Thursday 25 October 2012

A Dream of Venice

"Oh yes, it was my Venice! Beautiful,
With melancholy, ghostly beauty...


White, misty palace-portals here and there,
Pillars, and marble steps, and balconies...


I saw the grey dawn shimmer down the stream,
And all the city rise, new bathed in light,
With rose-red blooms on her decaying walls,


a water-wilderness—
Islands entangled in a net of streams—
Cross-threads of rippling channels, woven through
Bare sands, and shallows glimmering blue and broad


The lapping of the tide—the dip of oars—
The sad, sweet songs, and sadder city bells,
Mellowly borne along the water-streets:—


there rose a vapour from the sea—
A dim white mist, that thickened into fog.
The campanile and columns were blurred out..."

*****

extracts from
'A Dream of Venice' by Ada Cambridge

paintings by J. M. W. Turner RA (1775 – 1851)


*****

We are going to Venice next week.
Will you come too?

20 comments:

  1. How delightful if one could!

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  2. Have a marvellous time Alice :)

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  3. Will you mellowly borne me, please?
    Yes, I want to come.

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  4. Give me a minute I'll get my case - I love Venice and would go at the drop of a hat - have a wonderful time

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  5. Have you been reading Karen?http://cornflower.typepad.com/domestic_arts_blog/2012/10/francesco-says-.html

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  6. Oh yes please, count me in. Venice was the setting for one of the most beautiful, fun and joyous days of my life. I got to spend that precious day with my sister who is also my best friend. Precious days are made even more so by someone who completely understands.

    xx Susan

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  7. Just looking out my passport......

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  8. I thought you would never ask.

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  9. MrM is currently finalising plans to the itinerary which are suitably detailed - remembered to check for acqua alta issue which is closely linked to the full moon which is three days before we go so we should be ok. I am planning to pack my wellies just to be sure though but MrsM is not - this can only mean that I shall operating a piggyback service at some point and thus grateful for MrsM's perpertual svelteness

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  10. regretfully I shall have to decline. I am going to Penrith next week. perhaps not as culturally or artistically beautiful, but there will be cake. I shall look at my Tessa Kiros Venetia book and think of you.

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  11. Oh! Fabio has to go for a meeting there on the 9th ...
    Gorgeous, romatic, melancholic Venice ...

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  12. Ready and packed.

    Friends were there once when it was all terribly flooded, and had a wonderful time.

    I was there (just for one day, alas!) when it was hot and crowded, gondoliers and waiters shockingly rude and bad-tempered, and I had a wonderful time too.

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  13. Oh, I should love to come - wouldn't be popular with my nearest and dearest if I did though! Have a lovely time .

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  14. Please excuse me if I decline, it has never been on my list of places that I want to see. But I enjoyed your post greatly, especially the Turner paintings.

    Have a marvellous time!

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  15. MrM you are nothing short of a be-wellingtoned hero!

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  16. Yes please... packing as I type. (Have a wonderful time!)

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  17. Yes please ... however on looking at my passport I see it ran out in August. Never mind it was a good job I looked as I'm off to Paris in January. Have a wonderful time and make a wish for me to return to Venice very soon please.

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  18. Oh wow, I went in May and loved it. Gloriously romantic and beautiful. I loved the beautiful shop fronts - yes I found a Venetian wool shop :-) and the laundry hanging over the canals and just people watching. And I stood in St. Marks square in the pouring rain and cried with joy at it all. Phew rain hid tears.
    Have a wonderful time.

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  19. I have just picked up a copy of the Blue Guide for Venice from the library so we are good to go now. Next edition due out next year when I will treat myself to a copy (possible birthday present idea ... hint, hint to MrsM)

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  20. I love love love those paintings! I had a print of one in my office when I first started working at the library (Now I'm thinking of your next post.)

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Thank you! I love reading your comments and even though I don't always have time to reply I am really grateful to every one who joins in the conversation.