A solo writers retreat in Venice
In mid May, 2023, prior to leading a writer’s retreat in a small village near Florence, I headed to Venice for my own mini solo writer’s retreat.
No, it wasn’t an official arts residency, just me in an airbnb in a place I’ve always wanted to visit. I won’t go into detail about the dramas of getting there (like getting covid, a mild dose, thank the gods! a few days before departure) or how arduous the twenty-six hour trek (Sydney - Dubai- Venice) was.
Needless to say I arrived, extremely sleep deprived, and took the number five bus from the airport to the island, found the correct vaporetto (public boat) and followed my host’s directions to her front door.
I chose my Venice garret because it was an attic apartment in an occupied house (alone but not completely alone!) with the number one feature — an eagles nest terrace with a view across the Venice rooftops.
Those who have done my writing meditations know how important the view is when we conjure up our imaginary writer’s den. If you imagine it often enough it will manifest!
When we are lucky to have an actual view, it serves not only as a grounding point but as inspiration too. In a place like this, to have a real view is a real treat! Up there I could follow the cycles of day and night, hide away above the crowds but still feel part of it all.
On one side I could almost touch the extraordinary clock face on the bell tower of the the seventh century Santi Apostoli Church. From 7am its bells ring out every hour, on the hour. At 6pm it goes on longer, for almost 2 minutes, as the bell ringers peel out a traditional pattern that marks the end of the working day. In the not too far away St Marks Square the Campanile also rings out the morning (and evening) ‘Marangona’, the same call to work that has sounded for centuries. (Marangona also means carpenter).
Then came another peel of bells from a clock tower on the other side and I was immediately back in Jogjakarta, Java, where the call to prayer from all the different mosques sounds at approximately the same time creating a wonderful atonal cacophony across the neighbourhood.
There are around one hundred active bell towers across Venice, so it’s not an easy place for a sleep in!
I love the idea that writers, artisans, artists, musicians, housewives, crafts people, school kids — in fact everyone, should have a special bell pattern that rings out across the town reminding us to have a good breakfast, pick up our tools and instruments and enjoy our work!
So how did my retreat go? Did I get much writing done?
Some writing, and quite a bit of editing, which requires the same level of concentration. Here’s how I spent day 4.
3.30 am: wake up, yes too early I know, still getting over jet lag, but what can you do, but meditate and write.
5.30 am: watch the sunrise from the rooftop terrace, keep writing.
7 am: yoga and stretching to the firts bells of the day.
7.30 am: breakfast: prosciutto, pumpernickel, pecorino, olives, peppermint tea.
8 am: head out walking to beat the crowds, yesterday went to watch the start of an annual race of small rowing craft, gondolas etc. Over 1000 took part. Originally began in 1974 as a protest against motor boats in the canals that create too much wake for small boats.
10 am: home again, cup of tea on the roof terrace, editing my MS.
12.30 pm: lunch, a couscous salad from the supermarket, back to the MS.
2 30 pm: head out again to see if I can get a ticket to a performance in a small opera house nearby. Recommended by my host. Have to brave the wall to wall tourists packing all the laneways, but manage to get one and settle in the front row with mostly locals to watch a beautifully directed version of Handel’s The Triumph of Time and Truth. Couldn’t understand the words but I got the gist. The music and singers are stunning, the characters: Beauty (soprano), Pleasure (tenor)Deceit (soprano), Time (basse), Counsel (alto) are wonderfully portrayed.
6pm: head home through the tourist crush, dinner on the rooftop terrace: a take away spaghetti marinara, the rest of the salad , more proscuitto, bit more writing as well as prep for the upcoming writing retreat I’m leading next week.
7.30 pm: settle on the couch to read. I have been reading A Room with a View by E.M. Forster, (set in Florence, where I’m headed in 2 days). But now I’ve switched to Deborah Levy’s new novel, August Blue. Enjoyably intriguing.
10.30 pm: wake up in a tangle on the couch, damn I’ve done it again, fallen asleep early, who knows at what time! So I guess I’ll be early to rise again tomorrow!
© Jan Cornall, Venice, May 2023.
Jan Cornall is a Sydney based writer who leads international writer’s workshops, retreats and journeys with her company Writer’s Journey.
In Venice Jan was working on her travel memoir Looking for Duras, Finding my Mother — a Mekong Journey. Since April 2023 Jan has been sharing chapters with her Substack readers. Follow Jan on Substack here.
Writing Journeys coming up in 2023/24
Story Hunters, India, Nov 4–19, 2023.
Moroccan Caravan, Feb 23 — Mar 8 , 2024.
Haiku Writing In Japan, March 27 — April 1 2024.
