Last time I was in Venice, my boyfriend (now my husband) and I spent some serious time searching for the library building featured in Indiana Jones, the Last Crusade. Picture Marcus Brody saying, “It looks like a converted church.” (Funny, the things that drive your travel experience.)
This time around, I believe the point was just to get as lost as possible. (Total Success.) Mom, Dad and I LOVED the wandering. After all, we’re on an island—how far can we really go? Strolling through all the little back streets, over something like 400 bridges, was just about as charming as you can get. Not to mention, sailing down the Grand Canal in a water taxi reading the history of the city and palaces along the way. My dad-being the eternal boater that he is-was quite happy.
For me, and this I can’t quite explain, but there is just something very New Orleans-esk about Venice. Both places seem to be…well…kinda…rotting. It’s not so much that the city is sinking (as is the common thought), but more that the water--due to things that a dance teacher doesn’t get (i.e. wind off the coast of Africa, the barometric pressure of the Adriatic sea, and throw in a little global warming)--is rising. So the first floor of most of the buildings here floods something like 100 times a year. Not to mention that the facades of the buildings are peeling and crumbling off. Unfortunately, Venetians aren’t allowed to fix them due to codes for historical preservation. Depressing on one hand, but fascinating on the other. Not to mention that every other little store here sells Carnival masks. Mardi Gras, anyone? What is it with my fascination with these corroding towns?
This time around, I believe the point was just to get as lost as possible. (Total Success.) Mom, Dad and I LOVED the wandering. After all, we’re on an island—how far can we really go? Strolling through all the little back streets, over something like 400 bridges, was just about as charming as you can get. Not to mention, sailing down the Grand Canal in a water taxi reading the history of the city and palaces along the way. My dad-being the eternal boater that he is-was quite happy.
For me, and this I can’t quite explain, but there is just something very New Orleans-esk about Venice. Both places seem to be…well…kinda…rotting. It’s not so much that the city is sinking (as is the common thought), but more that the water--due to things that a dance teacher doesn’t get (i.e. wind off the coast of Africa, the barometric pressure of the Adriatic sea, and throw in a little global warming)--is rising. So the first floor of most of the buildings here floods something like 100 times a year. Not to mention that the facades of the buildings are peeling and crumbling off. Unfortunately, Venetians aren’t allowed to fix them due to codes for historical preservation. Depressing on one hand, but fascinating on the other. Not to mention that every other little store here sells Carnival masks. Mardi Gras, anyone? What is it with my fascination with these corroding towns?
Anyway, we liked Venice, but two days was just enough. Time to find the source of the wine…
2 comments:
Glad you liked Venice — about two hours of it was all I could stand. I've tried to like Northern Italy two or three times and the only place I could stand was the part that has been Austria most of the time.
I think I need to give southern Italy a chance at distancing itself from Northern Italy.
Cliff--try Sienna. Everyone I've talked gets all zen when Sienna comes up. It's on our short list.
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