The last time I was in Venice was in mid-October of 2008. At that time I was so disappointed to see so much graffiti on the buildings along the many canals. This time, I didn't notice any graffiti at all. However, Venice had on her usual make-up, although it did look bit tired. Her lipstick is smudged and her mascara has run in long black streaks down her face. She reminds me of a homeless woman I used to see around the Sheppard’s of Good Hope in Ottawa. Her blue eye shadow applied thickly from her eyelids to her drawn-on brows, mascara and eyeliner so poorly applied that black smudges appeared both above and below her eyes. Blotches of pink blush adorned her sallow cheeks and her bright red lipstick, applied with a shaking hand, looked like an angry red gash across her face. Her dyed blonde hair hung around her face in a tangled mass. She would stand on the corner with her hand out, hoping for a few coins from passers-by.
This s not unlike Venice, her old and tired makeup showing her age and making her look a bit shabby as she tries to coerce tourists into parting with their hard earned dollars.
The canals are dark and the wet stone walls of the buildings lining them are covered with green algae and black mould. The air is damp and dank. The damp seems to go right through my clothing causing a chill that can't be warmed.
This is not to say that Venice is not beautiful in its own right, in fact it can be downright intoxicating. When I was able to overlook it’s tired, crumbling foundation it was easy to get carried away with its glitz and romance. Brightly lit shops selling every sort of souvenir imaginable line the streets along with the countless restaurants beckoning pedestrians to come inside. The shop windows display brightly coloured Murano glass pieces, carnival masks and costumes, jewellery and fine Italian designer clothing. The streets twist and meander and where they intersect there are often openings into small squares sporting benches and trees. It is easy to get turned around and get lost, especially in the dark.
In the daylight Venice shines. The canals sparkle. Colourful boats motor up and down the Grand Canal and the sleek black Gondolas seem to just silently glide through the water.
Even in November Venice is host to many tourists. As we wandered down the streets window shopping we became aware of the many different languages being spoken around us. Everyone seems to be happy despite the chill in the air. Venice must have recently flooded as we see pools of water in low lying places and the scafolding used to create elevated walkways is still in place near the Basilica. This happens here quite regularly and the Venitians seem to just take it in stride. St Mark's Square, and even the inside of the Basilica can be under a foot of water in October at high tide. The water level in the canals also rises which can result in flooded basements as well.
We visited the Doge's Palace and toured the attached prison and the Bridge of Sighs. The prison was a scary place, all stone, dank and dark, no wonder prisoners sighed while crossing the bridge from the Palace's Court to the Prison after sentancing. You could just imagine prisoners locked up here, praying to die before they starved to death or caught some ugly disease resulting from being bitten by rats. It sent a chill through me just being there. What a contrast to the beautiful palace at the other end of the bridge.
While in Venice, Don and I stayed at a hotel on Lido Island. We took the ferries back and forth each day to the mainland. The hotel is a former palace and is beautiful both inside and out. Lido Island is also the only island in Venice with a sand beach which we visited on our last day in Venice. Don's favorite thing in Venice was watching a hockey game, in english in our room one evening while eating a pizza with a glass of wine. Detroit and New York Rangers were playing on American Thanksgiving and it was picked up by Italian tv..a little bit of home when so far away was comforting.
We could not leave Venice without taking a gondola ride, which we enjoyed on our last afternoon in Venice. Seeing the city from this perspective is quite different and definetly romantic as well as expensive.
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