SVA Looking for SAM – A Visit to Ca’Toga

Whether Carlo Marchiori is truly a Single Venetian Artist (SVA) looking for a Single Asian Male is pure speculation. One which I will continue to make, though let me state for the record that my speculations are entirely absent of even an ounce of malice. Perhaps it is my jaded perspective from living in San Francisco and a complete lack of understanding for all things artistic … but it seems suspicious when a grown man purchases an empty lot of acreage on the outskirts of Calistoga and turns it into a Venetian compound complete with the ruins of a Greek temple, grottos, anatomically correct rhinos and a suspicious emphasis on the male figure. Add to it a mural where the artist is represented as a Dodges (sp?) being visited by a contingency from Asia (sitting at his feet reaching for the house seal) and you begin to get the picture. Also, I have a friend who claims to have been “cruised” by Mr. Marchiori and invited to the house. Perhaps it was just for a personal tour … again pure speculation.

Anyway, the brochure states that visitors will find themselves in another world, a “world of art, soul, creativity, whimsy and limitless imagination (i.e. gayer than the uncle on Bewitched) and to that end, the house delivered.

Lest anyone think I’m being overly critical, the place is fabulous and I would sell any of my lovely upstairs neighbors for an invitation. Unlike the amazing California Geyser that somehow draws people in droves – isn’t that what tourists in cars should be called these days? – Ca’Toga is a visit to eccentricity that would seem out of place in any other town the size of Calistoga, California if it weren’t another architectural displacement of the wineries that look like villas in Tuscany, castles in Bavaria and French chateaus. A Venetian palace fits perfectly and from the road is a delight to behold … I like to refer to it as the Gay Hearst Castle.

So the question, how did we stumble on this place? Like San Francisco, I get very excited when I come across something new in a place I am very familiar. Having gone school in the valley (1987 – 89), worked at restaurants in Calistoga (1993), and visited on numerous occasions since moving back to the Bay Area in 1994, it took a gaggle of women to first recommend seeing the ceiling at the Ca’toga gallery in Calistoga to get the juices going.

Frank and I had spent a long, relaxing weekend in Calistoga at a B&B and the ladies were also guests. On their recommendation, we wandered in to the gallery and got a glimpse of the “whimsy” and met Tony. Now whether or not “Tony” and the artist are together or if their relationship is purely a platonic working relationship is up for speculation. My nose, upon entering the gallery smelled “Gay” and after my initial greeting with Tony screamed “UBER GAY.” Again, he could simply be a stylish artistic type, with the short-slicked back hair, dark-rimmed glasses, starched shirt and an Asian demeanor. Or he could be a big homo.

Regardless, the gallery is impressive. The barrel-vault ceiling shows the Ptolemaic Constellations in all their mythological grandeur and is the perfect setting for the variety of work that can be purchased. Carlo creates items from murals, to dishes, candlestick holders, and some great paintings that feature Putinella (the clown from Comedia Del arte) … and of course, Tony, who will answer questions with statements like, “The artist, Carlo …” This is also where I saw the book on the house and the fact that during the summer season, tours were given on the property on Saturdays.

This would be a good time to take a glimpse at his website: www.catoga.com

I have great respect for Marchiori’s work and if the had the skills, the time and the property there are many ideas I would steal in a second. I digress. Frank and I ordered tickets and planned a day that would include the tour, lunch and then a visit to Berringer’s Winery for Frank’s wine club shipment. I spoke with Tony and got the low-down on timeliness and the fact that the tickets would not be refunded, nor was there a second tour, etc. We allowed plenty of time to get out of San Francisco and up to Napa Valley in time. San Francisco was buried in fog and it wasn’t until we got to St. Helena that the sun decided to break through and shine the rest of the day. One has to love the fact that within a 90 minute drive there can be a 20+-degree difference in temperature.

We got our tickets and drove to the house. Apparently the neighbors are not his biggest fans or are not fans of visitors. Homemade signs state that visitors should “SLOW DOWN.” As we crawled forward in first gear until we arrived at the twin columned gate mounted with two clown-head figures. Following the signs where to park we passed a very anatomically correct Rhino. I’m not sure if he was guarding the property are looking to mount some unsuspecting vehicle while the occupants were on the tour. This was our first glimpse that belied the pictures of the place.

Now Calistoga gets very dry in the summer, so the parched lawn is understandable. The vine-covered paths were also a bit dry. We had about 15 minutes so we explored the outdoor grotto that was covered with shells and probably is very impressive at night with candle lights and such adding to the magic – in the sunlight … it looked more like a drag queen on her way home in the morning after a night on the town; some things are better seen in the moonlight.

The first thing we noted was that the house appeared to be a structure with a façade put in place. The building looked old but the tin siding viewed from the side and back belied the initial view. At 11:15 Carlo opened the door and his assistant, a Pilipino boy (I’m not saying anything that would upset Tony), took our tickets and we entered the foyer which had an impressive mural of a God spewing water, quite possibly a homage to the Calistoga Geyser.

This is where I have to admit to being thoroughly impressed. The two-story vaulted room had giant murals that intermixed Asian motifs, classic god paintings and many references to Venetian masks and balls. On view was the Pompeii room, the library and two bedrooms upstairs. What made the adventure even more entertaining was the fact that Carlo told little stories and then basically said, “Explore.” I loved the canary bedroom, which if you closed the door felt like you were inside a birdcage with a giant cat looking in on you. A giant leaf of lettuce covered the window and a sign indicated that guests who stayed in the room were provided with canary-yellow pajamas. Not that I’m speculating anything … but how many “straight” artists would require anyone to wear canary-yellow anything. The fact that Carlo lives onsite and really was opening his home was also impressive.

Following our exploration of the house he took on a tour of the house and gardens. He has recreated a Roman bath, a Greek temple, a river walk and of course the afore mentioned grotto. Is he a single artist looking for love? Or perhaps just a man who has the means to follow his passions. Either way, Ca’toga is a worthwhile adventure and one you should look into if you are ever in Calistoga on a Saturday with time on your hands.

Where in the World?

Mom and Dad are in Albania and I can only hope that they will have a safe return. No news is the only news we've had and God knows that there are Internet cafes they could visit if they wanted to send us a message. I'm too young to be an orphan!

So while they are trotting around the globe, Frank and I are in the middle of planning out the rest of 2005. On the horizon the following trips are in various stages of planning.

• Napa Valley - Day Trip including a tour of the Catoga mansion.
• Camping Trip - Guerneville, California
• Helsinki, Finland (including side trips to St. Petersburg, Russia, Tallinn, Estonia and possibly a jaunt to Stockholm, Sweden. )
• New York City, New York - Long weekend
• Puerta Vallarta, Mexico - Good John's birthday celebration.

That's it. Suprisingly there are not trips over actual holidays!

Getting Set for Russia

Can you list all of the countries you visited in the past 10 years? Do you know how to locate your supervisors of your previous two jobs - not including your current place of employment. If so, you can probably be confident that you could successfully complete a Visa application to Russia.

What drama. We are heading to Finland and one of the stops is a two+ day trip to St. Petersburg, Russia. We had to get a reservation and then a confirmation from the hotel, and then go to the embassy to grovel for a Visa. Joy.