Back to the Papal Gardens

Vatican City, June 1989. The gardens feature several interesting buildings.

Papal-Gardens Reunion

Vatican City, June 1989. It's a place to collect your thoughts.

Continental Breakfast

Hotel Flora, Venice, Italy, June 1989. The sparrows arrive before we do.

Residential Reunion

Venice, Italy, June 1989. Park behind the house.

Quiet-Canal Reunion

Venice, Italy, June 1989. We continue to explore the Arsenale neighborhood.

Harem-Pants Reunion

Venice, Italy, July 1989. That's one fashion trend I did not understand.

A Calm Campo

Venice, Italy, June 1989. We're approaching the Campo San Pietro di Castello. The campo is in a neighborhood tourists rarely visit.

A Different View of the Piazza

Venice, Italy, June 1989. We climb the Campanile when the Piazza San Marco has few tourists.

Fear of Heights

Venice, Italy, June 1989. I climbed to the top of the Campanile only once.

(Here's my preferred view; here's the café. Here's a reason to avoid the piazzetta.)

Underappreciated

Venice, Italy, June 1989. Tourists usually miss the most interesting parts of the city.

Our Christmas Cards: First Editions

Two years ago I posted the photo cards my Dad had sent as holiday greetings. Mr. Irene and I maintained this tradition for nearly all the years we've been married. Unlike Dad's cards, our greetings usually featured an image of our pets. I'll be posting our cards, in reverse chronological order, in the next few weeks.

During our first holiday season, Mr. Irene and I had card-writing fatigue because we had just finished penning our wedding-gift-thank-you notes. We therefore chose templates that featured little space for lengthy notes. We were ambitious in one way, however: we ordered three cards and selected the images based on the recipient's relationship to us and tastes.

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1989. We chose this snapshot for our Lithuanian friends. This Vytis guards the entry to the Lithuanian chapel housed in St. Peter's basilica.

*     *     *     *     *

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1989. Dog lovers and close family friends received this image of Meškė and Žulė. Yes, it took several takes to get the pose.

*     *     *     *     *

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1989. Most recipients got this snapshot from Lodi, Wisconsin.

The Quieter Side

Via Garibaldi, Venice, Italy, March 1984. Explore a different part of town. "The street (actually a filled-in canal) is unusually wide, so you really feel like you're on solid ground."

The Castello neighborhood also is home to one of our favorite restaurants (although we've not visited it ... since 1989).

Related by Marriage: January Sun

Los Angeles, California, January 1958. Mr. Irene's Parents visit with Mr. Irene's paternal Uncle, Ignas, and Ignas's wife, Ellie, during their winter honeymoon.

Lighter Coats

Near Schweinfurt, Germany, May 1948. I found this photo surprising because Mom recalls never liking or wearing garments featuring shoulder pads.

The weather is pleasant, but it's a bit crisp.

Schweinfurt, Germany, May 1948. My Parents are on their honeymoon.

Garbage Disposal

Venice, Italy, June 1989. Here's another image that shows a non-touristy part of Venice.
 
The photo also illustrates one Venetian habit. People hang filled garbage bags out their windows until pick-up day. There's a plastic bag suspended over the canal in the photo's top left, and a blue bag is visible below the bridge. I understand this custom diminishes garbage odors in the home, but it's odd: consider the geranium-filled window boxes decorating the same walls against which people suspend trash. The disposal of garbage remains a contentious issue in Venice today.

Air Dried

Venice, Italy, June 1989. I found three things strange about life in Venice: (1) no homes had clothes dryers; (2) most people ironed their towels; and (3) although windows had Venetian blinds, I saw no window screens.

Ice Cream Social

Venice, Italy, July 1989. Mr. Irene and I stop for ice cream along the Zattere, and these fellows fly in to clean our dishes.

(My favorite ice-cream flavor is Nocciola—Hazelnut.)

Arsenale Reunion

Venice, Italy, June 1989. Mr. Irene and I explore the area around the Arsenale. It's a good place to get a feel for everyday Venice.

The View from the Accademia Bridge

Venice, Italy, June 1989. I photograph the Grand Canal as I stand on the Accademia Bridge. The church on the right is the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. (See also here.)

Those motoscafi in the foreground offer a sweet ride.