This morning, rain still threatens, but it seems dry enough to walk to the Tourist Office to purchase a museum card for the Teatro Olimpio. Then the rain comes, still I stop to buy some makings for dinner from the food trucks that have parked by the cathedral. I drop off the food, put it …
I’m passing through the Orridio della Val Taleggio for the last time, at least for now. The recent rains have caused cascades to surge from the cliffs into the gorge. Ilaria and Fabio had business in Bergamo so they drove me to the train station. Leaving early at 7am, I was missing my coffee, but …
This morning I had a reservation with La Tessitura Luigi Bevilacqua, a company founded in the 1700s in Venice that makes velvet on antique hand looms. Its origins go back several centuries earlier, as a scroll exists from 1499 that mentions “Giacomo Bevilacqua, weaver.” Finding the Tessitura took me to a part of Venice I …
Arriving today in Venice at around 11am, I headed toward my lodging to drop off my luggage. I purposely chose a very low key location to avoid the massive crowds. I’m staying in a former monastery connected with the Madonna dell’Orto Church in the Cannaregio District. Facilities are simple and quiet. It’s out of the …
I’m calling this a day of rest, slowing the pace before my visit to Venezia. I headed to the market to buy linen pants, as all the clothes I brought are too heavy for this intense heat. These arcades have housed food stalls for centuries. I had to stop in. I’m not sure if these …
Back to the markets this morning. Padova’s markets take over two main piazzas, the Piazza dei Frutta and the Piazza delle Erbe, one selling produce, the other clothing. Under the arcades are butcher shops, cheese shops, and shops selling all kinds of regional food specialties. Archaeological finds show that this area was once a central …
Before I left Brescia this morning, I wanted to visit the Queriniana Library, right around the corner from my lodging. On the way, I met my host Angela’s mother, a woman of my age, and told her how much I liked Brescia and the lodging. “Yes,” she replied. “The bars and restaurants are nearby, everything’s …
Today I took a bus ride for a little over an hour to a valley northeast of Brescia near Lago di Garda. I planned to visit the Valle delle Cartiere, a place once known for its many papermaking mills. The countryside is pretty, with many farms in the area. My first glimpse of the lake …