The 2nd of June is celebrated in Italy as the beginning of the Republic of Italy. This only came about in 1946 after a national (actually the first ever vote by the people) who rejected the monarchy with the King…
The Byzantine Palazzo with view on the Grand Canal can boast some amazing occupants and owners. The palazzo is thought to have been designed by Sansoverino but it’s intrigue came later when Baron Raimondo Franchetti a famous explorer and consultant…
This year Carnevale in Venezia just made me nostalgic for past years. The public statement from Venice officials was that the restoration work in Piazza San Marco prohibited the large stage, the various exhibits. And there were tons of people…
The festival celebrates the end of the bubonic plague epidemic of 1630-1631 which caused the death of more than 50,000 inhabitants of Venice. The plague was said to have originated in neighboring Lombardy in Mantua and arrived in Venice in…
OK, so let me rant about the annoying behavior of so many tourist: the complete lack of courtesy. Where were their mothers? The vaporetto is the ONLY method of transportation for Venetians. Whether it is going to the grocery store,…
The weather has been hot (and humid) all week with Saturday’s high about 89+ F or 32 C. And the walk down Strada Nuova is like a walk in the desert. It cooled down a little before the fireworks at…
The restoration of one of Venice’s most well known landmarks, Santa Maria della Salute is complete. The work on the dome which has been completed. Baldassarre Longhena the Venetian architect built, the Church of Santa Maria della Salute (1631/32–1687) at the entrance…
As much as I love Venice, Florence is also near and dear to me. So let me introduce my friend Chandi who is a fellow Californian, a few minutes away in beautiful Santa Cruz. Her story is an inspiration for…
