Pioggia, Bella Venezia, e un po di Rafreddore.

Ello All!

I'm home from a full day of class and navigating the slippery pavement in the downpour we got today. As I walked in the rain in my wet shoes, I started thinking about how the rain was me and I was a part of the rain, how just because that rain was falling on me and making me a little damp, meant that the things I love best outside of the city (flowers and trees! there are almost no trees in bologna city center) can come to life, and I felt it was a perfectly nice trade-off. Instead of succumbing to total grumpiness, I remembered why rain is pretty neat in the first place.

I got to talk to my aunt in Norway today (Hi Janet!) on the phone during a break between classes which was really nice. It was a time when I could not have called anyone in the states that I know without incurring the wrath of a very early morning disturbance. Because she and I are on the same side of the Atlantic we can catch each other even easier! It's nice knowing a family member is over here.

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to a wine tasting class with a woman who organized the Pasta class I took a while back. It will be at a cute little Enoteca (wine store) and I'm going with my friend Lucy to learn about the tasty wine, I'm excited!

Last Friday I took a little solo trip to Venezia for the day on my day without class. It was so wonderful! It's a bit of the off-season there so it wasn't unbearably crowded or touristy. I got to have breakfast at a little bar on a tiny side street I found after wandering off the train and into the maze that is Venice. The bartender was very friendly and I met his friend, Grazia, an older woman who came into eat breakfast also, and I enjoyed their company over a croissant and caffe macchiato. They both have lived in Venice their whole life, and they love it there, so it was fun to talk to them at the beginning of my day.

Then I wandered, eventually finding my way to San Marco Piazza, the main drag, and went to the Chiesa di San Marco, which is decorated with absolutely stunning mosiacs in gold and precious stones of biblical scenes. The entire ceiling and outside is decorated, it was just gorgeous. After marvelling at the richness of the old Venetian empire (Ships that came back to Venice were once required by law to bring back a treasure to contribute to the opulent church in honor of Saint Mark), I set out on a journey for lunch. I'd found a promising sounding seafood restaurant in a guide book and made a reservation, it was off in a less touristy area of Venice, and although now I know it was about a 10 min. walk from where I was standing (if you know where you're going), I gave myself an entire hour to find it. I needed it. I tried to follow one of the three maps I had in hand, but eventually relied on my sense of direction instead. It was funny because many streets in Venice are just "dead ends" to the water- a place to hop on your boat or gondola, so you'll be thinking you're in the right direction, only to be stopped short by the end of the pavement and water directly in front of you. My walk took me in circles, literally; an old man who I guess had seen me before stopped me, he was deaf, so he motioned someone going around in circles to me, -- we both laughed a little bit together and then he went on his way. I asked plenty of people, construction men, women walking their kids home from school, a guy at a cafe, all how to arrive at this strange hidden restaurant that didn't look so hard to find on my map -- and, eventually, with the combined help of many, I found the street I was looking for and the place soon after!

I loved the walk though, and it was probably one of my favorite parts of the day. The restaurant was incredible. A beautiful dining room, with yellow painted walls and an outside courtyard. The owner of the restaurant came over and explained the fresh fish they had that day and recommended what she thought might be nice to eat. I had fresh linguine with shrimp and zucchini, and grilled swordfish and monkfish with red endives and grapes in a balsamic vinegar and red wine sauce -- Oh. My. Goodness! I didn't actually know what kind of fish the second dish was until I left and glanced at the menu in English. I ordered it because the woman said it would be good, I trusted her judgement, and she was right. I had a delicious white wine with the meal and finished it off with homemade Tiramisu (which I just found out means "Lift me up", makes sense, but I'd never thought of it before) and caffe. Yum. One of the most memorable meals of my life thus far. Really exquisite and a relaxing atmosphere.

After lunch I walked a bit more and went to check out the Guggenheim museum (http://www.guggenheim-venice.it/ -- if you're curious), which is home to incredible modern art. It was fabulous. I saw Picasso and Kandinsky and Miro and Klee and Dali, and more. The lady had good taste. And the museum (on top of being a top-notch selection of beautiful pieces) was set up similarly to how Peggy Guggenheim had it in her in her home, which was an interesting touch. I really enjoyed my visit there. By the time I left the sun was on it's way out and I hopped a Vaporetto (Water bus) back to the Stazione dei Treni (Train).

A wonderful day. A magical day. Pretty lucky.

Hope you enjoyed hearing about my adventure. Hope you all are well where you are. Pictures to come soon...

Lots of love,
Anna