I fell in love with Venice last fall. I can’t be blamed though; it’s in my blood (Mama is a Venetophile as well). Perhaps we were Venetian in a past life? I felt so at home. I loved wandering down the alleys, along the canals and over bridges. Riding a waterbus down the Grand Canal at sunset felt like a spiritual experience. Historic, breathtaking views around every corner. Living art surrounding you at every twist and turn. Phenomenal food and the best gelato in the world. Getting lost and stopping for a spritz. And the people were so kind and effusive, with such generous spirits, always so pleased to hear we’d be staying in Venice for so long. Once you get beyond the teeming crowds, Venice holds sights and sounds like no other place.

For us, this was a very special trip. We had just learned that Mama’s rare brain cancer is considered terminal. Our response was: “Screw brain cancer, we’re going to Venice!” We carefully chose an apartment that fit Mama’s needs and limitations; and our friends rallied together to help us make it possible (thank you all!). Mama’s childhood friend came along for support as well. And, of course, we brought our little dog Abby to Venice too.

Venice is more than just a beautiful city to me — it’s a magical place that breathed new life into Mama. It was a wonderful trip and I want to share more of it with all of you.

So, each day this summer, I’m going to share a favorite snapshot or two from the thousands of photos I took. Sometimes I’ll let you guess the exact location and sometimes I’ll also share stories from the trip, and even video! It’s a love story in photos… to Venice, with Love.