A post in telegraph form

When I first traveled with my friend, Bonnie, to Venice in 2007, I hadn't yet entered the blogosphere and was amazed and privately appalled at the tyranny that blogging exercised over her. Every day, we'd arrive home from our excursions and, as I settled into a chair with a book, she'd say, "I've got to blog. I've got to blog" and then she'd be busily typing for an hour or more.

Now I, too, am a blogger and a digital photograph taker and editing film and adding media is definitely cutting into my chair-and-book time. So this morning, a blog in brief...

Last night: Osteria All Antica Adelaide, Ca' d'Oro. Charming look, not so charming service, winning food. Brimming plate of mussels with tomatoes and whiff of garlic (more than 30 mussels, drinkable zupetta); only E10. Craving pasta; tagliatelli with rabbit ragout; E9. Heaven, pasta perfectly al denta, ground rabbit sauce with mint — meaty, herby, satisfying. (Online research reveals mint a happy innovation; rosemary traditional.)

Venice tip (maybe all Italy tip, don't know): Request take-home carton at risk of humiliation. At another place, friend was outright refused until she insisted. At Osteria, hostess' face went through a series of indescribable expressions that appeared to encompass surprise, disdain and what-can-you-expect-from-savages in equal measure. Got container. Had leftover pasta in omelet for breakfast. So there.

Friends' meal: Delicious mixed greens salad with beguiling purse of mozarella fresca, raw corn, cherry tomatoes; E10. Rigatone alle melanzane with ricotta di pecora (hard form of sheep's ricotta), the sweetest red bell peppers ever (as though they'd been baked in honey); E8. Healthy, delish.

Service: Always slow, Italians linger. But this, slow to the point of being ignored; wait for conto (check) stretched out till eyelids drooping. Annoying rose merchants interrupted meal twice; should not be allowed.

Rose seller diversion: Men approach you, offer to sell roses. Persistent in smarmy fashion. If woman alone, offer to give rose. If accepted, offer to sell a second (at jacked-up price). Just say no. Or pay $4 a stem. (Okay, I bit once.)

Dessert: Torta ai fichi. Fig cake. Dense, nutty, bits of sweet fig. Simple e perfetto! (Skip the overdone caramel sauce.) E4.5

Diversion the second: Note "coperto" on restaurant menus; cover charge. Coperto applies whenever your butt hits a chair. At Osteria Adelaide E1.50 persona.

A domani.