Bread and Tulips 2001

Rosalba Barletta, a housewife hailing from Pescara, Italy, finds herself unexpectedly stranded during a family vacation. Rather than waiting for her controlling and unfaithful husband, she decides to hitchhike her way back home. However, she makes an impulsive detour to the enchanting city of Venice. As she arrives in this beautiful lagoon city, she quickly realizes her money is running low and seeks accommodation with the charming restaurant maître d’hôtel, Fernando Girasole, an elderly Icelander who speaks Italian in an elegant, literary manner.

Once settled, Rosalba starts to embrace her new life, forging a warm friendship with Grazia, a holistic masseuse who lives next door. Additionally, she secures a job at a small flower shop owned by Fermo, a grumpy yet endearing anarchist who eventually warms to her polite demeanor. This newfound independence brings Rosalba a sense of joy she hadn’t experienced before.

Meanwhile, her husband has dispatched Costantino, a clumsy plumber, to track her down. Despite his bumbling nature, Costantino stumbles upon Grazia and is smitten with her charm. He ultimately contacts Rosalba’s husband, revealing his intention to quit the search for her.

As Rosalba navigates her growing feelings for Fernando Girasole, a tender relationship blossoms between the two amidst small daily gestures filled with subtle romance. However, her temporary bliss is disrupted when her husband’s lover, a family friend, convinces her to return home under the pretense that her son has fallen into drug trouble due to her absence. Heartbroken yet dutiful, Rosalba leaves her newfound life in Venice behind, only to discover upon her return that all is well at home and her son is in no danger.

Now left alone in Venice, Fernando Girasole, filled with longing, borrows Fermo’s van to travel to Pescara, where he finally confesses his love for Rosalba. Moved by his declaration, she decides to return to Venice for good, accompanied by her youngest son, ready to embrace this new chapter of love and life.