Francesco Floreani was a migrant who emigrated from Venice in 1927 and was working as a farm labourer picking peas when he was commissioned to start the paintings. I can only assume that his mother inadvisably encouraged his artistic talents, the town's population was extremely small, or he was a very gifted self-publicist because the 'muriels' were absolutely beastly. I doubt he would have found similar employment in his home town.
Flash photography was discouraged in case it faded the art work( a good thing if it did I reckon ), but we took a few sneaky pics.
He managed to spend a whole decade ( 1930's) in full time employment completing his work, there is not a square centimetre of the interior which has not been painted.....could have picked a lot of peas instead.
Metung, a small town on Lake Victoria was a brief stopover and it is a very pleasant place. Quite European looking, with well designed houses and apartments all with private boat moorings on the lake front. Great coffee shops and approximately 25% of all storefronts on the main street are estate agents which pretty much sums up the affluence of the area. We both separately came to the conclusion that it reminded us of Sandbanks near Poole in Dorset, a bit of a playground for the seriously wealthy.
We moved along the coast and camped in Paynesville where the town planners have had great fun creating a series of canals and marinas from the lake all interconnecting like a little Venice. Very well done and full of holiday lets and retirement mansions with boat moorings in your own back garden.
A 2 minute ferry trip across the lake is Raymond Island, which has housing along the lake and the rest is natural bush and koalas abound.Looks very odd to see them up trees in people's gardens. The island has also made the 'places we would like to live' shortlist.
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