Breakfast talk was a mini lecture on the history of the feuding societies of the north of Italy. The country wasn't unified again (since it was part of the Roman empire) until 1848; until then it was a mass of autonomous kingdoms, city-states, republics and the like. Throughout history there were centuries long rivalries between Milan and Florence, Florence and Siena, Florence and Pisa, Pisa and Lucca, Venice and everybody. And the rest of the lesser duchys in between fighting amongst themselves as well. The regions are still trying to best one another in the modern age, but for the most part its about bragging rights to as to who has the best cuisine. Remember, there is really no such thing as "Italian food." It's a collection of regional specialties that we in the West have grouped together under one heading.
We got our luggage ready for transport to the train station. We don't have to lug it ourselves - yay. One last walk through town via the beautiful church of Santa Maria Novella to the train staton and onto Venice! Personally I can't wait because I will have access to cooking again. Not that I don't like the food I'm getting (the breakfast buffets can't be beat, considering Italians don't think of breakfast at all - it's only the hotel spreads for visitors) but I want to get my hands on some produce and make something myself.
We got off the train two hours later and found out private taxis to get everyone to the hotel. They do it up like we're rockstars, arriving at the hotel's landing on the Grand Canal. These folks are getting what they pay for! Everybody got checked in to their rooms and we had a couple of hours, so Frank and I had a bite to eat on the terrace of the bar. We shared a gigantic club sandwich. Marco came out from the concierge desk for a few moments and presented me with a gift that a guest had left for me. When we were here a week go I was talking in the bar one night with a man who ended up having a gallery show at the Bienniale exhibition that Venice holds every two years. It's currently going on, focusing on architecture right now. The gift was his book photographs of beach houses and it's signed to me. Very nice - and unexpected!
Frank told me he's very impressed with how well I get along with the hotel staff at the hotels we're in. I told him that in Venice its different than Rome or Florence; I had just met those folks in those cities, but let's remember that I've known the Venice folks for going on ten years almost. I told him that Marco is my best friend in Italy and I'm a part of his family. He didn't realize that that's the family I go see for dinners and for church. "Well that's wonderful. If he has time off, invite them along for a few days."
That really surprised me. After clarifying, Frank thought that it might be nice for them to come to Rome or to Florence and take advantage of not having to pay for a museum entrance here and there. Not that we'd be picking up a hotel room for them. But there's room on the bus or they could meet us by train. Frank said he has seen over the years how my friend really works hard at the job, is always kind and helpful to the guests and is ALWAYS at work. I told him I would bring it up. Maybe they could come to Rome and go to the Vatican for the private tour with us? Frank thought it was a great idea and to bring it up to them.
How cool is that?
I went over in the evening to Giudecca to see Mamma and told her about the idea. She lit up like a Christmas tree. She has never been to the Vatican, only St Peter's. As devout as she is and she's never been? Wow. She said she will talk to Marco, but I was encouraged just in seeing her look like she wanted to go somewhere. She's only been getting out of Venice to go to the cemetery on the mainland for months now.
We settled in and watched some teevee together. It was an episode of "Castle" with Nathan Fillion, dubbed into Italian, of course. It was just us girls, as the man was working, as usual. It was very nice just to be there with her for a change. Not that I mind Marco being around, but I'm just happy she's comfortable with me. When I first met the family, it was just meeting them all for church. Mamma hardly spoke to me because she doesn't speak much English and I didn't speak a lot of Italian. Add into the mix that she usually speaks the Venetian dialect at home. Then I was invited to eat with them afterward. Then they began inviting me for meals without churchgoing. She teaches me Venetian cooking and tried to teach me lacemaking (that is a big failure.) It has turned into a friendship, and now I'm who she confides her worries about her son to. She worries he works too much, she worries he's never going to have a family of his own, she worries she will leave him completely alone when she goes. I tell her she has nothing to worry about. He will find a happy life, he is just too concerned over her right now.
I left and returned to the hotel around 11PM. Marco was just leaving to go home. I reported the evening's events, leaving out the part of her worrying about him. I stopped into the bar to say hello to Giorgio and Paulino and headed up to bed.
At 2AM the phone in the room rang. The night concierge, Robert, was telling me there was an accident with a guest outside of the hotel and they needed me downstairs. Frank and I met at the elevator and went to the lobby. The ambulance had been called for one of the clients, who was goofing about after having too much of a good time at dinner, and she fell out in the campiello by the gondolier station. The ambulance was saying she needed to go to the hospital because it was broken, and it did look nasty. Her ankle. Robert the concierge said one of the porters would go with us, but the porter on duty Davide doesn't speak much Italian or English incredibly well (from Kenya.) Robert said he would call the other concierge who lived nearby and he would come to take her. They were talking about getting Marco out of bed at home and taking her to the hospital??? Just get in the ambulance and go, lady. You don't need a hotel representative to go with you... I know they were just trying to be helpful and attentive, but to get a guy up who has worked 12 days straight in the middle of the night? Insane.
I told Frank I was comfortable with going, I've been inside the Ospedale before. Meanwhile the client was getting whiny. Why she sent the ambulance away I have NO idea. A taxi was called and she was loaded in with her husband and I.
We spent the next three hours at the hospital, where she was xrayed and put into a cast. Gave her some meds and some crutches and we called another taxi to bring us back. I got back at a little after 6AM and called Frank. He told me to sleep in- he would take the group on the St Mark's tour. No worries.
Don't drink and dance, people...
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