I used to travel to Venezia with travel books. Loades of them in my suitcase, every day filling my backpack with several when I walked out to explore La Serenissima.
I still bring alot of guidebooks and novels set in the city. But I leave them in Nati House for early mornings and late night reading and for travel diary writing. The city is becoming more and more mine, I want to see her through my own eyes, I don't need all those guidebooks anymore. Well, at least I don't need them all the time.
One reason for this is my frequent visits to Venezia, another is the friends I have made here through the years.
Yesterday we met up with a few.
Can you remember the first time I met dottore Carlo Feli?Just by accident. A friendship was knotted for life then.
Today I met him again, this time with Terje and Marta as well. Carlo took us on a two hours' walk in the city, along calles I've never been, pointing out details I've never seen, a secret garden, an animal sign on a palazzio, a church for the old seamen.....
After our morning walk we were ready for a looooong lunch, spaghetti pomodoro for Marta (as always, almost.....), pizza for me and Terje. But soon we were fit for more adventures. My very own glass blower were waiting for us, and with Marta as our map reader, we soon found his workshop.
Mauro will be moving his workshop in a couple of weeks, and as soon as we entered his place, well, after the wonderful Italian friendship kisses, he wondered if we wanted to walk with him over to his new place? Of course we did. There is absoutely nothing like walking in Venezia with a local. You walk fast and you walk through small calles you never knew excisted. With wonderful sights around every corner.
Next time in Venezia I'll visit Mauro in his new place.
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A little guessing game at the end of this post. Back in Mauro's workshop he made a gift for Marta, a small animal. A postcard from Venezia to the first one to guess which animal this is :-)
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See you again tomorrow :-)
I wonder if it is time now to write my own travel book?