While dining on homemade lasagne, focaccia bread, and a nice wine from Tuscany my mind wandered to early trips to Italy. I was fortunate to travel in Italy many times early in my career in the textile business. As an aficionado of Italian films by Fellini and Visconti it was not difficult to imagine my traveling companion was…an Italian movie actress! Marla always had the looks of a star at Cinecitta Studios. Dark hair, brown eyes,…and always alluring! The image above is yours truly catching winter sun against a door in Florence.

Marla and I loved window shopping (read: “drooling.”) in front of all the delicatessens!

We were totally spoiled on our first visit to Florence. An interior designer client of ours in Denver said “we just HAD to book the “Hotel Villa Cora!” We were in awe of the classic opulence of the interiors and architecture! I had shaved truffles for the first time in their amazing restaurant. I remember taking a long soak in a bathtub and accidentally pulled a cord. A maid came running into our room! We were such travel novices at the time. I couldn’t even spell…”SPA!” This was the beginning of many excursions into a land we had never known.

An early morning in Florence and a person sculling on the Arno River.

Winter sky over a side street next to the iconic Piazza della Signoria in Florence.

These early trips to Italy took place in January. It was chilly but not as cold as some winter trips to France, England, or Germany! We would end our Italy trips by attending Heimtextil in Frankfurt.

A bird’s eye view of the Arno and the wonderful Ponte Vecchio in the distance.

“Quiet on the set! Lights, camera,…

A knight in Florence.

My first Italian road bike was made by Mario Conti in Florence. Visiting his shop was like a spiritual experience!

Mario didn’t speak English so he phoned his daughter to come over and talk to us. They gave us a nice bottle of wine. LOVE these memories!

Waiting for a train almost seems right out of an Italian film! Marla is holding bike rims I purchased.

Marla climbs Rome’s Spanish Steps on an early trip. Can you believe there were only 3 people on it!

Can’t believe I once had hair or a mustache like this! I’m in front of Rome’s Fontana del Babuino on the Via del Babuino. Today we love staying on the beautiful and romantic, Via Margutta nearby, which was a location for the film “Roman Holiday” and where Fellini once lived.

Marla looking like she is in Vogue Italia!

Inside the Colosseum.

Marla on the steps leading to the Capitoline Hill.

A wintry day at the Piazza del Popolo.

One of the largest mills supplying sheer fabric for us was just north of Milan. I’m in front of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The Galleria is Italy’s oldest shopping mall.

Marla looks stunning in front of the Piazza del Duomo in Milan. The cathedral took 6 centuries to complete and construction began in 1386.

We are with the girlfriend of the owner of the mill near Milan. She brought her “architect” with her. Notice his tactful deference! While visiting the mill owner’s villa she invited us to have tea in her bedroom. It was the size of about 3 or 4 normal rooms! She spent the whole time telling us it was “just impossible to manage the villa with only 5 servants!” Oh…the difficult life of the aristocracy!

When we first were expanding into decorative upholstery fabrics we traveled around the Lake Como area visiting mills. The illustrious Antonio Ratti and his wife showed us some of his newest silk textiles, out of …his trunk… in Cernobbio by Lake Como! He heard we were in Como from one of our Swiss suppliers and he tracked us down! Years later Mr. Ratti became famous around the world for his collections of contemporary art. He also founded Fondazione Antonio Ratti in Cernobbio for the study and display of decorative textiles and contemporary art.

A favorite trip was to Venice…in January. One of our Italian suppliers said,…”You must stay at the Danieli Hotel!” Prices are greatly reduced in Italy in winter. We were almost the only people in the entire hotel! We took the boat to the island of Murano. Our love of Venetian glass sprang from this trip!

The “Bridge of Sighs” in Venice.

A tiny but superbly atmospheric Venetian canal.

Ah yes,…there is that beautiful Italian movie actress again, looking radiant on a trip to Lake Lugano in summer. I’m fudging a little as this image was on the Swiss side of the lake it shares with Italy.

Our young daughters ready to dive into the lake.

Creating this post has brought back a torrent of memories of our early business life and travels, family, and wonderful discoveries of an amazing country. Yes, I am a helpless Italophile! Tonight,…MORE Italian wine…and reminiscences of…”un bel paese.”

PHOTOS: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission. Hotel photo: Villa Cora.