What can I say about Venice?
No, seriously.... what can I say? Some suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am so overwhelmed by this city. Everything you think you know about Venice is absolutely, 100% true. It is remarkably beautiful. It is romantic in a way that is indescribable. It is sinking and it is an amazing city filled with history and architecture that will blow you away.
If you are aware you're next to it that is. Venice is a superhero friendly city. That is to say that if you like to crouch in the shadows on rooftops like Batman or just wanna fly around without anyone paying attention to you like Superman, Venice is the place for you. No one looks up to the sky. Because all the buildings are tightly knit together and tower over the city streets, it's easy to miss the sheer amount of historical buildings and architecture... not for lack of trying, mind you: they are EVERYWHERE. You can't throw a rock without hitting some site where something awesome happened 500 years ago.
Venice can't get any bigger. It also can't get much newer. So it sits in the water like a museum you can touch and feel and sit on and explore. The people are extraordinarily friendly to the point of ridiculousness. The streets are busy but no one is in any sort of hustle-bustle hurry to go anywhere. You can wander the streets freely without any worry about dark alleyways or bad folk or, most importantly, cars of any kind. It's something to really wrap your head around: there are no automobiles; only boats. And it's not like a harbor town like Heraklion where the boating community is so prevalent that it could be a commotion. The water doesn't really have an odor either. Occasionally, you catch a whiff of the rot that's going on, but, in truth, it doesn't even smell like a city. You can literally walk the entirety of Venice in less than a day, getting lost in the corridor of mazes that make up its buildings and alleys, without ever worrying about going to the "bad part" of town. It's a very small city with only one way in or out so the crime rate is minuscule. There is also something going on at all hours of the night: people roaming the streets looking for a place for wine, or a snack, smoking cigarettes and saying "ciao" a lot. Even the touristy spots aren't really that touristy except for the fact that there are tourists in them.
It's Italy, baby... and it's awesome.
Today we slept in, got gelato at the snack bar down the street, wandered around the northern part of the islands, got some amazing food at one of the hundreds of restaurants, and played tourist: we took a gondola ride through the canals where we got some great pictures and learned that Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp are filming a movie in town (the driver pointed out the house they were staying in, the place where they shot this morning, and a room they were filming in as we passed by). Later, as we passed over the Rialto, I swear to all that is holy that Angelina walked by and then ducked into one of the many back alleys to avoid the push of people coming up the walkway. By the time I told Lupe I thought it was her, she was long gone. We got some wine and snacks for the train ride to Milan tomorrow and I went downstairs to get some amazing white sparkling wine called La Morandina 2008 and a couple of cups. I am now downloading pictures and not wanting to pack up and leave. The weather here has been cold and gray and reminiscent of home. We met a little doxie puppy that looked a lot like Rudy and that made us miss our old life in a bad way.
I wish you all could see these places. They are not to be missed in life. They transcend your expectations and your disillusions in a way that cannot be described (no matter how verbose I get in these little blog thingies). Venice is a place to behold. If ever there was a city you should get on you, this one is it.
As always, more photos are available on facebook so check me out there. Time to pack up for Milan.
Ciao!
-d@n
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