Ask me anything January 2024 Edition
My word to guide the year + a mini guide to Nashville
We are one of those families that chooses a word to set an intention for the year. It is something we spend a lot of time with. Sometimes we start talking about the next year’s word in July when we are checking in on our progress with the current year’s word. My word for 2024 is explore. I have so much to learn about my new home and I didn’t do a great job exploring Italy in 2023.
A few of my Venetian exploring goals are to master the sestieri of San Marco and San Polo. I still get confused in both of them. I am never quite lost anymore but the calles still confound me and I am not all that efficient in getting from point A to B in those parts of town. Two more 2024 goals. I want to cross every bridge. There are about 470 of them. I plan on visiting every church that is regularly open to the public. There are approximately 88 of those.1 (and I am determined to get inside this one near my house that is rarely open )Then we need to start exploring northern Italy. There are mountains and lakes and cities to see!
We spent the last few days of 2023 in Rome doing all of our favorite things. There was lots of amatriciana and cicoria, but also Ethiopian food and hot pot. We saw pals and I did a few essential chores. We got back to Venice just in time to ring in the new year where we made a table full of decadent snacks and just before midnight we found a spot along the Riva dei Sette Marteri and watched the fireworks with the bell towers of San Marco and San Giorgio as the backdrop. I started with my 2024 intention right away with a sunny day spent in Bassano del Grappa but we also stayed home and watched lots of movies on the new TV.
I hope that your 2024 is off to a positive and prosperous start. I am so happy that you have chosen to spend this small part of it here with me. Now it’s your turn. Ask me your Italy questions in the comments.
Upgrade your subscription for the Gillian Knows Best guide to Nashville, an exhibit of sketches for a Fellini film in a Scarpa designed museum, a list of what I have been reading and watching and listening to and the brand new section where I will share updates on the progress with my little Venetian house.