Venice is for Lovers

I need to stop going to the most romantic places on the planet by myself.

Today it was Venice.

In highly traveled tourist destinations, like Venice, my strategy is to always to go in search of more authentic experiences.

This is how I found an incredible restaurant for lunch.

It is possible to come to Italy and not eat. But why would you?

The cast of characters at “Lania 40”, a small hole-in-the-wall on one of the city’s less-travelled canals, consisted of a single waiter who was exceptionally virile, yet mildly hysterical; an extraordinarily talented, yet petulant chef; a somewhat lazy woman (who appeared to be the owner’s wife) and was subject to almost constant ridicule and verbal abuse from the waiter; and the owner himself who, despite a busy restaurant, continued an almost one-hour long personal conversation with his buddy.

The place was magical. There wasn’t a word of English being spoken anywhere.

The food? Nothing short of magnificent.

I had a simple insalata mista (green salad) and Tagliatelle with shrimp and porcini mushrooms.

For the rest of my life, I’ll remember every bite.

When I left, I tried to pay with a credit card, but the waiter said, “Signora, you have cash? Cash we pay no tax. We hate-a the tax.”

So, when I pulled out the cash, he looks at me and says, “I love you.”

So I guess I did find love in Venice after all.

Today’s gelato flavours: cookie and tiramisu.