My grandma passed away a few days ago. I've been snapping photos to share with you but I haven't felt much like writing or talking about too much. But then I remembered something my grandma said a few years ago. She was 95 when she died. Two of her four sons died before her, as well as her husband, and all of her close friends. Even her husband's brothers. But two months ago when I visited, my grandma still knew what was going on around her and answered the phone "Come stai?" to her cousin though I had never heard her speak Italian.
It's been cold, too, so the walks have been shorter and with more purpose. But one of the best things about walking around a new place is how you look at things. Everything is different. So it makes sense to notice the Madonna relief carved two stories high. Or how tiny and "The Shining"-like the elevator seems. What I want to remember, always, is to look at everything this way, to always notice, walk slowly, try a different road.
My second favorite thing about travelling is an excuse to try sweets often. I bought these the other night on my way home. They looked innocent enough, rolled in almonds, but I didn't realize they were soft, almost macaroon-like and inside, a little candied cherry. The good brandy kind, not the red red maraschino creation.
One more thing: Cheapstamatic launched their new website today. For those of us without smartphones, it is a way of making snazzy Polaroid looking prints. About half the photos I post were edited on this site. Try it out. The designer of the site is sweet as those cookies. Though I don't think he is rolled in chopped almonds.
