I Met a Woman!
Nicoletta rode over the overpass at the same time I did and then began to move ahead. I called out, "Excuse me. I have a question." She slowed a bit, I pulled up alongside of her and we rode the...
Five Countries. One Table.
We got together to celebrate Anaïs's 24th birthday with traditional Milanese apperitivi at an "art bar" in town. Several of us women from Italian classes get together outside of class for chats,...
Farm Fresh on a Sunny Day
Saturday. Clear blue skies. About 50 degrees. Yes! I headed down the canal on my bike, but decided on a change of scenery and followed the path I learned about from Angelo, my surprise tour guide in...
A Cute, Little Italian
Hmm. I might find me a cute, little Italian. All the right curves and straight lines. Just my size. Fits into tight places. Agile and responsive. Yah. Sounds good to me! (I don't know what YOU were...
Bottle Day
There's just something about having my bedroom window on the ground level, facing the street. At about 5:30 in the morning the recycling truck pulls up and parks in front of my window. They roll the...
Pouting for Springtime
I'm pouting. Tuesday morning and it's 34 degrees outside. Sunday morning I was riding a bike along the sea, wearing a light t-shirt with blue sky overhead and sun on my face. Temperatures were in...
Signs of Sanremo
As a designer, I'm enchanted by the signage I see around Italy and France and love to stumble across old signs that haven't been tampered with or "updated". They have such flavor and style.
Sanremo on the Riviera
The locals write "Sanremo", a conjunction of the saint's name. The rest of the world splits it into two words: San Remo. It's a beautiful and small little town that has palm trees befitting any...
Smell the Money in Monaco
We continued on to Monaco and the Casino Monte-Carlo. Who'd have imagined? All of us commented on the richness so thick you could cut it with a knife, that you could smell the money...
Casino Monte-Carlo
The site of movies made and fortunes lost: Casino Monte-Carlo. This island of grass and cyclamen is just across the drive from the Casino. The reflective disk sculpture holds an image of the grand...
Three Countries. One Day.
The "pinch me" part. Along our drive I had been seeing "travel-guide Italy", scenic, seaside towns, cliffside old buildings, palm trees, polished hotels and trattorias. The statues, the weathered...
Pinch Me
There's no way I could have CONCEIVED of this weekend! Talk about "living on a movie set!" It was all beyond real, not to be believed. Pinch me. Am I dreaming this stuff up? Friday morning at 11:10...