A trip to Venice

The main focus of the visit was to witness the magnificent firework display the following day on the evening of the ”Festa del Redentore” This is an ancient festival to celebrate the redemption from the scourge of the plague in 1576. A magnificent church, designed by Palladio was built on the adjacent island of Giudecca and each year a bridge of barges is built to allow the people of Venice to walk to a thanksgiving Mass. In the evening all of Venice gathers in the basin of St Marks in their gaily decorated boats to party, picnic and watch the fireworks.
The Air Squadron’ Redentore party was held on Il Nuovo Trionfo, a two masted sailing barge built in 1926. A continuous supply of local food and drink was provided by Alfredo, the captain and his wife The gigantic firework display, reflected in the water of the lagoon lasted almost an hour.
During the visit plenty of time was allowed for individual exploration of Venice, its history , its architecture, its resteraunts, its arts and its shops.

On Sunday, the day after the fireworks members were taken in the Nuovo Trionfo and a sister boat for a short excursion into the lagoon. At lunchtime the boat moored on an adjacent island, a picnic was served after which many members went ashore to swim.

Monday was a day for further relaxing and a lunch was arranged in the magnificent and historic Hotel Excelsior on the Lido. Beach cabanas had been booked for those who wanted to sunbathe and swim while others flew the course of the 1929 Schneider Cup races.

In the evening a tour of the Basilica of St Mark had been arranged after it was closed to the general public. A fascinating hour was spent in the company of two academic guides who conducted members through the extraordinary history of the building and its lavish decoration.

To round the visit off a farewell dinner had been arranged at a nearby restaurant.

The following morning most members departed to their own destination but six aircraft flew to Alzate Brianza near Como where they were the guests of the Gavazzi family, staying in their large family house where the brothers had grown up. A superb dinner was given at the house of Marco Gavazzi for AS members and other friends. There had been a plan to go gliding in the Alps but inclement weather made that impossible so opportunities were taken to fly float planes from the Como Flying club. This included flights in Gerolamo Gavazzi’s superb Caproni 100.

The weather in the northern Mediterranean had been indifferent through the summer and it caused some concern to those who planned to fly through the Alps but windows were found and all reached their destinations safely.

Contributed by Tim Williams 2014