la dolce vita

I love finding a tiny oasis of authenticity gleaming through a sea of same-ness. I wandered the shore of Leith last night looking for a place to feed myself that wouldn't take £20 from me. I've walked past Giuliano's so many times, and frankly have always been put off by the pack of smokers puffing away outside their door. But only two were outside last night, so I went in and was immediately transported to bella Italia.

Italian pop on the radio. Waiters yelling Andiamo! Andiamo! at the chefs, the owner yelling Basta! at the bartender. Proper Italian trattoria recipes. The best bicchiere of house wine I've had since a year ago in Tuscany.

Edinburgh during festival time is chaotic, in the best way. Walking yesterday I saw a woman dressed as a bee, three people on stilts (not together), and a small man doing cartwheels down the street. The latter is not the wisest way to travel through a crowd, but whatever. A cynic would call this pandering. The festival is still new to me, so I love it.

But I also love retreating back to a neighborhood and finding a gem of a place like Guiliano's. It took £20 from me, but it was a delightful place to spend that £20.

Sloooooovenia

Thanks to Joel for giving me this perfect title for the new post.

Good intentions, like first dates and upcoming holidays, are full of promise and anticipation and curiosities. Intentions can fail dramatically as I have done with this lovely thing...

So welcome to the people from the MSN site and good to have you back.

Slovenia has been a whirlwind, and I am still trying to come to terms with it being April already. For some reason, time in Prague and Lisbon and Lugano seemed like it passed at a normal pace. In Ljubljana, things have been different.



So a bit about the random travels since the move from MSN to here...



Summer was spent in Lugano with the kids again. My favourite trip of the summer was to this gorgeous villa on Lake Como. Star Wars people, it's where the mushy love scenes between Annakin and the Queen were filmed (guaranteed to be the worst dialogue written in the history of film). It is stunning. The kids were even in awe, which is probably why I enjoyed the trip so much - they were relatively quiet. I'm not returning to Lugano this summer, and there will be a hole where TASIS should be until mid-August.



I must admit that part of why Slovenia appealed is its proximity to my beloved Italy. Venice is just two hours from Lj, and I've been four times already - obsessive, anyone? Twice with colleagues, once by myself and last weekend with my girlfriend Andrea. We had a fabulous girlie weekend shopping, drinking spizzas, eating gorgeous food and getting lost. I'll highly recommend Osteria San Marco on Frezzeria 1610, Tel. +39 041/528-5242 - one of the most memorable meals I've ever had.

So more to come, as the muse visits. Chelsea v Arsenal tomorrow. Still cloudy in Lj. I've got a cold.