VENICE EXPERIMENT
by Barry Frangipane
Non Fiction, Autobiographical Adventure
Savory Adventures Publishing (2011)
Barry and Debbie Frangipane embark on a year-long experiment, deciding since they work from home, why not live in Venice, Italy? La Serenissima proves to be more than they every bargained for or imagined. What they find is an adventure in culture shock, amazing food, wonderful new friends, and the perplexing and inscrutable Italian lifestyle on an island with a majestic and amazing history.
There are some deeply touching moments that come from new friendships and you get a sense of what it’s like to live as a resident of Venice. But the real meat of the book is found in hilarious surprises from the confounding Italian approach to the simplest things — like fixing the electrical, navigating the flooding acqua alta, getting internet set up, or running a gauntlet of friendly neighbors and shopkeeps while trying to get errands done. Barry and Debby become “temporary locals,” establishing strong friendships and a real love for the Venice culture. It’s a very illuminating look at living in Venice that would be invaluable to anyone who wants to try living there, or at the least, amusing to anyone curious.
I was surprised that there was little if any mention about Carnivale or the annual boat regatta and other iconic Venice traditions, but it an entertaining read.
The authors eventually became expert tourist guides for their own unique and inside-knowledge from a western perspective.
~Shephard
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