Venice in Winter

Wrap up warm, especially on the water! But don't forget your sunglasses.

Drinks we enjoyed: hot chocolate in Campo S. Stefano; rose tea at Caffè Florian; Bellinis at Harry's Bar; spritz in Campo S. Margherita; proper English tea as provided by our hotel upon request; vin brulé by the Rialto; Prosecco anywhere really... though we especially liked the place where they had sparkling wine on tap. Maybe sometimes it was the experience rather than the quality of the drink which made the impact...

For a couple more garbled (still awe-struck) recollections of our Venice trip see my Travelling Blonde reports.

London - La Dolce Vita Event

If you're in the London area and you're keen on all things Italian, you might be interested in an event taking place at Olympia this weekend. La Dolce Vita is a show open to both trade and the public, with marketing stands and special events. We've no idea how good this 'festival' is, but there are plenty of interesting exhibitors listed and it's worth a look if you don't mind the entrance charge.

Rome: see archaeological finds from Bulgaria

In Rome last Monday, when almost all the museums were closed, we found a fantastic free exhibition. Until the 15th March, two rooms in the Quirinale (seat of Italy's presidents) are hosting a small display of 'Treasures of Bulgaria', including beautiful archaeological finds from ancient burial sites in that country. Some of the items on show are exquisite, so fine they nearly moved us to tears. One of our favourites was a marvellous, delicate gold crown of laurel leaves. Visit if you can; visiting is free, doesn't take long, and you get to peek inside the grand Quirinale Palace - be prepared to go through security scanning, though.
> Press release (in Italian) with opening hours
> Our guide to events in Rome
> photos from the excavations
> more Thracian tomb discoveries (BBC: August 2006)