Belle I am loving your blog so much. You manage to cover the funny as well as the serious in such a compelling way. I was especially amused by your comment about the hyper specific list of school supplies for Cleo. Living in Italy I found Italians to be at times rule breakers and at other times very particular about how THINGS ARE DONE. I get it. As I read your posts I am brought right back to Venice and Mestre (we stayed in Mestre at least once since Venice is so expensive). Getting around Venice can be incredibly difficult with the crowds. I was there once with a group of Highschoolers as a chaperone and found it very challenging to keep an eye on all the kids. Crazy but good times.
The worldwide political situation is so disheartening - terrifying indeed.
So glad you are having this experience of living in another world, and exploring so vividly.
We were in Venice with our family of 26 before Covid. It was magical to fly in, go to the hotel by water taxi, and wake up to a buffet brunch on a balcony by a gondola stop. The kids didn't want to leave. Admitted it was a short tourist experience, but it left a mark. Wonderful to see you making the most of settling in and living there.
Hey Bill, Ron here commenting from rural Oregon. We did a family reading of your blog out loud this morning to lots of laughing out loud. Thank you. It also inspired a good convo with little Del about why we don’t take as good care of relationships we think will be short vs ones we anticipate will be long term. Have you ever thought about going into teaching?
I would love to see a chocolate fountain right now!
It’s thrilling to read about your adventures ! And your photos are wonderful too! Lots of exclamation points, I know, but I am so happy for you! And proud. And I love you so much.
Why it has taken me so long to dive into this blog is a mystery, but now that I've started -- I can't stop. Looking forward to catching up, er bingeing the next few as I'm so behind yet so grateful to have such witty and colorful stories to read. ❤️
Living in a place that people have always dreamed of visiting, if only for a day, can truly create challenges with simply living. Spending a lot of time in SF while growing up gave me great insight to this scenario. To your point, the challenge is finding the places that are pure magic that the tourists don't go. And I believe you'll find them as you explore Venice and the surrounding area. I look forward to your observations and adventures. And, interested to know more about your observations and insights related to how new leadership in a country changes or doesn't change the lives of the people who live there.
So much to comment on but I'll stick to one thing that particularly popped out for me -- THEY VOTE ON SUNDAY??!!! What a brilliant idea and surprising for a nation of Catholics......
Belle I am loving your blog so much. You manage to cover the funny as well as the serious in such a compelling way. I was especially amused by your comment about the hyper specific list of school supplies for Cleo. Living in Italy I found Italians to be at times rule breakers and at other times very particular about how THINGS ARE DONE. I get it. As I read your posts I am brought right back to Venice and Mestre (we stayed in Mestre at least once since Venice is so expensive). Getting around Venice can be incredibly difficult with the crowds. I was there once with a group of Highschoolers as a chaperone and found it very challenging to keep an eye on all the kids. Crazy but good times.
Love your blog!
The worldwide political situation is so disheartening - terrifying indeed.
So glad you are having this experience of living in another world, and exploring so vividly.
We were in Venice with our family of 26 before Covid. It was magical to fly in, go to the hotel by water taxi, and wake up to a buffet brunch on a balcony by a gondola stop. The kids didn't want to leave. Admitted it was a short tourist experience, but it left a mark. Wonderful to see you making the most of settling in and living there.
Hey Bill, Ron here commenting from rural Oregon. We did a family reading of your blog out loud this morning to lots of laughing out loud. Thank you. It also inspired a good convo with little Del about why we don’t take as good care of relationships we think will be short vs ones we anticipate will be long term. Have you ever thought about going into teaching?
I would love to see a chocolate fountain right now!
It’s thrilling to read about your adventures ! And your photos are wonderful too! Lots of exclamation points, I know, but I am so happy for you! And proud. And I love you so much.
Thanks for these writings, Belly. I hear the sound of your voice in them, and miss you like crazy.
Feeling so lucky to have a glimpse of Life of an American in Venice; enjoying your presence, perspective, so very, very much. Thanks! xox
Why it has taken me so long to dive into this blog is a mystery, but now that I've started -- I can't stop. Looking forward to catching up, er bingeing the next few as I'm so behind yet so grateful to have such witty and colorful stories to read. ❤️
Living in a place that people have always dreamed of visiting, if only for a day, can truly create challenges with simply living. Spending a lot of time in SF while growing up gave me great insight to this scenario. To your point, the challenge is finding the places that are pure magic that the tourists don't go. And I believe you'll find them as you explore Venice and the surrounding area. I look forward to your observations and adventures. And, interested to know more about your observations and insights related to how new leadership in a country changes or doesn't change the lives of the people who live there.
So much to comment on but I'll stick to one thing that particularly popped out for me -- THEY VOTE ON SUNDAY??!!! What a brilliant idea and surprising for a nation of Catholics......