I have been doing some arm chair traveling and have gone back to reading the sweet little crime books by Donna Leon  Do you know her?  She writes the most beautiful sentences.  Especially turns of phrase by our leading character, Dottore Guido Brunetti.  

I have been listening to Italian opera and pretending I was in La Fenice. I have been studying a bit of Italian. I made insalata caprese with tomatoes and basil from the garden. I read Death in Venice.

I was lucky enough to visit Venice twice.  I think it may be my favorite city.  Florence was “too much.”  I could never get it all.  But Venice, given a bit of time, I think I could own! 
I have a huge map of Venice spread out and am following Commissaro Brunetti all over town.

The first time I went, I was at the mercy of the traveling companion from hell. He hated Italians, it turned out. I always say, if you don’t want things to be different, do not go different places.

I loved everything about Venice. On that first trip, I stayed in a pensione. Seguso, overlooking the Canale della Guidecca. Not far from the Accademia. The bath tub was across the hall. I think I was the only one in that entire establishment who didn’t want to take showers, so I had it all to myself. I usually got back to the room just in time to take a long, hot bath before dinner. I opened the big window at the foot (head?) of the tub so I could look out over the roofs and hear the bells all signaling that it was 6 p.m. The pipes are bigger there and the water pressure intense. Took that huge tub about 90 seconds to fill up. The towels are different too. Not terry. huge. Waffled cotton.

The second time I went, I was free to do as I pleased. The first day back, there was a planned, anticipated transportation strike. Very Italian. it was scheduled to end at a certain time. Gondoliers just relaxed until that moment.

In the meantime, I walked everywhere.

I took lots of pictures of the beautiful cisterns.

I went to the Accademia and sat for hours in front of my favorite Titian: Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple.

Had these Venetian S-shaped cookies for lunch. Actually, I think they’re from Burano. They’re called bussola. I never forget a cookie. I think I’ll bake some in a bit. You can find recipes for anything in an instant these days.

Afterwards, I went looking to buy a little photo album and came upon a shop where a man was printing the papers and making beautiful albums all by hand.

I bought this one and he autographed it.

Glad I hadn’t spend all my money on lunch that day.

Next day, I finally made it to Murano after being denied that wish on my first trip. Spent the entire day there looking at all the beautiful glass. I wish I had taken a picture of a boat there in the canal loaded with a roll of bubble wrap about the size of a round bale of hay. The merchants there will ship anything you buy home for you, anywhere in the world. Gotta have a lot of bubble wrap.

I bought this whimsy and carried it home in my bag:

Given unlimited funds, I would have bought a chandelier for the dining room.

And given unlimited time, this post would go on forever. Now, I want to get back to reading about Commissario Brunetti. I have him pictured in my mind as drop-dead gorgeous.

In closing, this is what I posted on the end page of my hand-made Venetian album: