Venice - A Recurring Theme; Bike to Work; Corkscrew Ladies Day

Coincidence is a funny thing. My coincidental situations have from time to time become recurring themes and it's at those times I wonder if someone or something is trying to tell me something. It hasn't happened in a long time but usually my coincidental situations are word related. What happens is I run across a word I've never heard in my life and don't know the meaning of, such as myriacanthous (having many prickles). This previously unknown word to me then keeps popping up within the next few days and I either read it somewhere or hear someone use it more than once. It never fails.

But this time it's Venice. Venice keeps throwing itself in my face and I'll admit it's not an unpleasant thing to think about. I've never been to Venice and it is on my list of places to go. It started with a book my friend Dan lent me called "The Bellini Card" by Jason Goodwin. It is set in Venice in 1840 and I'm learning a lot about Venice at that point in history. At the same time I lent Dan the book "The City of Falling Angels" by John Berendt set in modern day Venice. I am a Netflix subscriber and the movie that came over the weekend was "The Tourist" set in, yes, Venice. I just load up my queue with enough movies to keep them coming. When they show up in the mail I vaguely remember choosing them to begin with so it was funny that this one showed up just now. On Saturday I went to Fresh Market to buy some pasta and tomatoes with the idea of making a very simple, very good pasta dish. I bought the Cipriani tagliarelle that's super thin, oh so delicate and I could swear it was fresh pasta. And at $7.99 a package it ought to be this good. And where does it come from? Venice.

I don't know. Maybe it was watching the Mississippi River slowly creep up Riverside Drive that made me subconsciously envision navigating watery canals through downtown Memphis as a gondolier. But back to reality: the preferred mode of transportation on the high and dry streets of downtown will be the bike this week. This Friday is Bike to Work Day and today there will be a bikestravaganza in Court Square at lunch time. Fix Memphis will keep you well informed on all bike-related matters.

I haven't mentioned it in many Tuesdays but today is Ladies Day at the Corkscrew - ladies get 10% off all wine. Wine, Venice, pasta and bikes seem to somehow all work together. I think today in honor of Venice I should pick up a Soave, no? By the by, the Corkscrew sells a Bulgarian Sauvignon Blanc that is outstanding and worth a try. I do realize how all over the place this post is. It's just like this sometimes. The Bulgarian label: