Venice, Vicenza e Verona

I am a bit late on this post - this past week was hectic with a studio review, birthday parties in the basement, no sleeping, etc. etc... So last weekend (Set. 21 - 23), we went to Venice, Vicenza and Verona. All were amazing. I had been to Venice before, but it was even better (and more mysterious) the second time around. Some say it is a place for romance, I think it is (but somehow still dark, it hides something I think). Piazza San Marco still remains one of my favorite public spaces that I have visited, especially at night when all of the lights are lit, and live music drifts from cafe to cafe. From Venice, we hopped a boat, then a train, then a bus to get to Brion Cemetary, which is quintessential in my architectural education. Words cannot describe it, nor pictures do it justice - it was one of the most moving places I have ever been. We were even allowed into the chapel and meditation space by the groundskeeper (who knew the architect, C. Scarpa, who is also burried at the cemetary), and then shared in a group picnic outside of the chapel. You would think that eating dinner in cemetery would be strange, but it was quite relaxing.
We then jumped a few buses over to Vicenza and the next day Verona to see Teatro Olimpico (the first "in-door" theater), works by Palladio and more Scarpa at Castel Vecchio, along with a few other sites. It's funny - you can pick out an architect anywhere because they are taking pictures of doors, stairs, rails, details, bolts, boards, shadows and interesting cracks in the ground. We were going, going, going - and oh so tired at the end, but it was worth it. I think we all crashed hard Sunday night, and then the crazy week of reviews began. School, travel, school, travel... I like this pattern.