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It’s been a few weeks of varied and far flung assignments, as I wended my way through 3 continents and dozens of interviews for multiple stories. There were many planes, several trains, 2 tractors, 4 long hikes, a horseback ride, a boat that got stranded on a sandbar mid-river, and an eight hour van ride with a driver named Romeo,”but you can call me Bingo.” In the midst of all this we alighted in Venice for just under 24 hours. A full day in Venice, Italy, with no schedule, no interviews, no deadlines, and absolutely no responsibilities except making it to dinner and not oversleeping for my super early flight to Istanbul the next morning. Because sometimes my life rocks that much.
Venice is a city that has always intrigued me, I love her worn edges, the shabby grandeur, the history and the absolute certainty that I will get lost. I pulled on my clogs (yes, I am now officially the sort of person who wears my trusty black kitchen clogs outside of the kitchen and pretends that it looks chic and cool) and spent the afternoon walking around, peeking into churches, admiring frescos, sipping espressos, coveting blown glass, and wandering through the markets wishing that I had a kitchen. At Palazzo Fortuny, I marveled at the fine fabrics and was inspired by the female artists exhibition. And then I sat at a table overlooking the canal and spritzed.
The aperitivo is a key part of the Italian day, and the Veneto is the home of Spritz — about 300,000 Aperol Spritzes are drunk here every day. Which equates to more than 200 a minute. It’s easy to see the appeal — the bitter herbal liquor, bubbly Prosecco, bracing soda all combine to make something that is refreshing and only lightly alcoholic. Also the garnishes are both sweet and savory — this drink gets both an orange slice AND a briny olive. Win-win. To make your own: Fill a glass fairly generously with ice cubes. Add 2 ounces of Aperol (or Campari) and 4 ounces of Prosecco, then top with club soda. Add the orange slice and olive and serve.
