There is another sky on the other side of the water

Visit Venice and Padua

Photography/Zhou Lanhui

▲The square in front of the Golden Church. (Pictures taken from the Internet)

His eyes greedily scanned every inch of the mural inlaid with gold foil on the top.
─I have to admit that beauty is a great shock!

Venice covers an area approximately the size of New York's Central Park. The island is dotted with countless ingenious and amazing churches and buildings, among which the splendid St. Mark's Basilica is the most representative. On an afternoon filled with the winter sun in February, I was walking in Piazza San Marco in front of the church. Behind me was an old cafe with crystal chandeliers (it was said to be the favorite of literati in the 19th century, Lord Byron). , a place where Dickens lingered). A waiter wearing a black three-piece suit stood in front of him politely and greeted in English: "Hello, madam, would you like a cup of coffee?" My intuition told me that this cup of coffee must not be cheap, but How could we easily give up the invitation to have a drink in the most romantic square in Europe, which Napoleon called the "most beautiful living room" in Europe?

Cultural experience in coffee

Follow the waiter's lead and formally take a seat in the "extended store" of the coffee shop. In addition to the "main course" latte, the waiter brought a water bottle, a water glass, and two sugar packets, and placed the complete set on the dining table. It looks like there is an "ordering" structure. After calculation, a cup of coffee costs about 13 US dollars. Although it is a bit more expensive, I told myself that I cannot calculate it based on the superficial price alone, because it contains many "ingredients". When I drink this cup, I also drink history, culture, art, and humanities... Putting aside Italy People do not play by the rules, traffic delays, frequent strikes, etc., etc., etc., the main reason why Italy attracts me is that in addition to its beautiful natural landscape, it also inherits a strong artistic and cultural atmosphere.

After drinking coffee, remember to use the restroom. You know, "paying the water bill" in this tourist resort is not cheap! Do not believe? The last time you went to a public toilet, you had to pay 1.5 euros, which is 2.5 yuan in U.S. dollars. If you change it to Taiwan dollars, you can go to 7-11 and buy a bento, and you can still find it! There is no choice but to go out and "just do as the guest does."

▲At the Venice Carnival, foreign tourists dressed in costumes can be seen everywhere.

A chance encounter at the carnival

In addition to admiring the people passing by and the pigeons wandering around, it also happened to be the famous annual Carnival in Venice. From time to time, you can see many costumed people wearing gorgeous retro clothes and full or half-face masks, posing in various attractive poses. I curiously asked K (she is an American friend who warmly welcomed me in Venice. She has lived on the island for four years and speaks fluent Italian): "Where do these people come from?" She replied: "Most of them They are all from France." No wonder, judging from the decorations, they really have a strong luxurious flavor of France in the 16th century. What’s amazing is that I never encountered a scene of “colliding shirts” every time I came and went! This shows that these players are really "playing a lot"!

▲A mask with a high price – 10,900 euros.

It was obvious that K considered himself a Venetian and was quite dissatisfied with these tourists who came here to enjoy the carnival and disturb the peace, so he deliberately took me to avoid the main routes and find some quiet water alleys and small bridges to travel through. There are so many alleys and bridges in Venice that only an old horse like K, who knows his way around, knows how to navigate them. Because of this, I just missed the grand event and had no chance to meet. Speaking of which, I still feel a little regretful. After all, tourists like me want to join in the fun.

▲Mass Rapid Transit—Gondola.

▲Authentic Venetian food can only be enjoyed by an insider leading the way.

However, following K, I also experienced the human touch that many locals enjoy. For example: K suggested that I take a short trip across the river in a Gondola for only 50 euros. In addition to saving time on walking, I could also experience the feeling of standing on the boat and rocking. I secretly speculated that if I went to ride a gondola specially designed to carry tourists (the kind with gorgeous decoration and the gondola driver singing love songs), I thought that K might break up with me! In addition, when it comes to eating in Venice, you need to know how to find the right way. K took me to a shop that specializes in southern food (generally speaking, the further south you go in Italy, the cheaper and more delicious the food becomes) to buy a particularly delicious cheese. Well, having an expert lead the way makes the experience completely different.

Shocking beauty

In addition to satisfying the appetite of the stomach, spiritual food must also be supplied. We made an appointment on a Sunday to attend the evening mass at St. Mark’s Church. Perhaps because the church was declining, there were only about thirty congregants in the entire cathedral, and most of them were elderly. In short, it is nothing like the long queues of tourists during the day! In this auditorium, which is called the "Golden Church", I can't understand the Italian (or Latin) spoken by the priest anyway. My eyes greedily scanned every inch of the mural inlaid with gold foil on the top - I have to admit, it is beautiful. It’s a great shock! It’s no wonder that when God built the tabernacle, he planned it in detail and selected talents and materials, simply because He is a God who cares about beauty and unbeautifulness.In this gorgeous space, I can't help but pray to God in my heart: "Lord, use me, use me, use me to create surprising works to praise You! Glory to You! Because You are worthy of all the glory!"

▲Interior of the Scrovegni Chapel. (Image source: http://www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it/eng/index_e.htm)

legendary immortal paintings

仰首教堂的天花板，總讓人想起畫家喬托（Giotto, 1267-1337）¹，尤其是以喬托色調中藍與金的組合，更讓人神往與沉醉。極想目睹喬托的作品，正好，喬托最具代表的溼壁畫是在史格羅維尼禮拜堂內（the Scrovegni Chapel），位處於離威尼斯坐火車約三十分鐘叫帕度亞（Padua）的市鎮上。（許多知道行情的旅客，都會選擇住宿帕度亞，再坐火車來威尼斯島遊玩，用以節省在島上較昂貴的旅館費用。）我與K都非常喜歡喬托，K甚至告訴我，喜歡喬托勝於米開朗基羅（Michelangelo, 1475-1564），所以，很樂意陪我一起去帕度亞。至於我，喜歡喬托的畫風─素樸、寧靜，在凝重中不失親切。

It's better to choose a date than to hit it. Fortunately, February is not the peak tourist season, so you can visit the chapel without making a reservation in advance. Italians spare no effort in protecting monuments and art, and this is clearly demonstrated in this small chapel! In order to protect the paintings, viewers must adjust their body temperature to a certain temperature in the waiting room before going in to view the authentic murals. The staff not only limits the number of visitors in each batch, but also limits the visiting time - only fifteen people at a time. minute.

此種情況，讓人聯想到佛羅倫斯一家叫「三張板凳」的餐廳（因為店面的限制，只容得下三張板凳）。此餐廳以號稱世界珍味之王─白松露（truffle）² 聞名，老饕爭相來此店用餐，想當然耳，要吃，就得先訂位。雖然有人說義大利是靠著祖產餘蔭過日，但憑心而論，義大利是一個懂得視藝術品為「松露」的民族，對於文化古物相當珍惜與尊重；相較之下，現今中華民族急功近利，為了表面的建設，竟然可以摧毀無價的根源，真是天差地別啊。

▲Giotto’s masterpieces: Jesus and Judas (left), The Birth of the Holy Child (right).

(Image source: http://www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it/eng/index_e.htm)

Finally it was time to enter the chapel. Giotto used storytelling techniques to present the gospel of biblical texts in the form of paintings. The high ceiling and surrounding walls narrated three themes respectively: "Virgin Mary", "The Life of Jesus" and "The Last Judgment". . How I wish that time could condense and I could take my time and not miss any detail. However, knowing that the time is limited, in those short fifteen minutes, one must face Giotto without any choice and concentration. That's right, good works of art should be treated with a good attitude. From the perspective of a visitor, it's better than going to see Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel frescoes in the Vatican - that kind of scene where people are crowded and shoulder to shoulder. So much better!

It is recommended that when you go to Venice, in addition to enjoying the scenery around the island, after seeing the majestic St. Mark's Basilica and drinking coffee in the square, don't forget to leave half a day and travel lightly to the historic site in Padua. Grosvenor Chapel. Although the "pattern" of the two seems to be different, they are both telling the same "theme"─In the field of art, only by humbling oneself and turning one's sights to the Supreme Creator can one elicit the highest admiration and be so beautiful that one's heart will be drawn...

Notes
1. 喬托（Giotto, 1267-1337），義大利畫家與建築師，人稱歐洲繪畫之父，文藝復興時期的開山鼻祖。喬托突破了拜占庭藝術僵化形式，他是第一個在平面空間上畫出有深度空間的畫家，從他以後，文藝復興藝術宣告誕生。
2. 松露，又稱為「餐桌上的鑽石」，對於生長環境非常挑剔，只要陽光、水量或土壤的酸鹼度稍微有變化就無法生長。它是一種很害羞的菌類，躲在土裡不敢露面，要用狗或豬靈敏的鼻子把它找出來，是歐洲最貴的食材之一，因而受到許多大廚推崇。

Author profile

Zhou Lanhui is from Taiwan and now lives in Boston. A full-time artist who loves color and painting, he uses personal symbols to tell stories about his relationship with God, humans and nature. I like good friends, good food, writing, drinking afternoon tea, and listening to jazz. When you have money, you travel and watch good shows; when you don’t have money, you take walks and daydream. Taste life with your heart and enjoy life seriously. He was an artist-in-residence at Boston University, an artist-in-residence at Donghua University in Taiwan, and the winner of the 2007 Guggenheim Painting Creation Award.