Thanksgiving on the Canal Grande

This is the View from the Palazzo where a group of Americans held their national holiday.  Not that anyone but I bothered to open the windows to experience the thrill of the view.

Here is the Grand Room of the Palazzo Mocenigo where the festivities are to take place.  This room is surrounded by other rooms on 2 floors, making it a "courtyard".  Also making it a fantastic 3 dimensional runway for the dozen grade schoolers in attendance.  The Palazzo rattled and shook.

                                          Just too fast for the camera!!

These amazingly beautiful chandeliers from Murano are each over 6 feet tall, and just barely fit their place in the large room.  But they are up to their job...

Ah! its that time in a Thanksgiving Dinner where people relax, talk, and wait for the desert...With 60 Americans waiting it usually  isn't this calm, but here the definition of 'American' has been enlarged, to include anyone from the Western Hemisphere, and their spouses...or friends.  Quite egalitarian, and fits the notion of Thanksgiving as the holiday which all the world should share.

It was dark, but the food and talk was above par.  (Yes, some of these Venetians talked golfing at the course in Venice, who knew?)  The Cabernet was delicious, and went well with the 4 or 5 types of dressing ('stuffing'), a large Turkey, chicken, for those who don't appreciate Turkey (kids), Chicken Cacciatore, French green beans, salad, acqua minerale, and....pumpkin pie, pecan pie, cheese cake, carrot cake, and whatever.  Alas, no espresso.  I guess that's American.

There was not too much talking about America, but all the expates and hangers-on had a great time thanks to our wonderful and generous host Steve Green... Mille Grazie.