Countdown

Venice, Italy - It's my last week in Venice. Funny how it sneaks up on you. Four months seems like such a long time - certainly enough to see just about everything this city has to offer - and then suddenly it's almost over and you've only done a fraction of the things you intended.

In my case it really did sneak up on me, as I decided in the beginning of May that I would leave earlier than expected. Back home, our housesitters had to return to California and Fritty the Kitty would be abandoned. Plus, I liked the idea of spending some time at home before I have to turn around and go back to Moscow this summer.

So suddenly, I had only two weeks left in Venice. The month of May had seemed practically infinite (especially since my Italian class was nearly finished so I would have no commitments other than sight-seeing). Then suddenly it seemed practically gone.

But I did my best to cram as much as possible into my remaining time: overnighting in Bologna; entertaining three sets of out-of-town visitors; hosting a party for the students (from both Jerry's classes and my class); doing a day-by-day tour of the art museums I had not seen yet; and visiting some of the other islands in the lagoon. Whew - that was exhausting!

My personal highlights from the last-minute cramming session:

Peggy Guggenheim Museum This turned out to be my favorite museum in Venice. It is housed in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, which is itself an oddity. Construction of the Venier palace was never completed, so unlike most of the edifices lining the Grand Canal, it is only one storey high. It is significantly smaller than any of the other palaces in Venice, but in my opinion, it is the perfect size for an art museum: you can see and appreciate it all in an afternoon without OD-ing on art. It has twelve or fifteen rooms filled with Ms Guggenheim's collection of 20th-century art, as well as a lovely, shaded sculpture garden.

Peggy Guggenheim was a curious bird. She dedicated her life to buying and selling art, especially embracing Cubism, Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. According to one account, she vowed to "buy a picture a day" and it seems that - for a time - she met this quota. She was clearly enamored of the bohemian community that surrounded her, and she tapped into it for many love affairs, as well as business and artistic investments. The latter, at least, paid off.

In 1949, she bought the Palazzo Venier, where she lived. Two years later, she opened her home to the public to share her art collection with the world. She is now interred in the garden, alongside her beloved canines. The ecclectic collection features a slew of artists, but it's known especially for its pieces by Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst (her second husband), Jackson Pollack (of whom she was a particularly strong supporter) and Tancredi (one of many Italian futurists). My personal favorites were the Calder mobiles and sculptures.

Burano This is the island where they make lace and cookies, not to be confused with Murano, the island where they make glass. I had been to Murano with my parents and I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. Basically, it's filled with shops selling glass souvenirs. It's mildly interesting to see the glass being made, but nobody goes out of their way to teach you anything; they only go out of their way to sell you something.

But that was Murano. Burano is a different scene, with fewer tourists and fewer shops. It is possibly the most picturesque place in Venice, its quiet canals lined with houses painted in primary colors. I arrived late in the afternoon, so the soft light was gorgeous, highlighting the vibrant colors and casting reflections on the canals. There is not a lot to do on Burano, except walk around the snap photos, so that's exactly what I did.

Now the countdown is really on. My final days are slotted for shopping and packing. My next blog will be posted from the pink house in Somerville MA.