You May Have the Universe if I May Have Italy.
Verdi had the right idea. My tips for travel, plus a giveaway of Elise Hooper's THE LIBRARY OF LOST DOLLHOUSES!
As I mentioned in my previous post, I was in my happy place, Italia, for nearly two weeks, in Roma, Venezia, and Lucca. There was a lot of research, good food, and meeting up with friends.
I also had the chance to meet Gillian, who runs the fantastic Substack, Gillian Knows Best. I’ve been following her for years, initially because she blogged so much about Rome, but now she’s living in Venice and I wanted to pick her brain a bit about the city. She gave me a few ideas and leads that I’m running with, but also, it was just so nice to put the face to the name. If you don’t subscribe to her Substack, yet, you should remedy that ASAP. She’s a wealth of knowledge for anyone looking to visit Italy or to visit vicariously from afar.
There are so many wonderful things about all the cities I visited, but let me narrow it down for you.
Rome
Where I stayed this trip is where I always stay: Casa dei Coronari. The proprietors, Patrizia and Beniamino, are wonderful human beings, and they also happen to own one of the best new restaurants in the city, Enoteca Bellini. If you think I’m too biased, then maybe the 4.9 on both Tripadvisor and on Google may sway you. All’Oro is also another favorite, and their presentation is one of the most wonderful and whimsical of any restaurant in the city.
I also had the opportunity to check out the Farnese collection, an exhibit at the Capitoline Museum, which showcases some of the Renaissance art from Pope Alessandro Farnese and from his nephew, Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. I have a novel out on submission right now about the meat carver to Cardinal Farnese, and it was wonderful to see items related to this man I wrote about, including the Book of Hours, one of the world’s most precious artifacts, which was created by the famous miniaturist painter, Guilio Clovio (in his portrait by El Greco, he’s holding the book!). The exhibit ends May 18th, so hurry if you are interested.
Venice
I spent the bulk of my time in Venezia, researching the novel that will come after THE HAPPINESS COLLECTOR. As part of that, there was a lot of traipsing around looking for strange or off-the-beaten-path things in the city, like Calle Varisco, the narrowest street.
I am working on a scene that takes place at the end of this street, so of course, I had to see it, and take some photos. It’s only 53 cm-wide (nearly 21 inches) and is located in the Cannaregio district, not far from Fondamenta della Misericordia.
Where I stayed: Aqua Palace, which is centrally located, with decent sized rooms and a wonderful breakfast room. My favorite meal was at Il Ridotto. Food in Venice has thankfully improved greatly since my last visit in 2022, and I also loved Al Covo, which is always a favorite, Osteria ai Assassini for a lovely lunch, and Ai Barbacani where we watched a couple in the little romantic seat on the canal and the young man (who was plying the girl with champagne while he drank a Coke) failed to pick up on all the signals from his girlfriend that she REALLY wanted him to pop the question.
Lucca
This was my first trip to Lucca and I was excited to go because I have friends there and it was wonderful to catch up. Where I stayed: a wonderful B&B booked through Lucca Travels. The apartment was HUGE and in the dead center of everything, but still so quiet at night. Lucca is a beautiful walled city that you can easily walk or bike around the perimeter. But don’t think of it as castle walls, but instead, like this:
It’s one of the most walkable cities I’ve ever been in, as no cars are allowed in the city center. It’s quiet, with not a lot going on save visiting churches and towers. I was there for four days, but one or two would have sufficed. There is a language school, which draws in a lot of people. I also had some of the best food of the trip there. One of the best sandwiches of my life at Ciacco Bistrot, and excellent meals at Locanda Buatino, and Ristorante Olivo. My friends recommended the lardo and the tordelli (a Lucchese traditional pasta) at Osteria Baralla, and I put aside my practice of not eating red meat…and was not disappointed. The lardo was truly heavenly, and beautiful!
It was really hard to come back to the States, especially with all the current upheaval going on. But fortunately my novels are all set in Italy and I am forever living vicariously there through my characters. I’ll share more pictures in coming newsletters!
WIN A COPY OF THE LIBRARY OF LOST DOLLHOUSES
The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper is an absolute delight—an enchanting blend of history, art, and mystery that kept me turning pages late into the night. If you love books that uncover forgotten histories, celebrate the art of craftsmanship, and offer a touch of nostalgia, you’ll want to get in on this giveaway!
When a young librarian discovers historic dollhouses in a hidden room, she embarks on an unexpected journey that reveals surprising secrets about the lost miniatures.
Tildy Barrows, Head Curator of a beautiful archival library in San Francisco, is meticulously dedicated to the century’s worth of inventory housed in her beloved Beaux Art building. She loves the calm and order in the shelves of books and walls of art. But Tildy’s life takes an unexpected turn when she, first, learns the library is on the verge of bankruptcy and, second, discovers two exquisite never-before-seen dollhouses.
After finding clues hidden within these remarkable miniatures, Tildy sets out to decipher the secret history of the dollhouses, aiming to salvage her cherished library in the process. Her journey introduces her to a world of ambitious and gifted women in Belle Époque Paris, a group of scarred World War I veterans in the English countryside, and Walt Disney’s bustling Burbank studio in the 1950s. As Tildy unravels the mystery, she finds not only inspiring, hidden history, but also a future for herself—and an astonishing familial revelation.
Spanning the course of a century, The Library of Lost Dollhouses is a warm, bright, and captivating story of secrets and love that embraces the importance of illuminating overlooked women.
Do you want to win this book?
To sign up for the giveaway, you can fill out this form. Your name will be thrown into the hat for a shot at a paperback copy. This giveaway closes at midnight ET on Wednesday, 04/30/25. Winners will be notified within 48 hours of the giveaway closing and announced in a future newsletter/post.
Important to Note: You must be 18+ and a United States resident (pesky international laws make it tricky to do giveaways worldwide). If you are someone who loves to read the rules, you can find the obligatory info here.
What’s Bringing Me Joy This Week
Winona Ryder as Bjork
Remember this one? Nostalgia is sometimes weird.
Thanks for Joining Me
If you love food and love Italy, and haven’t read IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS, THE CHEF’S SECRET or FEAST OF SORROW, click the links to learn where to buy your copy! And now you can pre-order my latest, THE HAPPINESS COLLECTOR!
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Love that title!
I'm living vicariously thru you Crystal : )