Meanwhile It's Monday Surf & Culture Report



Lost Boys & Co...

A lot of famous people have sifted through Venice, Italy over the years including, Richard Wagner,Goethe, Robert Browning, Lord Byron, Hemingway and Ezra Pound.  Pound, the expatriate American poet, lived at this spot (#1) after they sprung him from the loony-bin after they'd try to silence him.  But we weren't there to wax nostalgic about Pound.  Nope, we were there to see if Olga Rudge's family was still occupying the traditional digs where she and Pound lived.  Olga Rudge was a famous violinist of the era and she and Pound took up in  a famous romance that scandalized both sides of the Atlantic, since Pound was still married to his wife .  Better than that she was Margot Sullivan's aunt (or great aunt or cousin?)  Anyway, we decided we should pay a call to the Venetian Rudge's and so we found the address and the Professor (against the protestations of LoLa and better judgement) rang the doorbell (#2).  In a truly Venetian manner an upstairs window flew open and a young blond woman asked who was there.  The Professor asserted that it was he and his entourage fresh from the States with greetings from far-flung Rudges that needed to be delivered.  Now, this was a bit of an overstatement, since the Professor had only remotely discussed looking up the Rudge residence with Margot.  But did this stop him?  No, of course not... 
After a long moment a young woman, obviously with child, opened the door and introduced herself as Olga's-grandson's-wife.  Grandson, himself was out but she noted our visit and said she's be sure to send Margot's best wishes to him and his mother.  Apparently mother still kept up with the U.S. Rudges and would be happy to hear that they were fondly remembered...  As they were...

Overcast this morning and 5 miles visibility.  Winds were calm and the sea surface was gray and smooth.  The air temperature was 64.8 and the water is 67.1.  Low tide was at 8:46am +0.2' and high tide will be at 3:42pm +4.8'.  We have a SSW swell out of 206º at 3.6', but it's a bit oblique, so we'll call it 2' with some three footers here and there...

Not far from the Rudge enclave was Peggy Guggenheim's apartment.  During the 70's she had Claire Falkenstein build these "Bramblebush" gates (#3).  A little later the Professor met Falkenstein and they collaborated on a project to install a sculpture of Port Orford Cedars at Cal State, Dominguez Hills.  Succumbing to termites the installation at Dominguez lasted a scant 10 years, but the Bramblebush(s) are still intact.  The Professor donned his welding goggles for the pic...

Don't forget we were traveling with Buck Delameter and he was scaring up accordion virtuosi wherever we went.  Venice was no exception and here (#4) he is shown with the Venice edition of Buck and the Buccaneers...
✠
"When the surf breaks, we'll fix it"
The Professor!!





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