Friday, August 10, 2007

I LEFT MY HEART THERE SOMEWHERE...


OK, I did it, I did it, like I promised. I stayed in London for the whole of July and will not be using my passport the whole of August. So I'm due some kind of compensation, obviously.

I just booked a ticket to go to Italy, my first love, for a few days next month. Paris, my second love and Spain (sneakily encroaching) have dominated for the past few years now, so I'm long due a return to the country I called home a decade ago. I'm very excited to visit this very talented friend in Venice, then a quick jaunt to my former home in Florence to see this very talented friend...

The reason for going back is simply to catch up with friends, drink wine, eat ravioli, watch the world go by, drink coffee, catch up with friends...

In fact, thinking about it, I met more interesting people during one year in Italy than I have in my entire life. It was a steady stream of artists and anthropologists, philosophers and philanthropists; writers, photographers, students, fashion royalty, poets, wine makers and art historians. I mostly remember those who were acquaintances like characters in a film: The taxi driver who'd come from an old Florentine family and had a part in Room with a View, the guy who was a jockey in the Palio, a friend of a friend who lived in Argentina and rolled up the rug in the living room at cocktail time to teach us how to tango. No idea who that was now, but just the thought that I once had a cocktail time rather tickles me.
Top Venice tip: Harry's Dolci. Oh, so, quiet and preferable to sharing Harry's Bar with all the other tourists writing postcards telling their friends that they're in Harry's Bar having a bellini. And hello, it's dessert.
Don't tell everyone!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe we are more facinating abraod?
delphine

The Spicers said...

Ooooh, so jealous! I love Harry's dolci. Have a great trip!

Claire said...

Delphine: Oh, almost certainly!

ihf: thanks, I'll eat extra cake for you, it'll be tough though...

Julia said...

Ditto delphine!

Sounds delightful. Italy is a true love too.

Anonymous said...

As a trip to Italy is completely not on the cards for the foreseeable future, I will have to reread (or watch!) A Room With A View now.

I do love the new layout here, by the way. It is so crisp and white and I am desperate to change my own blog!

travel notes said...

This sounds wonderful; Italy is fast becoming my new obsession (but obviously not as much as Paris). Me and the boyf are going to travel round Northern Italy next summer.
Take billions of pics!

Will you be going to Paris this year?

Anonymous said...

Yes, Harry's Dolci!
Looking forward to THAT vanilla meringue pie...
See you very soon!
xxx
Mia (aka hanna.bi who thanks you so much for the link, and for the "very talented" as well)