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!