We have moved in Venice from the nice but slightly congested Hotel Concordia to an apartment for our last night in Venice. Oh how I wish now I had booked this place for us for the entire visit. From a small room crammed with four twin beds and almost nowhere to stand, let alone sit (except on beds) to a two bedroom apartment overlooking the canal and the old Doges palace. The rooms are each larger than the one we shared but it's the lovely sitting/dining room and kitchen, two separate baths and abundant storage that has us in bliss. The kids are so happy that we leave them to enjoy being in an apartment and just my husband and myself go exploring. We tour the Rialto bridge area, at first looking for a bank machine, and then afterwards we find some very appealing shops. Thus begins my tale of Three Shopkeepers of Venezia.
Shop number one: A jewellery store on the steps of the Rialto bridge. I had stopped to take a picture of the crazy market below us and when I looked up my husband had disappeared into a shop filled with lovely gold jewellery. My heart skipped – had he found something for me he liked? Not quite – he had; however, found a pair of signet rings, one which resembled a beloved ring of his grandfather's. When I got to his side he was being bombarded by two salesmen. One trying to persuade him the oval was the one for him and the other trying to help the sale past any objections my husband put forth. But my husband was concerned not to buy the ring but rather make sure of the engraver's quality – a detail we just couldn't get sorted with these gentlemen. They tried hard “We will walk with you to the engraver's factory. You may choose exactly how you would like it.” We escaped eventually but they were persistant.
Shop number two: My husband loves chess. We own scores of chess books, he plays every week and has been president of the local area chess club and has had the opportunity to play with and befriend a few grand masters. So when he spied a shop filled with beautiful chess pieces he wanted to see them. First it is confusing as to how to enter. Then when we find the door, it has to be unlocked to allow us in. The saleswoman is busy with a customer – fine we look about and a set catches my husband's eye. He kneels down to see it and he picks one piece up to weigh it in his hand. The weight of a piece is important. He does this two more times when the saleswoman speaks to him in an angry tone – “Can you not read? - you think you can touch everything.” He replied he was trying the weights and she told him he should have asked. If perhaps she had not spoken in such an angry tone he would have apologized and remained to purchase one of those sets – a sale of several hundred or more Euros – but her rudeness cost her and we left quickly and with more words said as we fumbled trying to open the very closed door of this shop.
Shop number three: By now my husband is feeling dejected and wants to stop looking around. Pushy or rude salespeople disturb him and with the crowds and the overwhelming abundance of merchandise and merchants he's just about had enough. So we start over the bridge one last time and as we climb up I spy a little tiny doorway into a shop NOT filled with Murano/chinese knockoff glass. Instead it is filled with books – but not printed but rather blank. For a writer and artist this is nirvana. Once inside I am in heaven. In a space not more than 10 feet by 7 feet are shelves reaching up 12 feet high filled with everything a writer could desire. My eyes and heart fell upon leather bound rough cut notebooks with paper, the saleswoman informed me, came from Milan and were made upstairs by her employer. In the corner in is a skinny little ladder and a hole through which I can see a second level. A two story building on a bridge. I'm enthralled. And this saleswoman is smiling but not pushy. She too has another customer but still greets us warmly and then allows us to peruse the merchandise. I happily pick out a notebook for myself and continue looking around – then a painting catches my eye and by now her employer has descended the ladder to help with the busy shop. When we are finished I have purchased a book, a painting and a small glass beaded bookmark and spent about $200 cdn. The ladies are sweet and wrap each purchase as if it were a precious jewel and then the owner dives into a corner and reappears with three small engravings of famous venetian buildings. “A gift” she says “ Thank you for coming to our shop.” Thank you. Even though the purchase was for me and not him, my husband is now looking far more relaxed and happy. These two ladies have restored his good nature. Gracie Gracie.
No comments:
Post a Comment