Singing in the Rain in Venice

Our friend Elisa invited us to join her at the cinema today to see an old American musical: “Singing in the Rain” with Gene Kelley, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Connor. This is one of my favorite classic films, and I had to force myself not to sing along. Mama and I are fascinated with how…

Dolce far niente

After a very busy week of seeing friends and exploring Venice, Mama and I were exhausted and needed rest. Today was our recovery day. Thankfully, we’d already picked up a few groceries. So without leaving our apartment, we enjoyed this lovely, little spread of fresh tomatoes with mozzarella di bufala and Bellinis for lunch. It…

Lunch with Shaul

Mama and I were treated to a lovely lunch at the home of our friend Shaul today. What a special feeling to be welcomed into an Italian home like family! We first met Shaul about eight years ago, when he was giving a talk at the University of California, Santa Cruz, titled “Women, Jews, and…

Shopping like a local

Mama and I explored our neighborhood of Castello a bit more this evening. Our new friend Jonny, who runs a restaurant next to our apartment, recently pointed out to us all of the best shops for fruit and vegetables, fresh bread, wine and more. In California, we tend to purchase all of these items from…

Italian take-away

Venice is divided into six sestiere, or neighborhoods, and Mama and I are staying in Castello. We’re just one bridge and two corners away from our apartment five years ago, which is awesome because we can frequent some of our old favorite spots. When I popped out to pick up our laundry tonight, I also…