out the four of us for dinner. Took the boat to Giardini, a bit too far, but the boat we wanted was coming later. Got to Alla Staffa around opening time and were seated immediately. What a wonderful restaurant. Wonderful lamb chops served with parsleyed potatoes, while Rhonda had a whole grilled orata. Very fine. By the time we left there was quite a line of people waiting to get in. Then the boat home from San Zaccaria.

Walking around the western part, down to Zattere and then the industrial area to the west. We eventually decided it was not going to be productive to walk any more in that direction so we picked up the 5.2 vaporetto toward Piazzale Roma, and continued on to Guglie, where Rhonda had had enough boat and we got off, skirting the puddles near the water where high tide was a couple of inches up on the walking surface. Then north through Cannaregio up to S. Alvie’s, looked out at Murano and Cimitero, then wandered back through to Marcuola where we picked up a boat one stop to Riva De Biasio to get across the Grand Canal and walked home.

Home for not long, long enough for a little snack, and then back out with G&L. We walked across Accademia and to San Marco, where we went into the Palazzo Ducale, not so very interesting, then headed east into Castello, along Via Garibaldi where we had lunch, and then down the Viale to the public gardens, walked around there a bit and then out to S. Elena where we deposited G&L on the vaporetto home, and we took a circuit of the S. Elena section, including the football stadium, and got a vaporetto ourselves, did a little food shopping and home.

Out with Rhonda again, more overcast, darker and harder to see the map. We went the opposite way today, a few pauses to try to read the map, a few minor missteps, but overall a pretty good result. More tired today, too. This time we picked up a few more, heading from 1 to the start, then 15, 14, etc on the way back. Excellent!

Out with the group for strolling around. We went for coffee and pastry at the excellent Tonolo, then around the corner found our way in to the Carlo Goldoni house, some old theater and marionette memorabilia, along with some info about the great playwright’s life. Strolled over Rialto, and eventually to the Correr Museum, which seemed to drag on for a while and people were getting hungry, so we repaired to Rosa Rossa, not far away, for lunch. Ok, but certainly not great. G&L headed to S. Angelo and thence home. Rhonda and I took Accademia, made a walk around Salute and down Zattere and to the market at Santa Margarita before heading home and resting up for the coming late night.

A bit sore after two days of running, and fighting a bit of a sniffle.

Went to the Flanders Ballet at La Fenice with Rhoda, George and Leslie. Three pieces, pretty modern, although the music was familiar, Moussorsky, Ravel, Debussy. Very high tone event, and beautiful to be inside La Fenice.

Ran the 2011Venice Street O course with Rhonda, or at least most of it. Enormously entertaining. Started from home, headed over Accademia to #8, then 9, 10,11,12, 13, and then switched over to do 1-7 and then home from there. No particular difficulty except for going too wide on the way to 7. Not going fast, stopping to confirm Rhonda knew where she was a few times, and not pushing any old ladies on the bridges, which seemed particularly unnecessary given the stakes involved, and which is a questionable strategy at any time. Very good fun, and none the worse for wear afterwards.

Map from 2011

C • Fond memories... 4

Out and about with George and Leslie. We took the boat from Ca’ Rezzonico to Ca’d’Oro, then walked to Fondamente Nuove and the 4.2 Vaporetto to Cimitero and thence to Murano. Strolled around for a while looking at extremely expensive glass, and having escaped the fragile trinkets zone, returned to Fondamente Nuove. We then proceeded to a most excellent lunch at Osteria Alla Staffa, a restaurant we have thought of often. It is under new ownership since we were last there, and remarkably even better. The four of us all ordered something different, and all were most pleased. I had spaghetti with frutti di mare, shrimp, baby clams, mussels, squid and a few mystery creatures. Rhonda had baccala (cod) prepared three ways, with white polenta. George had black ravioli stuffed with sea bass and some other things, most appealing, and Leslie had spaghetti with scallops, tomatoes and a few other things. Very successful.

Then we strolled through Castello past Arsenale to the Riva, caught the boat back to Ca’ Rezzonico Some food shopping and home.

Out again with Rhonda, a brisk walk up to Rialto, a little shopping, and back via Accademia.

A lot of walking around Venice. In the morning just wandering around with Rhonda and Leslie while George was out running an old o course, past the University, checked out the pastry shop but certainly not hungry and I had already had enough coffee, more or less headed toward Rialto, through San Polo, and then we started looking for suspenders for George, found them with a little help. Then worked our way back, stopping at the nice cheese shop Pantagruelica in Campo San Barnaba, chatting up the owner as we expanded to get some really nice bread, some organic olives, nd. Bottle of wine to go with our two kinds of cheese. Then a little extra excursion to track down Rhonda’s favorite wine bar and home for a bit.

Not home for long and George was home nd ready to go, so out we went again. Checked out the gondola repair shop on our way down to Zattere, then to the Accademia bridge, through the Christmas market in Santo Stefano, and then stopped for the tour of La Fenice. A little of that goes a long way for me. And even longer for Rhonda. Strolled through San Marco, and through a few campi to SS. Giovanni e Paolo, thought about eating in Santa Marina, but didn’t like the looks of it and went a few blocks further to the Olandese Volante for some spaghetti alla scogliera (seafood) and insalata con tonno e capperi among other things. And then across Rialto and toward home, stopping at the vegetable boat at San Barnaba for a few things.

Out again with Rhonda. Through San Barnaba and Santa Margarita to San Pantalon, and eventually worked our way over to Piazzale Roma and the bus station, then over Ponte Calatrava to the railroad station, through Cannaregio, stopping in Campo Nuovo Ghetto, still predominantly a Jewish enclave, then E, eventually turning S to Santa Marina and past Rialto, through San Luca, Manin, San Anzolo, Santo Stefano, where we bought some glass jewelry for the girls, across Accademia. We went by Rhonda’s favorite wine bar to see if it looked like where we would have dinner and decided that we would not - no place to sit. So home, and eventually dinner at home. The best meal of the trip.

We think the m8leage total for the day is about 12.

Around Verona in the new, if slushy, snow, and after our fine breakfast at the Hotel Milano & Spa. We walked East across the Adige, then along to look at the Ancient Roman Theatre and then cross back at the ancient stone bridge, Ponte Di Pietra. Then we wandered over to the Duomo, and a little tour of the Battistero and the archeological site of the paleochristian church, then over to San Fermo, the other really old church that interested me, and then back to check out and head for the station and to Venice. Had a nice soup for lunch at a bar along the walk to the station, sort of like a ribollita, but no bread. Beans, lentils, chickpeas, barley, rice, and a hearty stock, with a spoonful of parmigiano for good measure.

Dicey travel day. We waited until 7:45 for the 7:06 from Dormelletto, at which point our friend Matt decided to take us by car to Milan, where it turned out that our train to Verona was already 10 minutes late, which stretched to an hour and 5 minutes. But eventually we arrived, hoofed around town for a while, stopped for lunch at a little place near San Fermo and had some very nice Fettuccine with Mushrooms, lots of different kinds, and after a bit went back to the station to look for George and Leslie.

Some light snow arrived to greet the Californians, who were charmed by it.

C • Light snow in Verona? 2

After an hour lolling about in the steam room and sauna, out to a vey nice dinner with George and Leslie at Osteria Locandina Cappello, Rhonda and I split a first of what they called spaghetti alla chitarra: spaghetti oh so perfectly cooked with a sauce of turnip greens and anchovies, breadcrumbs, andwith a complementary sauce of stracciatella cheese. Quite delicious, very deep green color. Then we had rack of lamb, very meaty, quite rare, with a mustard crust. Finally we all shared a large slice of tiramisù, very good, but made us think of the perhaps even better tiramisù that Katia brought to the Rhino.