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if she had had her job, the income from the Grand Hotel would not even have been enough for her to eat. I agree that Aunt Emma always has a great appetite, but to me this seems a bit exaggerated."

"And why is the Gritti no longer part of the Grand Hotel?"

"Papa always went to the Grand Hotel, I said, because someone had set fire to sabotage the Germans. Between fire and soldiers you can imagine what state the buildings were in at the end of the war. Since the CIGA offered an absolutely ridiculous rent it was divided by Gritti and leased to the owner of the Bauer-Grünwald. Not that it's paying much now - the aunts still complain - but at least it hasn't been given away for a piece of bread. After all, it was fortunate that the grandfather did not move, today it would be a big problem. We certainly don't have the money to maintain two such large buildings."

"I, on the other hand, find it unfortunate. If you lived, it would mean you would have more money."

"If there hadn't been wars. Only those who make the black market or speculate get richer with the war. The others get poorer." I looked beyond the windows at the Grand Canal, the gondolas, the Salute church and the statues that seemed to want to take flight in the sun. "Do you know that Longhena was also the architect of the Barchesse di San Michele?" 

"I know. I even wrote it on the front pages of Across the River."

Poor Barchesse, poor ruins. At least they will survive in a book. "After the first bombings..." 

"Stop, Daughter! I don't want to see you sad today. In fact, I never want to see you sad. Tell me about your poems instead. When did you start writing them?" 

"Pretty early. I wasn't fourteen yet. I started writing some thoughts because it was a...