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Wednesday, April 27, 2011
BEAR insisted we take a tour of Venice's opera house, Teatro La Feniche...
Since he was on page 1 of Donna Leon's 1st of the Commisario Brunetti series, Death at La Feniche.(NO spoilers included.)
Conveniently the same opera in the book, Verdi's Traviata sung by Donna Leon's tempermental diva (and possible murder suspect) Donna Flavia, was featured on the walls...
La Feniche is appropriately named after the phoenix (a reference to the mythological creature reborn from its ashes after it's destroyed). The opera house has risen from ashes many times since 1789. As recently as 1996, recorded in detail by John Berendt in The City of Falling Angels. 
You and your audio guide enter the grand hallway leading...
Into the very grand theatre...
Ah...to sit in one of those boxes...
Or the gold-encrusted royal box in your diamond-encrusted stillettos...
Nevermind. Just sit in one of these cushy velvet chairs. You can do that on the tour. Then pretend you're hearing Traviata...
Leon's first book in the series was conceived in backstage at a performance whilst chatting with the conductor and published in 1992. She's produced a book every year since. I must say the first book is quite consistent with the others I've read. Very character-driven and always you experience everything through Brunetti's sharp eyes and ears. You climb all the steps with him too in elevator-free Venice...
At least I did get to Gelateria Nico mentioned in the book on the Fondamente Zattare waterfront. Why do I always get pistache + nocciola/hazelnut flavors? I have no imagination when it comes to gelato...
I did not get to the pricey Ristorante Galleggiante in Bacino San Marco, where every course is described in the book and the order in which it was served. For example salad must be eaten after the meal, not with it.
I did get to have a pricy seafood antipasti elsewhere. But who knew it must be served on an oblong plate? If I'd read my Brunetti I'd have known. Plus who knew the vaporetto don't run in the fog? At Caffe Paolin, only the foreigners eat outside in bad weather. The sensible Venetians retreat inside. I love all these little details of everyday life in Leon's books almost more than solving the mystery. My copy is a mess of yellow markings...
There's a terrific interactive map on Leon's British site for browsing excerpts related to various Venice locations... 
Now I'm on to Blood From A Stone...
Now I'm on to Blood From A Stone...BON APPETITO LA FENICHE!
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