My Water Taxi to Marco Polo

View Toward St. Mark's Square

San Giorgio Maggiore (by A. Palladio)

This is the last stop on my Palladian pilgrimage and the day is as gloriously stunning as Palladio's temple front design.

Departing Murano

More Colorful Glass

A Walk in Murano

Puff Pastry Pear Strudel with Hot Chocolate Sauce

Risotta with Pumpkin Puree and Amarone Wine Reduction

Another Wine Tasting

Grande Slicing "Toy" for Dream Kitchen

Another Kitchen Equipment Store

This shop specializes in cutting blades, mostly knives and scissors, but it's the big red slicer that catches my eye.

Loggia Ceiling at Castle in Trento

Room of Mirrors at Castello del Buonconsiglio in Trento

Touring Trento Today

Window Shopping for Kitchen "Toys"

I want a meat slicer; I've seen several!

Interior of Arena Seats 25,000 People for Opera and Concerts

From Darlene's iPhone:

Verona's Roman Arena

Palladian Building in Verona

Next on Menu is Ravioli with Ricotta and Spinach

Back in the Kitchen Again

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Modena

Balsamic vinegar does more than taste good. Luciano Pavorotti had his own special production that seasoned his food AND voice. He was known to take a few drops of his special vinegar before singing, a "balm" for soothing his throat.

Nineteen "Wheels" Tall

These cheese "columns" left me speechless like a work of art.

Parmigiano Reggiano

About 158 gallons of milk is needed to produce each wheel and it has one of the lowest cholestral levels of any cheese.

Quick Doses of Caffeine Keep Me Happy

Beef "Tagliata" with Arugula and Parmesan

Cooking with Chef Luisa Zecchinato

Lake Garda Trout for Lunch

Lazise Waterfront on Lake Garda

Day Trip to Lazise

Region of Grana Padano Cheese

Love this nutty cheese and it's perfectly paired with Ricioto Classico, the sweeter sibling of Amarone Classico.

Evening Wine Tasting

Upon climbing stone steps to the top of a tiny farmhouse that's been filled with barrels and converted for wine making, six wines are tasted. The pace is slow and easy in the dim light. The Amarone Classico is magical, my favorite.

Perfect Timing for Grape Harvest

We've arrived during harvest and each evening I walk the rows in search of deep purple "leftover" bunches. My lips are raw from all the juice and seed spitting.

Grape Pergola

Molinara grape vines for this pergola date to 1875. The grapes were harvested today, reserved for making a special wine for the Serego Alighieri family.

Chocolate "Salami"

Gnocchi Ragu alla Bolognese

Fig and Scamorza Bundles with Insalata Greens

I want one of these giant rolling pins.

Harold During Group Cooking Class

Wine and Roses

Elegant Reception

Cherry Barrels in Cellar

Grape Drying Lofts at Serego Alighieri

Torchello Capers

I've never seen capers this big!

Burano's "Rainbow" Canal

My shutter finger gets tired here. Every casa is a different color. Striped curtains gently lift with each breeze at doorways. The island of Burano is a jewel for artists and photographers.

Mounds of Vegetables from the Veneto and Beyond

Venice: Where's the nearest cucina?

Browsing Venice's open market at water's edge, I declare: "Next time here I want a kitchen!" I want to shop like a local and then step onto a vapporetto to be whisked away to an apartment with cucina and balcony overlooking a skinny canal.

Glass-Like Eyes Fresh from Sea

It's almost to much to take in, seafood of every size, shape, and color. I see scallops still plump in their shells and flash back to last night's version topped with Parmesan cheese during a round of tappas.

Pesce spada at early morning market.

The early morning fish market beyond the Rialto Bridge is my destination. I shoot a photo of a shiny pesce spada (swordfish), then schia, granchi crab, moscardino nostami, latterini anguelle (tiny sardines), and more.

My first gelato, for David's birthday today!

Another Fortuny Purchase

My entry into Venetia Studium, the premier studio for Fortuny lighting, is purposeful. My goal is to buy a hanging pendant for a client in Texas. (Yesterday at the Fortuny museum I had drooled over the large ceiling lamps with silk shades like upsidedown parasols.) So, with a few questions answered, I hand over out a credit card for a medium- sized etched glass version (as shown) wired for 110 voltage, plus I pick up a pair of elegant, gold-colored silk tassels that I will surely find a use for too.