We decided it was high time to don our masks and board a plane to visit the source of much mask wearing culture—Venice!!—where masks and plagues have battled for centuries.
Masks: so hot right now. With COVID cases on the uptick in Belgium yet again, mask mandates are back. Ok, it’s a pain to wear masks when it’s hot and humid, but since Belgium hasn’t been hot and humid at all this year, everyone shrugged and fished them out of their pockets again. Masks are so great a lot of the time: when it’s cold outside, for instance, or on an airplane, or—my favorite time to wear a mask—in public restrooms.
Cat mask, Elo colors 
It suits you, dear! 
Yikes! 
Meow 
Masks and masks 
I told Chris on our way to the airport that the one souvenir I really wanted was of course a mask. Not just any mask: a COVID mask in the style of a Venetian mask! Spoiler: haven’t found one, but I did find a COVID mask printed with a pattern of tiny Venetian masks. Close enough.
In order to head off souvenir begging, we told the kids we wanted to do a mask-painting workshop, and their masks would be their parentally-funded Venice souvenir. Any other shopping would be self-funded and subject to parent approval. Whistles and bouncy balls are absolutely NEVER approved.
First coat 
Details 
Careful work 
Focus focus 
Second coat 
“When are we going to paint masks?!” the very artistic Eloise began asking almost immediately. We crossed bridges and backtracked through alleyways until we found Ca’Macana, a traditional mask workshop recommended by my friend Lindsay (thanks, Lindsay!!). I was thinking just the kids would do it, but then Chris wanted to and convinced me to do it too. I’m glad—it was really fun!
We picked our mask shapes and colors, learned some painting techniques, dried the paint with hair dryers between coats, added gold and silver details and laquer, then added (optional) jewels, feathers and ribbons at the end.
“It would be hard to play Monopoly Deal in this,” Isaac said, turning his foot-long mask nose side to side. So of course we had to try. Isaac won anyway.
The kids wrote about the workshop later in their trip journals. “I am really proud of what I made,” Eloise wrote. That just delights me. I picked out the class for her, and we all ended up really enjoying it!
Finished! 
Ooo la la 
The workshop 
Love! 
Ta da!
Now… how are we going to get these home on the plane? “PLEASE do not wear them in the plane!” said Eloise, who is already very embarrassed of mom and dad all the time. “You’re not going to wear them on the plane, right? RIGHT??” Which only makes us want to even more….
Venetian mask we bought 
Venetian-style Monopoly Deal
To the Castle!
Anchors Aweigh
Leuven Love
Pink-o-flaged