Peggy's Sunglasses

As I've mentioned before, I took the boys to Italy at Christmas after my husband died the summer before. And, as I've confessed, we were the stupidest visitors maybe in the history of Italian tourism. We knew nothing. We literally stumbled upon nearly everything. I'd say Innocents Abroad, but that gives us way too much credit.

Anyway, our first stop after landing in Milan was Venice ~ La Serenissima. Heaven!

The good thing about Venice, of which there are so many, is you can't get lost. Sure, you can wander aimlessly but unless you swim off, you will eventually get where you are going. Kindah nice.

During one of our wanderings, we stumbled upon the Guggenheim museum. So wonderful ~ even now it makes me breathless. 

As we fell over the threshold of the Guggenheim, we fell into a quirky, eccentric, amazing space filled with art by the titans of the 20th Century. The Guggenheim was featuring a Picasso studio retrospective in the first gallery. One of the very nice things about traveling with the boys was spending all day and night with them. More things to find out about your children. The Bear loves Picasso. We lingered in the gallery as we studied the pieces in detail.

After nearly closing the place down, we exited through the gift shop. Such totally fun and quirky things. Then ~ whoa! Sunglasses. Utterly cool ~ even, terrifyingly amazing. Batwing sunglasses. I'd say "retro" but well, they weren't retro when Peggy wore them. Well one thing lead to another and I bought a pair.

That's one of the great things about being older. Everyone quits giving you the eyebrow as you fully embrace the idiosyncratic, the personal. Singular describes it perfectly. I subscribe fully to being sui generis because (to quote the great Bill ~ Shakespeare, that is) I bear a charmed life.

It's grand!

Day 57 Everyday Grateful ~

Sunny and completely beautiful.

With global warming,

Seattle will soon be like Los Angeles in the '50's

 ~ blue skies, clean air. 

The forecast calls for six days of summer.

Amazing.

 http://www.guggenheimstore.org/pegusu.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2168640/Canaletto-drawing-Venice-sold-family-idea-true-value--2million.html

Oh, Venice! You Poor Dear! What Fresh Hell is This? No, This is Not Photoshopped!

Is there no justice? Is there no appreciation of beauty? Must it always be about money? While I generally disapprove of coarseness in discourse, the phase "turd in a punchbowl" does come to mind when I see a giant cruise ship in the Venice Lagoon.

As I've mentioned before, there seem to be two types of people in the world ~ those who can take or leave Venice and those (of us) who adore La Serenissima. There is no joy in the Serenissima camp right now.

So, I was reading the Daily Mail (my guilty pleasure) and was reminded again of the vulgarity of cruise ships, in general and in using Venice as a port-of-call, in particular. Jeez! I mean really! Look at the size of that monstrosity compared with the dome of San Marco. Creeps me out!

Apparently, there is even a move afoot to relocate the famous Venice fishmarket to accommodate the cruise lines.

It feels like all the things one might love about Venice and its pedestrian way of life is ruined with these hulking behemoths vomiting out 4500 passengers at a time. And, what do the Venetians and those tourists who came on foot get? Ruined skyline. Destroyed views. Destructive waves! Pollution! Merde!

Sounds like a petition drive is needed. And, wonders of wonders, there is one. Click on the link below if you, please pardon the expression, want to put your oar in the water.

Oh beautiful, beautiful Venice!

Day 43 Everyday Grateful ~

Drizzle. Drizzly. Drizzling.

More work on a lot of small projects

Hope the bunnies in the garden are staying dry!

A bit more atmospheric than I'd like in June,

but, lovely and green nonethelesss.

http://www.petizionionline.it/petizione/salviamo-un-pezzo-di-storia-di-venezia-no-alla-chiusura-del-mercato-del-pesce-di-rialto/3328

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2154779/A-giant-cruise-ship-endorsed-Sophia-Loren-swept-Venice-sparking-protests-spoilt-views-air-pollution.html

Staying in Florence? The Most Beautiful Bathroom in the World!

A while ago, my sons and I stayed in Florence at the most wonderful boutique hotel E*V*E*R! It wasn't that it was so chi-chi or uber-designed or architecturally astonishing. It was just so fully realized and immaculately presented.

I love living in a world knowing that lovely hotel is in it.

I remember in a previous post, I waxed poetic about my pink dogwood overhanging my back terrace saying something like I have complete confidence that the path into heaven is lined with pink dogwood eternally in bloom (or, something like that.) Well, if God or any of his heavenly hosts were staying in Florence, they would certainly stay at The Lungarno.

First of all, it's across the bridge from Palazzo Spini Feroni ~ the Palazzo Ferragamo and shop. Nice neighborhood! I mean, really now, how horrible can that possibly be? Right! Not at all.

We had taken the train down from Milan and arrived in the mid to late afternoon. Well, the Bear (my adored oldest son) is all about Prosecco when we visit. So, we hung out in the lobby toasted each other and laughed up a storm.

The lobby is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! The seating is extremely comfortable and everything is upholstered in cream/white linen with navy blue fringe piped around the cushions and a generous deep navy border around the bottom of each piece. Quiet, summery, inviting.

For me , the art is the showstopper. All original, pen and inks, charcoals, black and white water colours. All interesting and wonderfully presented. It also feels personal. Like the person who curated had an intelligent eye. Each piece felt selected on its merits. Handsome.

When we went up to our rooms, the wonder continued. My bedroom was not large but so immaculately appointed it left me breathless.

But, the bathroom! Oh, dear God, it was so exquisite. First of all, it was small. I mean weensy. Not that one would swing a cat, but, well, there wasn't room for that. As I've mentioned in my other posts, my bathroom is weensy, too ~ 5' 0" x 8' 0". Shower, toilet, vanity. My bathroom at the Lungarno also included a bidet so it was slightly larger than mine at home. And, that is where all comparisons end.

Marble! Marble wainscot. Marble floor. Marble moulding around the door frames. Marble base. Marble shower. Marble vanity. Beautiful. Heavenly. Marble.

Not certain of the kind but reminds me of crema marfil. It's deeply creamy. If you ever think of marble as edible. This is the one!

The towels thick and white. The linen towels crisp and white. The spa robe? You get the drift . . . yah, thick and white. The fixtures and fitting? Matte nickel ~ either by age or by design.

 



The bedroom walls were a true butter cream. The mouldings, wainscot and millwork were white. Did it have the best view in Florence? No, but I loved looking out at the old ivy covered walls. It was very much like a secret garden. Romantic and atmospheric as hell!

So, if you are planning a trip to Italy and Florence is on your itinerary, think about staying at The Lungarno. Is it expensive? Yes. But, if you stay in pensiones and small out of the way places on your trip, this is the place to splurge!

Day 38 Everyday Grateful ~

Coffee with my next door neighbor, Chuck

Started out bright blue skies. Now a little cloudy

Group of us having dinner this evening.

A perfect Seattle day. Lovely.

http://www.lungarnocollection.com/en/the-collection/florence/hotel-lungarno/5-stars-hotel-in-florence

The Romance of Naming your Home

After my husband died, I decided to blow this pop stand and take my sons to Italy at Christmas. It was a two week slumber party and the first time I'd heard them laugh in months.

My sons are both 6'5" tall ~ talk about seven league boots! In Florence, they were striding along and pretty soon out-distanced me but I could hear them laughing from the next block. Heaven.

Because I adore architectural salvage, my walking was hampered by the visual wonder of Italy. I stopped often to admire a door knocker or a light fixture or the brace of an eave. Walking along the streets, block after block was the salve my soul needed.

We were in Florence for Christmas when we decided to take a midnight stroll and watched the full moon rise between Giotto's Bell Tower and the Duomo. Breathtaking. In one of the side streets of the Piazza del Duomo, there was a very small shop with a soaringly high ceiling and walls filled with wonderful signs. Enameled letters. Brass plaques. Individual house numbers in bronze and brass and steel. Utter desire!

The next day, we stopped into that mouthwatering store. As we entered, a thousand year old man walked out from the back room with the International Tribune under his arm. I started to ask him a question. He just turned on his heel and walked back into his office. We stood there a little flat footed and finally left.

The next year, my oldest son was studying in Florence. After nine months of Italian lessons and just before my birthday, he returned to the shop and ordered me a sign for my 50th birthday. And, in an understanding of the importance of international peace, he said that the owner reminded him of Grampa ~ a bit of a curmudgeon, he doesn't like speaking English to "tourists" but was very charming when you get to know him.

And, there it is ~ a little grace note on the side of my home. And, a touching present from my son. Heaven!