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Claudia Retter

Street Address
Columbus, OH
(614) 937-5163

Claudia Retter

  • Photography
  • Flying Adventure Book
  • Dear Pippin
  • About/Contact
  • Blog

Venice

October 20, 2018 Claudia Retter
Burano, Venice Italy

John had a vacation week and asked me where I'd like to go. "Venice!" I said without even thinking about it. We checked the standby lists... there were plenty of seats on the direct from JFK. Two days later we were off. We even got bumped up to the business class "pods." As if ANY free seat on an airplane isn't the greatest gift already, here I am with silverware, a menu, and a seat that turns into a bed. This always feels so surreal, like somehow I got zapped into someone else's life..

Aerial view of the fields of Italy

We stayed at the same monastery guest house that we did last year when we came with John's girls. Except for the fact that they added a little continental breakfast buffet, nothing had changed. It felt like coming home.

Guest house living room, Madonna dell’Orto
The view from our window.

The view from our window.

Wanting to do something fun and different on this trip, I found Classic Boat of Venice. Somehow John and I were entrusted with an electric motorboat equipped with GPS, a sun shade, comfy cushions, and a chart of the lagoon. The CBV crew showed us how to work things, came with us for a test run in the marina, and waved us off. I can't say enough about how FUN this day was. John and I argued in their office (in Italian) about who was going to be captain:
“Io sono il capitano!”
“No, IO sono il capitano!”
I am surprised they even let us take out a boat after that. In the end we took turns, but I loved navigating more than piloting anyway (What is it about me and maps?)

Classic Boats of Venice

We visited the islands of Torcello and Burano, braved the open channels, decided NOT to go swimming with the jellyfish, and found several places that we want to explore next time.

Burano, Venice Italy
Burano, Venice Italy
Our boat, moored in Burano
Certosa, Venice. (Yes, you’ve seen this one already, I know, but it really belongs in this post.)

Certosa, Venice. (Yes, you’ve seen this one already, I know, but it really belongs in this post.)

On our last day, we decided to hop the vaporetto to Lido and rent bicycles. First, though, we had to stop at our favorite sandwich shop for picnic supplies. What is it about European bread??!! In Paris, I could not get enough of their ham & cheese baguettes. In Venice, it’s the prosciutto & arugula with brie & tomato. I actually had a dream a few nights ago about eating one, I miss them so much.

My favorite Venetian sandwich shop

We bicycled the entire length of Lido, stopping along the seawall halfway for our picnic, then for lemon popsicles at the south end of the island. We walked through the pine forest and out to the old lighthouse at the end of the jetty. The Adriatic Sea stretched out all blue before us, shimmering in the low sun, while massive freighters glided sooo quietly in and out of the channel. Now, to walk all the way back to the bicycles AND ride them all the way back to the vaporetto…argh!

Freighter on the Adriatic Sea
Lido, Venice Italy

John asked me why I love Venice enough to have foregone traveling elsewhere for this trip. I think it's that Venice is just such a magical enchanted place: canals-for-roads, sidewalks so skinny that two people can barely pass each other without bumping shoulders, and secret gardens around every corner. Even Venice's foundation seems an amazing miracle: millions of logs jammed into the mud, left to petrify into stone harder than concrete. Ta-da!

Cannaregio, Venice Italy

Amazing food, of course, is a given. One of our favorite restaurants had a little garden courtyard overlooking one of the canals. We actually ate here twice.

Shadow of wine glass and vines

This was such a perfect mini-getaway, especially because it was so spur-of-the-moment. It even included a quest to find a shoemaker who could recreate my favorite pair of red shoes for me—but more about that in a future post. For now, though, Ciao, Venezia!

View my previous Venice posts HERE and HERE and HERE.

Orange roses, blue vase

ps - Our anniversary happened to fall during this week away. John went for a run that morning and came back with a bouquet of roses :-)

In Out in the World Tags Venice, Italy
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A Cabin in the Woods

September 8, 2018 Claudia Retter
Red couches, summer cabin

John recently reconnected with a friend of his from high school (how fun!) and we spent a few days visiting Richard and his family at their summer cabin on Pocono Lake in Pennsylvania. Being here evoked a nostalgia for summer camps that I never went to but heard friends’ stories about, an entire summer spent in a singular world. It reminded me of my favorite movie, Moonrise Kingdom, complete with auditions for the summer play. A tiny library, a nature center, weekly activities posted to everyone’s mailbox. Friday night dances in the dining hall. War canoe races and a blue team/red team rivalry that spans generations. Ingredients for magic summers.

From my journal: “It’s been a beautiful visit. Three days of rain and sun and walks and making photographs, and reading on the giant porch, and working on my poem book layout on the chaise lounge with the candy-striped cushion. Ferns and ferns and ferns and pine trees and maples. Richard’s homemade bread and fabulous pesto and lively dinner table conversations. The butterfly Alex found is still alive but not for long, which makes me sad. But a nestful of baby juncos flew off into their forest world just yesterday and we were lucky enough to see it.”

Cat on a chair
candy-striped chaise
Road through the forest
Dark lake
Green cabin in the woods
Afternoon sun
Cherries and tea
Boathouse graffiti 
Diving board closed
Monarch with heart
In Goings-on, Out in the World Tags iPhone
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July Instagram Round-up

July 29, 2018 Claudia Retter
On the path

Since it's the end of the month (yikes!), I thought I'd post a few favorites from my Instagram feed...

 The one above was taken in a Chattanooga park while traveling with John on one of his Delta trips. As I stood here, I thought, "Ahhh..."  For as often as I doubt, fret, and worry about whatever, this sidewalk note felt so encouraging.  Yeah, I'm on the path.  It'll all work out.

Last week I visited my brother and his wife in Florida. Not only did I finally get to spend a day hanging out with the best sister-in-law ever, but John was able to join me for some time at the beach.

On the beach

Finished my summer prairie-girl dress. It's the "Amelia" from Green Bee Patterns, with fabric by Frou-Frou.  I even lined it and made a keyhole button closure for the back. I love it.

Homemade dress

First tomatoes! These are Red Robins (about an inch across) from my favorite gardening guru, Gayla Trail of You Grow Girl. Two plants have taken over the entire plot, omg. I will have extras... let me know if you need some!!

Fresh tomatoes

Ferns and my birdbath in the front courtyard...

Ferns and the birdbath

The Hyatt Hotel lobby in downtown Indianapolis, on another Delta overnight with John...

Hyatt Hotel lobby, Indianapolis

My pajamas as seen through the bottom of a water glass...

Bottom of the glass

Ooooo sampling snacks at Pistacia Vera in German Village!

Pastry sampler...

An orchid in a hotel lobby (the light was so nice)...

Orchid

Came across this in someone's studio. When you need a vase, make do with what's available in the recycling bin.

Impromptu flower vase

These chairs were sitting on the main green at Columbus College of Art and Design. I loved the crazy Christmas look when I walked by. And the patch of worn-out grass in the middle where all the feet go.

Red chairs

August, here we come!

In Goings-on, Out in the World Tags Instagram, iPhone
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2020-2021 TeachArts Ohio grant recipient for working with students at the Ohio State School for the Blind and Marion City Schools— thank you, OAC!

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2020 recipient of two Artist in the Community grants for professional development— thank you GCAC!


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