Category: Italy
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And if you ask me why I’ll say…
We’re in B-O-L-O-G-N-A. (sorry about that, but I can’t get that jingle out of my head) You may as well know that we came here to eat. Some say that Bologna is the culinary capital of Italy. The food here is decadent: egg pasta, cured meat, beef, pork, veal, cheese, butter. Allora…when in Bologna…
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Then we sat down for a feast.
It won’t surprise you that when we got back to our apartment, we took a 2 hour nap, drank water for dinner, and did not leave again for the rest of the evening. We’ll blame it on Alessandro. The one holding the bottle of Lambrusco. Our driver, John (his name was much longer, but we…
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Modern Antiquity
In just two hours we arrive by train to Bologna. We splurge for first class on the regionale train from Venice Mestre station, just a few euros more. The seats have more cushion. From the Bologna Centrale station, we drag our roller bags for half a mile to our little apartment – bump, bump, bump,…
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What it’s like.
We cross our little bridge because it’s 10am and we’re hungry. We’ve slipped easily into the pattern of life here. 8am, the church bells ring and we’re roused from sleep; we crawl out of bed and light the stove for coffee; time to check e-mail and browse the news, both personal and political; we shower,…
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Murano, Burano, and Feline Nobility
In less than an hour on the Vaporetto, we took a day trip from Venice to the islands of Murano and Burano. Murano is famous for artisan glass. The story goes that after their molten furnaces ignited too many fires, glass makers were required by the Doge to move from Venice to this little island. Isolation…
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Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Square
We stand in St Mark’s square and stare wide-eyed at the cathedral, built more than a thousand years ago – we are stunned by its beauty and scale. The square is full of people and pigeons. String quartets play on four stages around the square; a couple grasps hands and begins to waltz. Vendors of T-shirts, magnets, and masks stand…
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Redefining Normal
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La Biennale – ILLUMINations
We may have missed La Biennale if our neighbor hadn’t told us about it. (Thanks Christen!) It’s a contemporary art exhibition that takes place every two years – odd years – in Venice. This is the 54th annual exhibition. More than 34 countries exhibit sculpture, performing art, painting, modern media, music, dance, theater and, of course,…
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Little Red House with a Bridge
We rented this little house in Venice for the same price as a mid-range hotel. It’s in the San Polo area, just around the corner from the Frari church; you can see the tower when you look out our door. Some say that the inside of the Frari is the most beautiful of all the…
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A Walk in Venice
We turn the corner to another dead end; a fellow tourist walks toward us, shrugs, and smiles. We consult our map for the hundredth time. Here, you hope for a glimpse of a familiar tower or the occasional weathered sign mentioning San Marco or Rialto to confirm that you’re walking in the right direction. We’re…