Vivere in un sogno!

The only way to describe our day in Venice is . . . “vivere in un sogno!”   For a day, we were absolutely “living in a dream!”   Stepping out of the train terminal and seeing the view of Venice for the first time literally took our breath away.  We both became a little emotional as we breathed in the Venice landscape and thanked the Lord for blessing us with the gift of this fellowship grant.  We were in Venice specifically for a mask making class; however, this was no ordinary class.  We were the only 2 students in a class designed to teach traditional Carnival mask making. Carnival began in Venice in the 1500’s and was a celebration of life with no restrictions from October to June annually. We learned the origins of Carnival and reasons why people wore masks. Our teacher explained and even demonstrated to us the costuming worn during Carnival. We also learned how important fashion was during this time of celebration. All social classes could mingle and talk together without restriction or judgment from their style of dress. Under our instructor’s direction, we each made 2 Carnival masks.  We are so excited to take home what we learned.  We will demonstrate to our students and colleagues how art and fashion are dynamically intertwined.

It would have been a tragedy to leave Venice without indulging in Italian gelato and a gondola ride down the canal.  So we chose, of course, to indulge.   The gondola ride, though expensive, proved to be worth every penny.  Heather’s first taste of gelato created a new obsession for her.  We both loved our time in Venice.  Now we are excited to see what adventures Florence will bring.