I read Erica Jong's Serenissima as an adolescent. It gave me my first impression of Venice and it shaped my expectations of the city when I first arrived as an 18-year-old. La Serenissima did not disappoint.

Yesterday, T. suggested we'd watch Michael Radford's The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, and Joseph Fiennes, and I was again reminded of Jong's pendent centering on the Jew's daughter Jessica. A wonderful movie experience made me want to re-read the book I read so long ago. Perhaps it is also about getting in the mood for planning next year's trip to la bella Venezia. Be that as it may, T. seems to be in on the same idea since he suggested we'd watch Casino Royale today. Perhaps he did't think of it ending in Venice. But I did.