Daily Details: July 10

Mamma Mia! Words can hardly begin to express what joy I have found in Venice. Going throughout a day with ocean breezes and dry weather is FANTASTIC, and something that a native of the area told us RARELY happens.

We began the day by visiting Rubelli, a textiles company that makes EXTREMELY high-end fabrics. Their showroom was in an old palace built in the 16th century. We could walk through the giant windows on the upper floor and get great views of the Grand Canal in front of us. The fabrics were AMAZING!!! The colors they have achieved and the craftsmanship of their weaving is unreal. The Rubelli people showing us around were so hospitable and lovely. We had a great experience there.

After grabbing a slice of pizza (you have no idea how grateful I am to finally be able to just pay a little for once piece instead of 8 euros for a whole pizza I don’t need!), we head to the Fortuny textiles showroom. It is clear on the opposite end of Venice, so we take two water taxis to get there. The Fortuny fabrics are amazing—so different from the Rubelli ones. A large part of that is due to the fact that they are not woven, the design is printed on several layers with natural dyes. The finished look makes each bolt of fabric completely unique and looks like a watercolor. The manager of the plant is a dashing guy with an awesome accent who is also SO friendly and welcoming. After showing us the fabrics, he takes us through this GORGEOUS garden. At the end of it is a swimming pool. Can you believe it?! When guests come, they come to spend money (a yard of fabric runs about $360!!!) so Fortuny spends the whole day with them, swimming, eating, and entertaining. What a different way to transact business!

The night ends with some shopping. We go to a little stand and Malory wants to buy a jacket from the vendor. He wants $20, and after some great effort, Beccah (the queen of bartering), gets him to $15. She keeps saying, “$12?”, but he won’t budge. We’re there for about 10 minutes, and the owner and Beccah keep bartering. They finally get him down to $13, and Malory decides to buy the jacket. The shopkeeper takes Beccah over to the stand and ties a bracelet with bells on it to her wrist. He says it’s a gift so he’ll know she’s coming from a mile away. After a hug and a kiss on the cheek, she’s feeling pretty good about this new friend she’s made. Malory gives the man a $20, and he gives her back $10 with a smile. Ten dollars!!! That’s even less than we tried to talk him down to. We are very happy with our experience here, feeling like we’ve just made a new friend. We go to McDonald’s for dinner, and I am blown away by how fancy the inside is. Upholstered seats in a McDonald’s…what?! It’s nice to eat some food that tastes just like home, and the slice of juicy pineapple that I get with it is amazing!