Friday + {Day Thirty-Two: Mestre}

Today Gooligan and I decided to take the day off. Instead of going to Venice, we stayed on the mainland (Mestre). We slept in and then got up and walked to the grocery store to pick up supplies for lunch and dinner. After eating so much pasta and seafood and pizza, we have been craving other types of food a lot, so we tried to make some nachos for lunch, working with the meager and unsatisfying supplies at our disposal: namely chili beans and mozzarella cheese. Cheddar cheese does not exist in Italy. Personally, cheddar cheese is never my go-to cheese when I'm home, but I'll never take it for granted again.

Anyway, Gooligan made an amazing Italian-style nacho lunch. After we ate, we walked to the park, where we sat under the beautiful fall trees and in the sun. I read while Gooligan listened to Harry Potter. We're both reliving some fond childhood memories via the audiobooks during this trip. I know a lot of people who dismiss these books and frankly I can't fathom why. Obviously they mean a lot to Gooligan and me because we grew up as part of the Harry Potter generation but I think it transcends us, too; J. K. Rowling does an incredible job at capturing the complicated feelings of children and a lot of writers could stand to learn a thing or two from her since so many people oversimplify their characters who are children.

After we were done sitting in the park we went to a cafe and drank cappuccinos while Gooligan finished writing her postcards. Then we went home and I wrote for awhile. I started a new novel project, since I finished writing my previous novel. Obviously I have a lot of editing to do on my old novel (which I will start as soon as we're home, since the polished novel will be part of my creative thesis for grad school), but there's a huge difference between writing and editing. I love editing and finishing things, but I love the creativity and fresh energy that comes with first drafts, too. The possibilities and nerves and excitement.

But enough about that. We had salami and bread and mozzarella and cooked zucchini slices for dinner. Then we hung out in the living room with our hosts' dog (they were out for the evening) and watched a little television before crawling in bed. A slower day, but a nice break. I, for one, feel relatively refreshed for the last few days of our trip!