We drove to Mira.  Never heard of it, right?  Neither had I.  We were picking up our friend Robert at the Venice airport Saturday morning early and selected an overnight in Mira, for its proximity to Marco Polo and for a hotel and restaurant that looked intriguing.  Good choice!  Mira is a village on the Brenta, famous for several Palladian villas along its banks.  Instead of the sublime villas, Mira has hydrangeas, monster hydrangeas—all pink—reflecting in the water.  Hotel Margherita is my favorite kind: old world, lovely and mellow, with meadows where statues punctuate the green swards.

We took a long walk around the village and down lanes, admiring some minor villas (some awaiting restoration) and breathing in the scents of tigli and magnolia.  The owners of the Margherita (www.villa-margherita.com) also own Hotel Villa Franceschi (www.villafranceschi.com) and the restaurant for both hotels is located there.  As we pulled up for dinner, guests alighted from Ferraris, the women dressed to kill and the men in elegant fitted pale biscuit or gray summer suits.  Turns out they were there for a Lion’s Club function. (That’s not going to happen in downtown Raleigh.)

We ordered risotto with scampi and vegetables.  Both were pureed to the same texture as the rice, adding subtle layered flavors–a blend, not a combination.  With my grilled fish and Ed’s mysterious-looking dark, small soft-shell crabs, we drank a cool sauvignon from Friuli, a lilting preamble to our next destination.

The revelation of Mira is that you can stay here and take a vaporetto into and from Venice any half hour up until 10:30 at night.  The hotel, at 150 euros, would be triple that amount in Venice.  When Venice is packed, this is an appealing option.  And you’re near the Giotto fresco cycle in Padova, as well as the Palladian villas.  Here is the sister hotel, the Franceschi, where we’ll probably stay next time, just to be nearer the kitchen!

We picked up our friend, writer Robert Draper (still smiling after a grueling month all over Afghanistan) at the airport and headed toward Cormons for the wedding of our friend Giampaolo Venica at his family’s superb Venica & Venica vineyard. But today is devoted to wine.  Robert steered us to the cooperative enoteca in the center of Cormons, where not only are wines from this tip-top region poured, the makers themselves often are there having a jolly time.  We tasted three whites, pure as white lilies.  Such exuberant wine makes you rejoice at the skill of the vintner–and the power of the land to give such gifts.

This was our second time staying at La Subida, www.lasubida.it , whose restaurant is definitely worth a detour. The owners, Josko and Loredana Sirk simply embody, for me, the spirit of the area—his robust friendliness and her gracious presence represent the hospitality you find everywhere around here. Their sleek new apartments in the woods make me want to check in alone for a month of writing, though I’d like to go with friends in winter for the cozy alpine atmosphere.

In the afternoon, we visited Franco Toros’s immaculate home in the lush hills, with the Slovenian border a stone’s throw away.  Franco is a genial, up-front man with a deft skill—his wines are stellar.  We left there with three cases.

We repaired to our room to rest after such indulgences, then as the long twilight started to settle over the hills, we drove to a perched medieval castle for dinner: Al Castello di Trussio dell’Aquila d’Oro, which is in Dolegna del Collio.  (They don’t seem to have a website but you can read raves in any of the guidebooks.)  The sommelier recommendeded perfect wines, the service was sweet, and the courses each outdid the other. At last light, a wobbly full moon rose over the fields below. I don’t want to go to heaven if it’s not as dreamy as this.

Two years ago, Robert introduced us to the Collio wine area and we are smitten.  Friuli is Italy, but it’s also influenced by an Austrian heritage and a proximity to Slovenia.  The food could not be better, nor could the vino. Mysterious Trieste makes a good gateway to the area.  With wine as fine as this, you’d think Friuli would be a hot destination–but we saw hardly a tourist. Two trips here lure us to see the rest of the area’s lakes, mountain villages and Adriatic beaches. And to explore nearby Slovenia.

The wedding took place in a tiny church on a knob of hill, with an eagle-eye view.  Robert was best man. Giampaolo and Chiara looked calm, happy and gorgeous. The flower girl was very important.  I became entranced with the shoes women wore.  I’ve always noticed the shoes in renaissance paintings—the Italians must always have adored their scarpe and the beat goes on.

There are many more but I’ll stop there.  The wedding lunch lasted eight hours, with all the Venica wines. There was then a break before the music started and the night went on.  For all I know, it’s still going on.  We faded because we have to leave early for Cortona.  Six guests arriving, then my family, then we have the 20^th anniversary celebrations, and, and, and.

Here’s the train of the wedding dress:

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