Saturday, December 28 - More Rain, Padova & Pinocchio
by Marc Gunn

Saturday, it was raining still, and I still woke up a wee bit late. (Are we seeing a pattern here?) Then we drove off to Padova. The rain stopped right as we arrived, but by then some vendors were starting to pack up.

The main market was pretty boring to me since I didn't need shoes (great time to try them on with my crutches;). So we hobbled up the street to the Vegetable Market where Tiziano was selling flowers.

Mom gawked in the windows while I sweated...I mean, crutched my way up slowly to the market. We stopped at a small cafe... Petrarca, I think? Had a lite lunch and then continued hobbling.

When we arrived at the Flower Market, Tiziano was just about packed up. I had had these grand delusions, Before coming, and Before I sprained my ankle, of working in the market with him. Well, no such luck. And now he was getting ready to leave.

Mom threw the idea of going to Venice since the rain stopped. And Tiziano wasn't up to it, after a hard day at work in the market. But he was kind enough to drive me back to the main market to wait for my mom.

Searching for Mordor

When Mom finally picked me up she was too tired to drive to Venice. She had to work on Monday and didn't feel quite up to it. So instead we decided to drive around la campagna around Isola Mantegna where she used to live.

I told her then, that I needed to get some good mountain photos for the Tolkien CD. So we hit some back roads, and I started taking lots of pictures. It started with some trees.

Italy is filled with some amazing trees. During and after the war, Italy needed wood. So they began cutting down a lot of the trees. However, instead of actually cutting them down entirely, they cut them down to about two to three feet of the stump and let the tree continue to grow.

Consequently, the trees have a very peculiar shape. Actually, they kinda remind me of creatures. I wouldn't be surprised if these trees were Ents are some such. While stopping in the road to take a picture, Mom suggested I take some Sepia-toned shots. I did and WOW. Some of those shots are my absolute best-looking shots!

Very powerful pictures capturing the majesty, wisdom and ages of the Italian countryside. Some old villas. Even some trees that were probably cut down from being sick. I got some great shots there! I can't wait to see how I can incorporate them into the CD.

When I'd taken my fill, we drove over to Tiziano's and hung out there a wee bit. I was beginning to feel like my ability to see Italy was being stunted. So I made up my mind to go to Venice on Monday and go see a movie that night.

Pinocchio!

It took a trip TO Italy to realize that the story of Pinocchio was Italian. I guess I'm slow, huh? Well, it is an Old Italian fairy tale. I saw book in a bookstore about Pinocchio starring Roberto Benigni and thought he would make a Great Pinocchio. So while looking to see what was showing in the Italian movie theatres, and seeing that Il Signore degli Agnelli was not yet in theatres, I decided to pass up Harry Potter e La Camera Dei Segreti to watch Pinocchio in its native language.

The movie was spectacular. Benigni is such an energetic person I still couldn't imagine him NOT being exhausted by the end of the film. The story, a bit more in depth than the Disney version, with more trials and a beautiful fairy, played by Nicoletta Braschi, who seems to be in all his movies.

While I barely understood exactly WHAT was said, I followed the story pretty well and had a great time. Went home and passed out!

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