René's old blog
Whatever I feel like posting, whenever
This site goes back some twenty-five years, so it is bound to be full of stale links and irrelevant information. It is, at best, updated irregularly.
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One day as I was paddling through some of the smaller canals in the sestiere S.Marco, close to the Fenice, I spotted this little sign in a window directly on the canal: The sign reads: “Pied a terre of 50…
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Jump
At high tide the water in the canals at Murano is clean enough for the local children to swin and play in the water. The kids were jumping from the bridge in front of the medieval church SS. Marie e…
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Shiny luxus yacht
There’s a place at Riva degli Schiavoni in Venice, in the Bacino S. Marco, which is used for mooring shiny luxus yachts – some of which are very shiny. S.Marco reflected in the side of a yacht Myself and two…
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Vogalonga 2009
The 35th Vogalonga was held on May 31st, on the Sunday following Ascension as tradition dictates. The Vogalonga is a 30km non-competitive “race” through the city of Venice and the lagoon. It starts a 9 from St. Mark’s with a…
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Crab jumping for it’s life
Yesterday I was paddling around Venice with a German couple and their daughter. The girl was almost mesmerised by the crabs scuttling around on the walls and steps on the rii, so daddy picked one up to show her, then…
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Two weeks and already notorious
“It’s you. It’s you”
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Bridge of the Skies
They’re restoring the back side of the Palazzo Ducale and the corresponding side of the Prigioni Nove, both facing the Rio Canonica. The Bridge of Sighs connect these two buildings across the canal. To get funds for the restauration works…
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Severe warning
Most mooring places in Venice are given in concession to private or commercial users by the Magistrato delle Acque, the magistrate of the waters, and they’re not supposed to be used by any others. This is not always respected, and…
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A room with a view
Houses are close to each other in Venice, and apartments often a bit dark because of the narrow streets. Here’s the view from my bedroom. The salizada below is even rather wide compared to many calli around the city. (view…
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The Abandoned Islands of the Venetian lagoon
In 1978 two Venetian men in their mid twenties rowed around the lagoon of Venice, photographing all the abandoned islands there. The result was a book with photographic documentation of the state of abandonment of each island. Recently, some thirty…
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Phone unloaded
I have a quite decent camera in my mobile phone, and often take photos where I go, but I also often forget to download them to the computer. I did that today, and here’s a selection of point-and-shoot photos from…
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Walking in the lagoon