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This is the blog of Steve Burkett of Italy, Our Italy

Transforming a Water Gate #2

On March 22nd, I presented to you Transforming a Water Gate #1. Today, I transform another of these uniquely Venetian phenomena....just for you.

“So, there you have another example of Venice brought back from the present to the past”

Here is today's water gate, with modern distractions which give me great pause in my quest for a Venice of days-gone-by. But I'm not averse to all of these distractions. Normally I would eliminate the downspout, but I'm thinking that I can age it a bit and not treat it as a character flaw. And the laundry and plastic at the top can be cropped out.

Original snapshot with distracting elements

Below is the image with a tighter crop and some alignment of verticals.

The lines are now straightened and some elements have been cropped out

And here we are at the stage where I start to add an atmosphere of aging to the image.

Starting to look a bit more old-Venetian

And for the final photo, more cracks, grit and saturation of the colors.

So, there you have another example of Venice brought back from the present to the past. That's my job...and I enjoy it. I hope you do, too.

Ciao for now,

Steve

Amalfi Stairs

“If you want to shop, this is not the path for you! But, if you want to get home quickly and without being run down, this way is perfect.”

This week, it's back to Amalfi. We've been there before in One Fine Day! and Staying in a Convent Retreat. But today, I want to tell you about the stairs and passages of Amalfi.

Amalfi is situated in a ravine that comes down from the mountains to the harbor of Amalfi. The buildings of Amalfi are situated up the slopes of the ravine. At the very bottom of the ravine, there is a small road -- and this road is the main thoroughfare through the town, as you can see in the photo below.

[click a photo for a larger view]

As the buildings were constructed centuries ago before automobiles and trucks were envisioned, the roadway is very narrow. Here is a photo of this main street through the heart of Amalfi -- yes, that is THE street.

The roadway is so narrow that there is a traffic light that queues traffic wanting to travel one direction, whilst the traffic going the opposite direction works its way through the crowds. As you can tell from the photo, this is really a pedestrian-mall-roadway combination.

Here is another photo with vehicles making their way through the masses.

When the buildings were constructed many years ago, a number of alleyways were set aside within the structures. Some of the alleyways parallel the path of the roadway, while some work their way up through the buildings that cascade down the sides of the ravine.

Here is one of the alleyways that traverse the same path as the roadway, but under the protection of the surrounding buildings.

If you want to shop, this is not the path for you! But, if you want to get home quickly and without being run down, this way is perfect. You just have to know the hidden-away location of these passages.

These hidden-away passages are the subject of today's article, and I will be focusing on the stairways that travel up the ravine-situated buildings. And, at the same time, I am giving you a two-for-one article, as you also get one of my photo transformation articles rolled in.

Stairway #1

Here is a snapshot of one of those stairways. It's a long way up there.

By now, you know that I have a bit of an OCD issue with modern bits and pieces in my dream-world of an Italy of another time. To satisfy my compulsion, I just have to remove these items.

Here is the photo with modern matters resolved.

And, to get that age-old look that I am after, I've added a sepia tone and worn-frame look. Here is the final version of this very long stairway.

And, what might lie waaaaaay up there at the end of this stairway? The photo below tells us that to the right is a pizzeria and to the left is the Patrizia (Patricia's) Esthetician Center, of course. Only a local with well-formed calves would know.

Stairway #2

In the passage below, you can see that there was just a bit of wrought iron and stair railing with which to deal. It's zapped away in the second photo and the final sepia version is at the right.

[click on a thumbnail for a larger view of the photo series]

Stairway #3

In this series, you can see that there was a panel to the left, a person entering the door at the top of the stairs, and a plethora of electrical wiring in the arched alcove. In the second photo, all is gone and the sepia version ages this passage a bit.

Stairway #4

This stairway was the most challenging. In the archway to the left is a sign for another pizzeria and a scooter -- maybe for pizza delivery? On the right are a number of panels and several electrical conduits. Working up the stairs are other detriti that I felt compelled to remove. In photo two all is cleaned up, except the ages-old grime that has worked its way down the stairway.

To bring home the compactness of Amalfi and the forced interaction of pedestrian and vehicle that stems from the old working its way into the new, here is one more photo. This one shows my wife, Ellen, as she walks the 'sidewalk' along the main Amalfi Coast highway on the way to a Michelin-starred La Caravella restaurant (which will be the subject of a future article).

I hope you have enjoyed seeing some of these hidden, secret passages of Amalfi. When you go, how about wandering around up there a bit -- we may run into each other!

Ciao for now,

Steve

Iron-Bar Windows

A super short article today...mostly a couple of photos.

While wandering Venice, I happened upon an apartment building with some interesting windows. After passing by several of the windows, I began to notice that they were each crafted in a different way. Though all were barred with iron, each had a pattern that was unique.

“Here I’ve put 15 of these unique windows together in a collage”

Here is the building to which I refer with its Corte de L'Albero. You may recognize the pozzo in the courtyard, as it was one in my recent article called Venetian Pozzi, and it was a featured transformation in Transforming the Pozzi.

The windows on the far side of the building were a bit different than the ones seen above, in that one set was craftily 'framed' in carved stone with dentils and one was just framed with large stone blocks. These two photos give you a better idea of what I describe.

Ironwork framed with carved stone

Simple stone window surround

Here I've put 15 of these unique windows together in a collage. You can click on the image to get a larger view.

A collage of iron-barred windows in Venice

I never cease to be amazed by the craftsmanship that can be found throughout Venice in all sorts of elements.

One last thing about Corte de L'Albero: playing off of a recent article regarding the pozzi of Venice and the Venetian water supply, here is one of the more modern water fountains that can be found throughout Venice.

Though this gentleman is just washing up, the locals are not shy about drinking from these fountains, as the water is rumored to be fresh from the Italian alps.

Many of the motif are lion heads with water issuing forth from their mouth, like this one.

That's it for today. I told you it would be a short one.

Ciao for now,

Steve

p.s. Oh, one more thing...I love to get comments on my articles, but many of you have expressed some consternation about how to do that...it is not as easy as I would hope. I've contacted my web host (Squarespace) and they assure me that they are working on it. In the meantime, here is what you can do:

1) Click on 'Comment' just below in this article (the look depends on whether you are using a computer, iPad, iPhone or similar).

2) Click on 'Post Comment'

3) You will probably see a dialogue box something like this one.

4) The default selection is Email Address and Password with the interlocking Ss, as circled in the image, above. This is where the confusion has come into play for the past few months.

5) Click on the human silhouette as shown here.

6) Now, all you have to do is enter your name (or anyone's name for that matter) and ignore the Email and Website URL options, as they are optional...and then click on Login or Submit button (again, depends on what sort of device you are using).

7) Please accept my apologies for this laborious process. Squarespace assures me they are working to make this easier and more intuitive.

Transforming a Water Gate #1

A quick transformation today, where one of the functional water gates of Venice goes from blah to ahhh.

“Typically, steps disappear into the waters of the canal”

There are many, many water gates throughout Venice. These water gates are water-level entrances to businesses and homes that sit on the 175-odd canals of Venice. Deliveries of people and goods have come through these doors for centuries. Some are very basic -- just for goods -- and some are a bit more fancy -- for people who want to arrive by boat, rather than by foot.

Many of the water gates are difficult to photograph, as there is no visual access to those gates from across the small canals from which they have their access. But, I have been able to capture photos of many, like the one that is the focus of today's article.

Typically, steps disappear into the waters of the canal. These steps allow for fluctuating water levels created by the tidal affects in the Venation lagoon -- whether the water levels are high or low, one steps out onto stairs.

Here is the original snapshot of this water gate, with its spiderweb-inspired door insert. My only disappointment in this layout is the age of the doors...I would have preferred older, weathered doors...but I'll work on it. This snapshot is a bit wonky, as I couldn't get a head-on photograph. And I can't say that I like the downspouts intruding into this scene are of interest for the final image. And then there's the bit of white card on the right-hand door.

Just below, you can see the next step in the photo's transformation. The image has been straightened so that vertical lines are vertical and horizontal lines are horizontal. I've also removed the downspouts to the left, as well as a bit of window.

It's now time to age the photo a bit through the addition of richness, which I create with color, luminosity and sharpening.

I was pretty happy with what I had at this point, but I thought that the doors were kind of lost...they needed some lightening and a bit more texture. I also wanted a bit more mid-tone contrast, so I did those things and you see the final result, below.

Now, take a look at the original snapshot above and the final version below. Quite a transformation, huh? Now I've got that more-ancient look for which I always strive. I hope you enjoyed the transformation process.

Ciao for now,

Steve

Eat Here: Ristorante Antico Martini

“This restaurant has been in continuous operation since 1720, which means that it is approaching its 300 year birthday! ”

One of the charms of Italy is its food. With one exception, I've always enjoyed every meal. Today's article is about one of our favorite Venetian restaurants -- Antico Martini.

Here is a photo of the restaurant late at night. The photo shows one of the four dining areas -- this one the Terrace -- and it was taken from the campo that Antico Martini shares with the La Fenice opera house.

[click an image for larger view]

Like most Venetian restaurants, Martini is open late for dinner, because that's when Italians tend to eat. This makes it an ideal place to eat after an opera, which we did after a fabulous performance of our favorite, La Boheme.

Any idea who the first party to make an Antico Martini reservation via the internet might be? We have that distinction! Long before restaurants created their own systems or began to use those such as Open Table, we used just plain, old email. The owner at that time, the charming Emilio Baldi, had a table set with a nice bouquet of flowers and the prosecco was on the house to celebrate the occasion.

Here is a photo of the main entrance to Antico Martini, on Calle Veste, just over a small bridge.

The location of Antico Martini is especially nice if one is going to the opera at La Fenice, which is right next door.

Like most all of the Venetian restaurants, seafood is the predominate fare. And the seafood is fresh and delicious. Local chefs visit the Rialto Market each morning to gather the makings for the day's meals. You can read more about The Rialto Market in one of my previous articles.

Here are a few photos of our times at Ristorante Antico Martini, starting with a couple of toasts to you and yours.

I've mentioned the seafood served in Venice before...and I will continue to do so. Here is an appetizer of very thinly sliced fish, caught just the previous evening. I'm not a sushi fan, but I had no trouble with this outstanding item. Notice how the candle light shows through my next bite!