All about La Dolce Vita
Italy has a great number of small provincial towns, often overlooked in favor of other major destination. Quite understandable though; the big five (Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice and Milan), are a must see in anybody’s travel list. But for the habituee, or the discerning art lover, there are small “sleepy” provincial towns that are worth […]
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A couple of years ago I was talking with an American friend that was about to fly to Italy for a couple of weeks visit. He told me that he seldom goes to museums, instead he prefers to visit the churches. Churches, he said, have great works of art, tickets are cheaper and easier to […]
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A couple of years ago, Liz Milan, an artist, a turist guide, and a friend, began a journey to raise awareness about the plastic ocean pollution, with a very interesting and though-provoking exhibition called “Plastic-ocene.” I visited her exhibition this weekend, and it was surely a gripping and provocative artwork. The intent of the exhibition […]
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St. Theodor He was the original patron of Venice. He is in fact that guy on one of the two columns in Piazza San Marco, next to Palazzo Ducale. One is the Saint Mark’s Lion and the other San Todaro (in Venitian), having killed a dragon. The dragon is nothing like Viserion—the scaring dragon of […]
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Scala Contarini del Bovolo, it is a spiral staircase (or like a “snail” which in Venetian translates a “bovolo”), is part of Palazzo Contarini, a secluded corner of Venice a little off the tourists’ trails. It is actually not too far from the famous Rialto Bridge. Palazzo Contarini has known several owners. There were many […]
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The Eternal Dancing Young Girl She lived flying, but she defined herself: “… with roots well planted in the earth.” And so, graceful and solid, sweet and tenacious, she left a “national monument,” a myth of ballet, one of the greatest artists of international ballet dance. Carla Fracci died in Milan at the age of […]
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Venice Walks Venice is raising the curtain now. It is not yet as busy as it used to be, but turists are back already. Many people wish that things be back to normal, yet whiteout the un-manageable crowds of Pre-COVID era (not sure what that means). For my part, I can say that there are […]
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When arriving in Piazza San Marco, nowadays, the first time visitor is so busy to take it all in, that most details of the Piazza may get overlooked. Besides, I truly think that Venice must be visited many times over. Each time it will be different. There will be always something new to see and […]
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Free at Last Italy in now in Code Yellow and so we can travel a bit. Although, the situation in India is worrisome and so very sad. I shall put the worries away for a little bit, while we all hope for a solution, perhaps with a serious collective effort to put an end to […]
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Graffiti From “graffiti” on the metro to “Street Art” to Caravaggio. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings. It has become visualized as a growing urban “problem” for many cities, spreading from the NYC subway system in the early 1970s to the rest of the United States, and the rest of the world […]
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I received these little ceramics just recently. Some attentive reader may have noticed them in my last post about the all time classic “Spaghetti Aglio & Olio,” looking pretty next to my plate. They are little “cutlery rest” when setting an informal table for everyday, to brighten up the table with a touch of class, […]
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Something not to overlook when visiting any Italian city are the Monte di Pietà buildings. Often they are the most prominent buildings of the city. The “Monte di Pietà” was nothing more than the common “Pawnbroker.” What makes it very different in Italy is the beautiful, richly decorated building that once was the “Pawnbrokers” of […]
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Life in Italy 