I seem to be liking this town more and more each day.  You know how, after you stay someplace for a little while it gets smaller and smaller.  That’s what’s happening here.

The (late) morning activity was to go to the San Zeno Church.  We got church passes that include 4 and San Zeno is our second.  First we popped into Dolce Locanda and had coffee and a great little treat–almond cookie with raspberry jam inside–also bought a beautiful chocolate confection to take to dinner tonight.

Off to the church.  We walk by the Ponte Castello and along the road called Regaste San Zeno, a raised sidewalk along the river planted with roses–nice.  Then after a few blocks we found the church.

 We had a nice sit in the piazza in front, facing a row of nice trees and small trattorias behind them.  Roy and Luisa met us.  It was wonderful to be there with Luisa who is so knowledgable about this church.  She told us all about the art and architecture and about San Zeno himself.  I’d never heard of him before but he is very important (obviously) in Verona after apparently saving the town from the devil and a flood.  His remains are still in this church.  Of North African dissent, he was know for fishing in the Adige and smiling.  Here he is depicted in painted stone; this is called San Zeno Laughing.

Down in the crypt we also saw this modern painting and got into an interesting conversation with a California girl and her father about its meaning.

There are nails and coins attached to the painting and you can’t really tell if he is floating or sinking.  Lots to talk and think about it and we have all day to do it if we feel like it.  Loving this slow slow pace we have established.

We said good bye to Luisa and Roy and walked back to town a different way, this time over the Ponte Risorgemento, in order to do some minimal grocery shopping. We stopped in at a bar and got a couple of sandwiches and a glass of Franciacorta Rosé and went to the super market.  I had a strange conversation with the produce man who was trying to tell me that we Americans had better watch out because Obama is really a Muslim and blah blah blah.  Anyway, we got our stuff and headed home for nap time.

I went for a bit of a walk in the afternoon, window shopping and there is a wealth of it right around our place.

We went to Roy and Luisa’s place for a wonderful dinner. We loved seeing their beautiful new home on the hill.   Enjoyed meeting their friends including a high school girl, Virginia,  who would very much like to come to Tallahassee and visit.  Hmmmm.

It rained and really cooled things off in the evening–back in my sweater.