And on the other hand, a simple supper of orecchiette, crumbled pork sausage, chopped onion, garlic, anchovy, diced tomatoes and parmigiana. Nothing better!

I can still cast my American votes by mail - at least for now.

Getting a new phone is like having a baby. No, not because it's a wonderful new part of your life. Because you simply can't get anything else done that day. Passwords. Security notifications. Downloads. Phoning the bank for help. And like having a baby, I'll forget the pain before I do it again.

It's funny how his predecessor, Fortunato Ortombina, was so successful he's now running Teatro all Scala, and yet Colabianchi says a "radical change and new dynamism" is needed for Teatro La Fenice . jen.jiji.com/jc/eng_agt?g...

Comparing Easter messages

Some people collect stamps.....

Dinner party leftovers: Shrimp risotto made with vialone nano rice and a glass of Sancerre. Guests are always impressed when I make risotto, but it's so much easier and more forgiving than North Americans believe.

Sounds like a quick way to turn the US into a cashless society.

Yes! My application has been approved and my new British passport is being printed. Now if only they'd vote to rejoin the EU......

Beirut. Once the Paris of the Middle East.

My bit: Poor #Lebanon -- under threat from both #Israel and #Hezbollah www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...

And as referendums go, this wasn't even close. Brava, Italia!

I dreamt last night that I was back in Venice, at a reception at the Governor's palace. (?) and the Governor was @pgjonesvenice.bsky.social! Cymru am byth!

This is what I call SERIOUS Easter. €119.0 for a chocolate egg?

I love the juxtaposition of glass mosaic and concrete in this garden wall at Fondazione Querini Stampalia. Carlo Scarpa's attention to detail and his use of local techniques and materials always fascinates me.

@pgjonesvenice.bsky.social and @davidhewson.com Perhaps you can get Venice Noir added to this poster next year!

I just had coffee with a very knowledgeable opera critic/musicologist who has heard her conduct and says she's dreadful. So the musicians are right to protest both the process by which she was chosen, and the appointment itself.

Now Italy has adopted paying by phone, but unlike in North America there's no option to add a tip. This is going to dramatically reduce the income of waiters as Americans realize they "can't" tip and many of them couldn't calculate a percentage if their lives depended on it.

I walked past the Farmacia Morelli and my heart sank. Venice is down to 47,568 residents? That's a 5% drop since I was here in April last year. If I could afford to buy an apartment, live here, engage with the community, become fluent and so on, I'm not Venetian. I'd not be preserving the culture.

And now two friends who live in Venice are going to meet me there!

I have such a strong, instinctive dislike for candlelit concerts that I've never been to one. And the idea of a string quartet playing Morricone also raises doubts. But in the Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista? I couldn't resist. I'll be there on Sunday, March 15th!

My niece in Rugby tells me there was no advance warning of this, with only 10 days from announcement to implementation. Much chaos and concern......

Sometimes it's good to be a packrat. My 🇨🇦 and 🇺🇲 passports both show I was born in London, so I now need a 🇬🇧 passport to fly to LHR. I'm hoping my old expired p'port will speed up the apparently lengthy process to obtain a new one. My birth certificate is essential as well.

I've now been retired for more than 10 years, but I still have professional contacts who've remained friends. Today I got good news about two recent occasions when I put people together and really good, career-boosting things are going to happen as a result.

Somehow in the midst of all the chaos and corruption, it makes me happy to know that with 56 points the Venezia football club is at the top of Lega B. 🧡🖤💚

I only found out after my husband died how many of the artists we had met and worked with over my life in the performing arts had enjoyed his company and appreciated his understanding of what they do. I only wish he had seen the lovely letters and emails that came to me after he died.

This is fascinating. At 22.8% of citizens speaking in dialect at home, the Veneto has the highest proportion of the 20 regions. I would have expected Sicily to be much higher than 15.4% but that's just a guess based on vague impressions.

Wise words to the not-for-profit arts sector from David Maggs at the Metcalf Foundation in Toronto: "If you’re going broke on theatre, music, and dance, revenue diversification can be a way to go broke on theatre, music, dance, plus a wine bar you never really learned how to run."

My friend Brett Polegato opens tonight as Scarpia and I'll be there for the Pacific Opera Victoria production of Tosca. Brett got great reviews when he sang this role at Grange Park Opera in 2023, so I'm thrilled to be able to see his performance here at home. www.timescolonist.com/entertainmen...

@pgjonesvenice.bsky.social I think you'd really enjoy listening to this, if you haven't already. open.spotify.com/episode/5x2Z...

OMG @pgjonesvenice.bsky.social @caroline-venezia.bsky.social @gregorydowling.bsky.social @monicacesarato.bsky.social Is the aqua alta ever going to stop? I seem to get daily bulletins. The latest is for 120 cm.

Kerryman who is married, living and working legally in the United States for >20 years has been incarcerated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) since September 2025. Profoundly disturbing report by Karlin Lillington @klillington.bsky.social www.irishtimes.com/world/us/202...

When I scroll through pictures of the opening of the Milano/Cortina Olympics, it's fascinating to see the ones that have the most "likes" and ❤️s feature President Mattarella. He Is clearly much loved and respected by many Italians.

Really? MOSE "may" be activated? At 135 cm? Giovedì 5 febbraio: previsti 135cm alle ore 00:45. Possibile attivazione del sistema MOSE. Si raccomanda di seguire gli aggiornamenti. shorturl.at/jlvxI

Isn't this Mandelson's THIRD brush with dishonor? www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/w...

I see we are already at the "I was only following orders" stage of fascism.

According to my friend Charlotte, it snowed a lot in Toronto. Tap on the photo to see what she wrote:

Media may not have noticed that Trump’s Board of Peace Charter was drafted so that the US need NOT ratify and become a party.Trump’s current status as US President is a necesary stepping stone but his unitary rule in the new international organisation would be personal, permanent and even hereditary

And of course, Carney reminds me of Mario Draghi, and his report on the need for EU countries to work together to boost competitiveness. This was released on September 9, 2024 before the US gave DJT his second term as president and the sh*t show began in earnest. commission.europa.eu/topics/compe...

I can't remember ever being prouder to be a Canadian.

The West Wing Season 5 Episode 5 aired Oct 29, 2003. Toby and Will are arguing about upcoming Presidential speeches. The economy is good. Toby's prediction: "Many thanks for the 9 million new jobs. I've got three of them and I can't make my house payments." They saw it coming? Over and over again?

Perfect.

Paolo Sorrentino's La Grazia is playing this weekend at the Giorgione Cinema in Cannaregio. @gregorydowling.bsky.social, @pgjonesvenice.bsky.social, @caroline-venezia.bsky.social and @robinsaikia.bsky.social: have you seen it? Are you going? I wish I could.

ICE kidnapped 4 members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, released one, and now "can’t locate" the other three. America is at a legally impossible state where Native Americans aren't even considered Americans by ICE anymore.

@marriott-bonvoy.bsky.social I do not understand why I am receiving texts and emails about an upcoming stay at The Dorian in Calgary, when I am booked at the Courtyard. Your sales associate at the Dorian couldn't explain it, and assured me I'm staying at the Courtyard. What is going wrong with you?

Planning a trip to Italy in November is hard because the major opera companies don't announce their seasons until mid/late summer. If you want to include opera performances, it's really hard to book ahead. Italian cities may want cultural tourists and not day trippers, but they don't make it easy.

From someone in Sicily who understands the logistics of mass trials:

I'm watching this while sipping a Negroni. Bill and Donald Sutherland were friends in University but we had no connection to Julie Christie, although I do like this: "After a while an appreciation of Julie Christie can lead you to think you have a deep understanding of the novels of Thomas Hardy."

She tried, but they wanted to make fun of her jawline instead.