Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Hung Out to Dry

Not sure exactly what dredged up this memory except perhaps for this sudden spike of mercury, but in '05 I took my two teenaged sons to Italy and France for a three-week trip. (One adult + two teens in 95 degree heat in non-English speaking countries = chaos.) Anyway, we rented an apartment for a week in Venice, up several very steep flights of stone stairs. One of the bedroom windows opened up to a small courtyard, which was frequented by fellow tourists as they tried to negotiate the maze that is Venice. We were blessed with a washing machine (which my 16-year-old son repaired) and I hung our washing out on some lines strung just outside the second-story window. As I was attaching the clothespins, a group of tourists spied me, pointed me out to their companions, and started snapping photos: "Lookee here! Authentic Italian washmaid hanging her business out in public!!" I waved, smiled, and went about my chore. I like to think that somewhere on the planet, I'm featured in someone's vacation photos as "that woman in Venice doing her wash".

5 comments:

  1. I once overheard a 'Look, there's the farmer'. But I rather liked that.

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  2. Hubby and I had out photo taken in Kamakura in Japan with a bunch of Japanese schoolgirls who were convinced (because of his black round glasses) that he was Elton John! We left them with their misconception!

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  3. Jacqueline, funny that you mention Elton John, because on that same visit to Venice, we did see Elton John -- at least I think it was was -- maybe it really was your husband?!! (Does your husband wear green and purple plaid suits and go about in public with an entourage of about eight bodyguards hovering about him like bees around a blossom?)

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  4. T. Clear....only when he's not traveling with me!

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