Hey you! Good morning from Venice. Here’s a short little video of the beginning stages of the travel journal. It’s rainy and cool today so I’m snuggled up with some Venetian goodies from a nearby bakery and a hot cup of coffee. Today is official piddle day until I tidy up and go out for dinner this evening. I like to try a new restaurant/osteria in the San Barnaba area of Dorsoduro each night. Here are a few things I’ve tried:
burrata caprese salad below with a spoon of fresh pesto. mmmm
My favorite so far has been the rosemary glazed filet on a bed of rocket. Tender and delicious. My eyes were crossed as I ate it.
The pork and mashed potatoes in a pepper cream sauce – is it just me or were these little mounds in the shapes of animals?
Both of these osterias were small homey places. Places I felt very comfortable in by myself. Except in one of them I did get wedged into a small table which I had to wedge myself out of 90 minutes later when the restaurant filled around me. Which. I did. Twice. Dropped my scarf next to my chair and had to double back through the crowd. Think: bull in china shop. But all’s well that ends well and no one got hurt.
If you’ve ever wondered if there is a place on earth where you might procure a yeasty donut the size of your head…let me assure you THERE IS.
And it is mere footsteps from my apartment.
A renowned bakery here in Venice called Pasticceria dal Nono Colussi in Dorsoduro on calle Lunga.
The name of this sublime delight is their specialty Foccaccia Veneziana. If you’re looking for this bakery there isn’t a sign outside the shop. But if you are here in December just look for the cookie garland and giant donuts in the window.
The taste is doughy yeasty buttery mildly sweet melt-in-your-mouth YUM.
I feel obligated to take one for the team and try everything. for YOU. I’m doing it for you. Because I’m selfless like that.
The strawberries must come from southern Italy. They are delicious.
Slightly lemony, mildly sweet, shortbready.
Ooh those photos are delicious! Please don’t make videos of you eating–it would be like a foodie porno and I’m not sure I could handle it. Ha, ha – just kidding. I am so glad you came up with this idea to allow us to see Venice through your eyes.
Love seeing you flip through that journal. Can’t wait to see it morph into the Mary Ann style we all know and love. You know, I was excited about this class and everything. But I had NO IDEA just how exciting it would be to get up and see if you’d posted anything new each day. The way you write and the photos you take… it’s like getting a new pretty little present every day!
Mary Ann!!!! This is torture I tell you…pure torture. THAT BREAD, do you know that we are a HUGE bread family????…we live for crusty, bread, we will visit a restaurant and we judge it by the bread, over almost every entree, we take our bread seriously so to see this sumptuous bread right out in front of me, on the screen, my mouth is watering…I will drive out of my way for good bread…a little bit of olive oil, sea salt and butter and it’s heaven, of course the rest of it looks amazing, does not help that we’ve not had dinner yet…all I can say is YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS. Lovin the postcards, lovin the class, lovin the vids, lovin it all!!!!! You ROCK!!!!!!!!
The plate of food that might look like animals? I definitely see a cat on the right and an alligator on the left.
Enjoying the journey so, so much–everything about it so far. And reading that first posting, walking in the fog… had me on the edge of my seat for sure!
Carry on. Oh, also, the emailed postcards are fantastic!
truly delicious!
and I just enjoyed a few hours pulling papers and whatnots from the playroom.
I forgot how much I enjoy the gathering, choosing, juxtaposing thing.
Rediscovering little stashes of this and thats – like a micro-safari, at home. Well, kind of like a micro-safari. Ykno?
Especially when I looked thru the little bundles of postage stamps from all-over-the-playce.
The kind-of-travelling thing, another way.
Sweet, and savoury, dream wishes to you,
xxxj
Ok it took me a while to stop drooling on my keyboard from all that fantastic looking food! The nice thing is that you walk so much you can eat even more and use all that energy to play in your journal later!
Looks yummy so far Mary Ann! Keep taking one for us, we will all moan vicariously (why does that just NOT come out like I meant it to sound?)…
Ciao!
Enjoying our journey so far. Yummy food. What an exciting time of year to be exploring a new place.
Just amazing! I’m having a wonderful time. It is chilly here in FL 50 degrees F today and down to 35 degrees F tonight. So understand the chill there. Fog lovely, food divine and your journaling so fun. Love your written pages and ideas. Also love that you are finding cozy comfortable places to dine. And okay, the donuts the size of my head and just around the corner? I think I’m going to faint…hahaha. You truly know how to travel and journal especially with such a large group (us) looking over your shoulder. Thanks so much for sharing.
ooops! Meant to also say your photos are absolutely amazing.
Thank you so much for picking up one of the donuts for me. I can tell I’m gonna love it when you get home. Just received a care package of collage ephemera from a friend in California. I will be adding some of it to my travel journal asap. She even sent me page protectors so I wouldn’t have to go buy any. I’m getting out the sewing machine tonight. Glad this trip lasts a while!
Sister!
Glad you are getting a glass of wine for me to drink with you. Oh dear me – the bread. Quick lets sit at a rickety little table by the window and get a cappuccino to have with it. Please. I want you to take a video of some venetians having a conversation. put the camera under your hat on the table but leave the lens out. No one will ever know.
OH MY! My mouth is watering looking at all these yummies. I love seeing what goodies there are for you to indulge in! Your journal is beautiful and I can hardly wait to see it morph into a little Venice – Mary Ann style. Keep up the good work “girl reporter”!
Definitely an alligator sticking his head out from under the greens on the bottom left of your delicious looking pork plate. I live in FL, I know about gators, they sunbathe along the lake by my house.
Oh my goodness. Food is near the top of my list of great loves. These pictures alone would be enough to inspire a trip to Venice. Mmmm………. Having a GREAT time! Wish I was there!
Reading this prior to gong to sleep may not be too smart. My mouth is watering. :). Okay, I’m breaking into Trader Joe’s almond butter cookies and brewing some cinnamon tea to join you from my table in NJ to yours in Venice. It’s not quite the same level of melt-in -your-mouth yum, but it sure helps! 🙂
I’m so glad you’re finding the real-people restaurants. When we visited, we stayed at a hotel near St Marks Square so of course, lots of indifferent tourist restaurants nearby. I don’t think we ate a single memorable meal not due to a lack of interest, but due to a surfeit of ‘menu touristico.’ Didn’t find the off the beaten track areas until the afternoon of our third and last day there. Next time, Dorsudoro for sure! Thank you for the postcards. It’s like an advent card from MAM!
Mary Ann, this is so much fun … traveling in your backpack. Thanks so much for taking us along. BTW, are you going to show us how to make those yummy postcards we are receiving?
Okay, I can’t ever remember salivating this much, Mary Ann!!! Please, I want to eat my laptop!!! Your photos make it look so appetizing. My dinner will not be enough tonight and I want to transport IN PERSON to Dorsudoro immediately! Luv the photos, videos, this class is the BEST! Grazie!
We have no bread in the house right now because I refused to buy anything that wasn’t worthy of the calories that go inside me, and because I’m a “Breadie” addict, you know I wanted to eat up your images right then and there! Fortunately, I’ll be visiting Wegmans today, and that’s wehre I’ll get my Italian bread fill! Love your views and stories of Venice.
MMMMM, I am in love with the bread. It all looks delicious. Loving your video’s. They make me laugh. The Osteria’s or local food places are much better then the big touristy restaurants. I will try to put some photographs in mine today, but son is arriving tomorrow for a couple of days, and my scraproom is his bedroom or guestroom, so I will be locked out. Darn it…
Keep sending us the video’s Marianne, it makes us go around with you. Thanks for showing bits of your journal!
Oh you are a girl after my own heart. Love eating, love photos of beautiful food, and did I mention I love eating. Glad you were able to find a tripod that will work for you. Again I so enjoy your little videos and your most wonderful comments, such an honor to part of this journey.
I hope this trip helps you begin the healing process of what sounds like a most challenging time with your job. Breathe in that cleansing Venitian (did I spell that correctly?) air and feel the healing as you approach a new year and a new adventure.
Hugs,
Catherine
ah! this all just so exciting! keep taking it for the team! mmmm…burrata caprese: I was super close to eating this tonight. loving your adventures…living vicariously…xo
…a small rapture that your heart understands? Girl, you should be writing a novel. Joyous.
Mmmmmmmm! That’s all I can say!