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Posted by: Ali zonak Jul 11 17, 13:33

Travel Notes
Venezia

Past midnight in a cheap hotel room.
Some night owl plays his mandolin;
endless stops and starts of elevators,
two drunks return late from the bar.

Where is my restful sans souci,
the grotto that gleams in sapphire’s
royal blue as I attempt to submerge
myself in Capri dreams?

I close my eyes, imagine stars beneath
Heaven’s girth and listen to Puccini’s aria
“Nessum Dorma,” ‘Tonight no one must sleep,”
to drown out the elevators’ humming.

I try to ignore the pounding of a neighbor’s
headboard against the wall that divides our rooms.
Finally, his door opens and shuts--
I hear the giggling of la puttana as she leaves.
Then, sleep’s trance. In the morn, Capri.

Posted by: greenwich Jul 15 17, 16:38

A perfect setting a ramshackle hotel with cheap walls. The need to imagine a better setting is poignantly put, by mention of the required auria even if it deadens the elevator from humming. The central plot of the poem is Capri dreams. I feel the mood and setting of the poem is perfectly pitched. A classic

Posted by: JustDaniel Jul 15 17, 19:49

Hey, Ali...

I've never travelled overseas, at least yet, and since Eileen doesn't like to fly, perhaps we never will. I'm not sure that I'd like spending that night in your particular choice of a hotel room in Venice, especially with la puttana next door. Are you merely dreaming of being in Capri, or are you expecting to head there in the morning? The "In the morn, Capri." seems a little strange, since no matter how you go, bus or train and ferry, or airplane and airfoil, you're not going to be about 450 miles away until some time in late afternoon or evening.

deLighting in your sharing, Daniel

Posted by: Ali zonak Jul 16 17, 07:05

QUOTE (greenwich @ Jul 15 17, 17:38 )

A perfect setting a ramshackle hotel with cheap walls. The need to imagine a better setting is poignantly put, by mention of the required auria even if it deadens the elevator from humming. The central plot of the poem is Capri dreams. I feel the mood and setting of the poem is perfectly pitched. A classic

Thanks Greenwich;
you got the gist of my reflections. I doubt the hotel ever reached a 5-star status, even though quite a few years have passed. The place reminded me of a cheap YMCA, but that was the package deal. I'll never again travel with a group.

Ali

Posted by: Ali zonak Jul 16 17, 07:29

QUOTE (JustDaniel @ Jul 15 17, 19:49 )

Hey, Ali...

I've never travelled overseas, at least yet, and since Eileen doesn't like to fly, perhaps we never will. I'm not sure that I'd like spending that night in your particular choice of a hotel room in Venice, especially with la puttana next door. Are you merely dreaming of being in Capri, or are you expecting to head there in the morning? The "In the morn, Capri." seems a little strange, since no matter how you go, bus or train and ferry, or airplane and airfoil, you're not going to be about 450 miles away until some time in late afternoon or evening.

deLighting in your sharing, Daniel

Hi Daniel;
one can't always look for accuracy in a write; I was leaving for Capri in the morn. You are quite right, although the distance would be approx. 350 miles by eagle, waiting for connections does run into extra time. Thanks,

Ali

Posted by: Psyche Jul 25 17, 00:28

Hi Ali,
I enjoyed your poem about your rather unfortunate stay in Venice. Such a beautiful city, been there myself, but about two decades ago.
Your last stanza about the headboard pounding, the giggling and "la puttana" made me laugh.
And no, I've never taken group tours. We used to go to any town's Tourism Center to get a list of B&B's, also maybe perfectly acceptable travelling salesmen's hotels. Never could afford much else. We were young and adventuresome, had great times.

Since I've widowed, I still wish to travel, so perhaps I'd consider a group tour nowadays. Need some company.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Capri was marvelous. Places have changed such a lot. Greece and its islands were simple and friendly. Small inns near beaches were charming. Perhaps it's not a good idea to visit them again.

Best, Syl/Psyche

Posted by: Ali zonak Jul 25 17, 11:08

Thanks, Sylvia;
those B&B accommodations are by far the best. To be honest, Venice is a marvel--although too dank for me. The summers can be unpleasant, but the sights are wonderful. For a single person a travel group is advisable--unless you understand the language, or don't mind going solo. Actually, I had the Missus with me, even though I didn't mention her in my write. Capri more than compensated us for the minor disappointment we had experienced. Frankly, aside from the historical, architectural sites and the beautiful art everywhere, I felt more at home in the northern countries. We are planning on a Rhine River Cruise this early Fall. Wish you could join us, lol. Sorry for the loss of your husband. Thank you for reading and commenting, Ali

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