Zoe Sophia's Scrapbook (3 page)
We are soaked. We have come to warm our insides in Caffè Florian on the Piazza, which serves the best hot chocolate in town. According to Dorothy, Venetians have come to Florian’s since 1720. The rooms are tiny. It’s like we’re sitting inside our own private jewel box lined with mirrors and paintings. The hot chocolate is so thick the spoon practically stands up in the cup by itself.
On our way home we can see the Ca’d’Oro from the vaporetto on the Grand Canal. This palace was built in the 1420s, and Dorothy says it used to be entirely covered in gold, which is what Ca’d’Oro means, “house of gold.” A Russian prince bought it in the 1800s for his girlfriend, an Italian ballerina. Now it’s an art gallery.
I am majorly bummed that we have to fly home tomorrow. Dorothy promised that tonight, when I finish all my packing, she will take me to Quadri’s, Venice’s finest restaurant, so we can dine in style on our last evening. YUM!
Here is what I bought for everyone back home:
• One flask Passione Primavera perfume for my mother
• One gondola pencil sharpener for my friend Alexol
• One box Accademia for myself
• One millefiori paperweight for my feacher, Fionnula Feinschmecker
• One pair leather driving gloves for my father, who travels a lot
• One package Venetian dog treats for Mickey
• One mustache-trimming kit for Victor Gonzales, my doorman
• One art portfolio (for me)
I am having
farfalle al pescatore
(seafood bowtie pasta) with a side order of fries. Dorothy is sticking with her usual fish,
sogliola
(filet of sole). Dorothy has big news! Her manuscript has been accepted by her N.Y. publisher, Peter Winsome. This means that she will fly over in the spring for a book tour, and maybe I can go along! yay!!!!!!! We order
tiramisù
for dessert, which means “pick me up.”
After dinner, we walked across the Piazzetta in the moonlight. Dorothy said it takes her breath away. Mine too. I get all choked up when I think about saying
arrivederci (good-bye)
to Venice, and Mickey’s nose is all dry, which is how it gets when he is trying not to cry.
Ludovico taught Dorothy how to use e-mail, so now we can send messages to each other every day. Dorothy is right, Ludovico is a
tesoro.
He gave Mickey a locket with Aïda’s picture inside to wear on his collar and me a picture of himself in his gondola for my scrapbook.
Tomorrow, Mickey and I will be back on the plane to New York. I am sad to leave, but also kind of excited about showing my scrapbook and sharing our adventure with everyone back home. But for now, I am
esaurita,
which is totally pooped.
Buona notte!
Good night!
P.S. Mmmmm…my pajamas smell like gingersnaps now too!
Ciao for now.
CLAUDIA MAUNER is an illustrator and graphic designer who has always loved to travel. As a child, she collected postcards, ticket stubs, sugar packets and hotel soap wrappers, which she diligently glued into her own scrapbooks with pots of rubber cement. She grew up in the United States and has lived in Switzerland and France. She currently resides in Pennsylvania with her daughter, Zoe Sophia.
ELISA SMALLEY has lived all over the world—including Rio, Toyko and London. She currently lives in New York with her husband and two children, William and Matthew. Elisa and Claudia have been fast friends since they attended Vassar College together. This is their first book.
Text © 2003 by Claudia Mauner and Elisa Smalley.
Illustrations © 2003 by Claudia Mauner.
All rights reserved.
The illustrations in this book were rendered in watercolor and india ink.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.
eISBN 978-1-4521-1145-2
Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, California 94107
