Gladiators

Roma

Marble that Michaelangelo Touched

Firenze

"va bene"

I am in love with Venice. I think that may have been my favorite city ever. I loved that you go everywhere by boat. There are no cars, so the city sounds are very human. 

I did get an hour to myself yesterday. I needed to find lunch, but wanted to grab and go rather than sit down. I bought a half sandwich in St. Mark's square...crustless, thin, white bread triangles with a slice of fresh mozarella and a stack of thin sliced tomatoes...the clerk who sold it to me said, "Watch out for the seagulls." 

I took a bite...delicious...and just as I emerged in the square from beneath the awning, a flock of seagulls ambushed me out of nowhere. For a brief moment we were a mass of flapping wings and feet, my whole sandwich was removed from my hand with surgical precision, and I was left standing, stunned, staring at my empty hand where my sandwich had been. Then I started laughing...I stood there and laughed there until my sides hurt.

Then I walked back in and bought another sandwich, but this time I ate it just below the awning, with one eye on the sky.