Thursday 24 May 2012

Venice...6 hours in Venice.

Who could pass up an opportunity to visit 
Venice?
Even if it's for 
6 hours?
I didn't!
Our ferry took us across the 
Gulf of Venice
in under 3 hours.
A small price to pay to visit this cluster of
118 islands, 
romantically
linked by bridges
 & 
intricately
woven by canals.
It was the height of Summer.
Blazingly
 bright blue sky.
Hot as a
 pizza oven.
Perhaps arriving by water transportation was the
best option after all.
Cruising in via the
 Grand Canal 
not only made the
 journey worth it...
it was downright special!
The banks are overlapped with
grand palazzos, 
each jostling to
show off its
 faded grandeur.
Our approach was dramatically emphasized by
the rocking vessel as it docked.
The 
opague green waters
 reflected the glowing light,
bouncing off the stone walls
 in a
 blinding glare.
Once on land, 
you smell the
 salt from the sea
&
 the
 greenish odor 
from the old canals.
It is the smell of time, captured in each whiff.
And then you immediately notice the tourists!
In fact, 
18 million
arrive each year to pay homage to a city that's 
sinking slowly.
This
 well documented phenomenon 
is probably
accelerated by the weight from all
the visitors.
Our trip was a spontaneous outing with lunch
somewhere on the agenda.
Well, perhaps with a little shopping on the side too.
My intent to
 digitally document
 as much as possible, 
was hopeful.
And I did my best,
as we were 
time challenge.
Venice is full of 
contradictions.

Cozy yet claustrophobic.
Quaint but tacky.
Romantic as well as touristy.

Certainly charming.
Definitely historical.
None the less,
worth a visit.
Food in this
"City of Water"
is famously 
mediocre.
And the service,
indifferent at best.
True to form,
our pizza was as expected.
A
 halfhearted 
attempt to
place a slice of Italy
on a plate.

"A chi dai il dito si prende anche il braccio."
Give them a finger & they'll take an arm.
But sitting alongside
 a busy canal 
is an
absolute experience.
To see & be seen.
The
Gondoliers 
were out in force.
Smartly dressed in
"bianco e nero",
with no sign of
 sweat nor fatigue.
Amazing.
Private boats in all their
 extravagant glory
glide by,
as if to say,
"We're here, & you're there!".
The air in & around the narrow alleys were
excruciatingly still
 &
 uncomfortably hot.
Throw in an exceptionally huge amount of
over eager holiday makers
 into the equation, 
can make the situation at times, 
desperate.
Again, this is the price 
one has to endure to be in 
Venice.
Don't get me wrong.
This place is truly unique.
Some even say,
a living museum.
Art is everywhere.
Especially on buildings.
But what I found interesting is the
manner in which the locals live each day,
trying to avoid the over enthusiastic
Joe & Michelle's
 of the world.
It must be trying!
To find that little piece of 
"Heaven"
in all this scramble, is one
 huge challenge.
And to try to compose a photograph
without accidently capturing 
Joe or Michelle,
or
 heaven forbid,
both of them,
you need the patience of a wise
sage.
But when you do come across that
quiet nook
or 
obscure corner,
it's
Nirvana.
Tourist trap
or
trapped tourist?
Venice is not stylish.
It's simply 
"Old Worldly".
What's clearly evident
is the 
decadence
 from the past.
Judging from the
size, scale & decoration
of the
 architecture,
they must have lived very well.
Best thing is,
you
 easily loose
 yourself
in the narrow alleyways
&
suddenly find yourself
in a
 remote square,
away from the masses.
The appeal of getting lost here
lies in the
 unexpected.
This is heightened
by the 
medieval ambience,
lingering like the strong 
aroma of 
exorbitant perfume.
However, the smell of damp
"old stone"
is
 thick & heavy.
But be brave.
Walk without care.
Listen...
you could hear
 voices,
bouncing off the buildings,
echoes of a 
 haunted conversation,
trying to surface.
You'll soon find the 
 ecstasy
of  
discovery.
The jubilation of 
recognition.
And the
 triumph
 of 
arrival.
Venice is a living
testimony
of her past.
Written 
everywhere.
Encrusted 
into the city.
Comparable to 
some intricate medieval 
jewelry.
Fragile and delicate
in all it's 
eminence.
"The Future Has A Way Of Arriving Unannounced!"

George Will
"A Thing Of Beauty Is A Joy Forever:
It's Loveliness Increases;
It Will Never Pass Into Nothingness!"

John Keats
"Believe You Can And You're Halfway There!"

Theodore Roosevelt
The modern almost looks
 uncomfortable
 here.
Venice is not a place for the
budget conscious.
Space is
 premium
Luxury is
 obscure.
Contrived
 is everywhere.
When I look around,
I see a city
straddling with 
survival and continuity
The onslaught of tourists and
the rising of the
 canal water,
is a worry that cannot be 
dismissed.
For now,
it appears that
 life is like the tide...
generous when it 
arrives,
mean when it leaves.
It sucks everything away.
I had an extremely
educational
 6 hours.
The
 impressions 
were strong.
The visuals arresting.
And the sights did make you
 wonder.
How.
Why.
When.
As we board our 
sailing vessel
 to head out of the
 lagoon,
I look back onto this 
watery existence 
one question came to mind.
Can I be happy here?
To visit is fine.
To live here is something else.
As the reality of 
daily challenges would require
too much of a sacrifice.
I much rather be the 
voyeur
than
to be the
exhibit.

Ciao Venezia!








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Nice of you to write!