Mi Dolce Vita

 Here's a pretty random shot that I snapped during November's trip to Venice. We never met Marcello Mastroianni during our time in Venice, although I always imagine that his ghost haunts Rome instead. I don't think I lead a life of "heedless pleasure and luxury," but, on a more basic linguistic and pesonal level, I do lead a pretty sweet life. Janet and I have been talking a lot lately about whether we want to settle in Italy or Portugal (as I've said before, I'm pushing, gently, for the latter), but it always strikes me that we are blessed to be able to have this discussion. Yes, in many ways it speaks to privilege, although neither of us were born into wealth, but decades of working, and the nature of our jobs, is giving us an opportunity to have a discussion that many people can't have. However, the other side of that is that it's a conversation based on a perceived possible reality, which has less to do with accumulated wealth (we don't have a lot), but rather a perceived possible reality based on, well, possibility. It would be very easy during this dark days, and in light of my uncertain health, to self-limit our options, but we're both excited about creating a new life, and not simply wringing the last drops out of the old one.

This is only tangentially related to this picture and post, but if you get the chance definitely check out the films of Paolo Sorrentino, especially The Great Beauty. I've just discovered his films (thanks, as always, to the Criterion Channel), and they are truly wonderful.