“looked like the back of a nickel”

Recently my boss returned from a vacation to the Veneto region of Italy. With the capital city of Venice attracting most visitors, the region is also home to the Dolomites, his ultimate destination. His major concern is that too many people visit the two major cities of this region, which has caused the tourism industry to boom along with all the problems that brings for the citizens who call the area home. He’d like to find more “backdoor” towns to help spread the tourists in this stunning part of Italy.

As his guide drove the group of travelers through the many small towns, he described the scenes using the phrase “that looked like the back of a nickel,” referring to the Palladian-style architecture common in the region. Monticello is an example of how this style of palace made it’s way into America. Those little tidbits of connection in his writing is why I’m grateful to work where I do. It’s quite the inspiration and as I continue to work through the Artist Way it’s wonderful to have moments of motivation to pursue my own prose.

In his talk he showed an image he took of Villa Barbaro, a UNESCO world site built between 1554 and 1560, by Andrea Palladio. I’m not able to share his photo, but I’ve attached one similar for reference.