Christmas 2005

CHRISTMAS LUNCH WITH THE GIRLS

Cigale, Janet and Amy
Merry Christmas 2005

Lilly on christmas 

Merry Christmas 2005

CHRISTMAS LUNCH WITH THE GIRLS 2005

This year, we had the girls join us for Christmas Dinner (Janet and Amy). Dinner was a quiet event at the Marriott compared to the Thanksgiving Dinner. The day started out just like last year, skies filled with deep gray clouds and rain but as lunch time approached the skies cleared to make way to some rather warm and inviting weather, a little blustery, but warm. What a nice surprise for Christmas day!
We could not ask for better friends to dine with! Merry Christmas to all.

VENICE 

VENICE MARKET DAY

Venice Market
Our first morning I woke to the bright blue sky of Venice... It was very early by my standards, 6am even after a very long flight . I dressed quickly and headed out the door, I left my love in the bed sleeping the morning away, (no time for sleep), I had a mission to get to the open air market and take some great photos. I knew the boats were unloading the fish and all the fresh veggies, flowers and fruit. It was the moment of truth; I was truly one with Venice and all of its glory. My dream was unfolding right before my eyes, As I walked underneath the huge arch into the “Venice Marcato” I was transformed into a new world, I was just like my fellow Italians engaging in every day life. I spent a long time just wandering and absorbing the most magical place, how I wish we had this back home. There were so many vendors screaming, “come by my product” they had wooden crates filled with the most beautiful fruits, veggies and herbs. eggplants, tomatoes, blood oranges, baby artichokes, etc and I found a wheel barrow just pushed off to the side filled with of herbs and zucchini squash flowers. ( I wish I had a kitchen to fry some up) After looking around and finding what looked the best, it was my turn to try my Italian, and order what I wanted. I can only speak in small sentences, but my heart sank when one of the vendors spoke English. (I was so mad, how dare them speak my language when I spent a whole year learning their language, after all, I was in their country!) I was finally one with my dream turned reality, of being part of the everyday life of Venice. I was now an official local doing what venations have done for centuries, shop for local produce and make conversation with the vendors. Just watching the local venations unload fruits, veggies, herbs and fish made me feel exhilarated, this was their way of life, simple but hard. I had a deep sense of pride and understanding for these harding working venations. The market awakens every sense in your body (smells, touch and visual), with the deep rich colors of the fruits and veggies, to the earthy smells of all the root veggies, to the several different kind of mushrooms, to the smell of the fresh caught fish, to the deep pungent smells of the local cheeses. I can’t say for sure; but I would think most of these products had to be organic grown. As I took my purchases in hand, I turned to take one last look back for the last time, thinking how simple life can be and what a wonderfull life it must be!