Venice Part 1

Hello everyone.

Fortunately I have wifi access as we leave today so I can compile these posts to conclude this experience with all of you.

I am going to divide Venice into two posts and two albums (I think). There will also be a post about Verona.

I might be one of the only people who have ever disliked Venice (initially), but allow me to make a few concessions first. Undeniably, the coastal surroundings are very lovely and the grandeur of Venice past still reveals itself today and I think that is really incredible. However, it was the idea of what Venice has evolved into that really sort of, uh... disappointed me. That's putting it fairly mildly.



I felt as if the city has been permeated, not only by threat of water erosion, but also by commercial infusion. The pulse of Venice was characterized by flustering foot travel, cheesy appeals to tourists and gondoliers who said provocative things to American girls. I knew that I was so far from my dear Florence and it made me a little despondent. In my mind, I was playing a somber soundtrack of Radiohead or CSNY.


The scaffold. (dun dun dun)


And of course, these thoughts were intensified as I looked to the Bridge of Sighs only to discover that it's nearly masked by a Mont Blanc advertisement. The boats blared 80's music and modern rap (no joke, "Welcome to Atlanta" was booming through the speakers nearby.) Half of St. Mark's Basilica was covered in scaffolding and the Rialto bridge was laden with protest banners and violated with graffiti I didn't understand.


A colorful shot of gondolas.

But maybe that's just it... I didn't understand. I mean, who am I to criticize this city that is so dearly loved in the world? I needed to give it another chance (that's what I would want anyway). I also decided that I was being my own worst enemy as these landmarks I mentioned are the more crowded hotspots. I soon discovered that San Paolo and Dorsoduro and even Murano were less crowded and organically Venetian. This was relieving to say the least.


Strategizing on the Grand Canal.

WIth all of this said, I must sound incredibly ridiculous- I was in Venice after all and truly I was more than thankful to be there. I was only a little upset and unfamiliar. You can choose for these little things to annoy you or you can look beyond them and peel back the layers of contemporaneity and see this rich, complex, historic city for what is truly is. And I found it to be mystifying and very, very unique.


Gondoliers. They were all singing in chorus..

Venice is most enchanting at nighttime I think. I was intoxicated by the lights sparkling the water, the smell of the wine from the cafes and the orchestra resounding from St. Mark's square.


Cafe Florian called for a few repeat visits. I will link a video where I was standing near to so you can hear the music. I would have recorded sitting there, but that might have been a bit awkward. It's a famous cafe in the square where you can have a proper English teatime or cocktails (I liked the "Tiepolo" Bellini). The desserts are incredible and the staff is very, very kind (as they should be). Yeah, it's overpriced, but when I was sitting there and I heard all my favorite melodies stream from the brilliant orchestra I thought that things couldn't get much better. We sat there for an hour or so at a time, taking in the splendor in the breezy chilly Venetian nights.


Tea Parlor in Cafe Florian. We opted to dine outside each time, but the interior was beautiful.


"Tiepolo"

Here is a link to the video of the music. If you have seen the Pacino film "Scent of a Woman" you will recognize the incredible Spanish tango, "Por Una Cabeza". You might also know it from Schindler's List, albeit a different version. Yes, that's my giggle in the middle of the video... I won't say what I was giggling at.

Link is here

In the pictures you will see the Doge's Palace, the Basilica, Frari Church (where Canva is buried), Scuola San Rocco (home to Tintoretto's "Sistine Chapel"), Sta Maria Salute (we had mass there) and more well known places like Ca'Rezzonico or the Ca' del Oro.

We stayed at the Hotel Londra Palace. It was ideally located and came highly recommended by a friend and we were more than pleased. It's steps away from the Bridge of Sighs and St. Mark's Square and it's across the lagoon from San Giorgio Maggiore (real Venetian beauty to be sure). It is adorned with Tintoretto (many churches are here) and it was designed by Palladio. The church is famous for it's bell tower as it is often included in one's Venetian imagination and is a popular choice for weddings.
I also learned that Tchaikovsky composed the initial three movements to his 4th symphony in one of the lagoon view rooms on our floor (hmmmm...)


foot bridge

I must also say that it's nice to stay on the main island of Venice. After popular locations close around 6:00 pm, most tourists take vaporettos (public taxis) to a nearby island. When the crowds cleared and the city was able to be itself, I succumbed to the incantations of gilded glory and sheer romance that filled the air.


A Room with a View. (wrong city, but a very apt caption if I may say so myself)


For my Southern friends, it seems that Italians like our accent. They call it "sweet and elegant". *swoons* Italians are so charming... As a partial Italian, one can only hope to inherit the charming traits... (brushes off shoulder).

Raina, I don't quite have your Tennessee talk, but hopefully my Georgian Belle delivery will suffice. *rolls eyes*

Thanks to a special someone for the sweet, sweet emails and thanks to my friend for linking me the Robert Pattinson video clip. I hate being one of the millions infatuated with him, but damn he is pretty incredible. When he starts discussing his favorite literature (and inserts nerdy and adorable comments) my mind is inevitably gutter-bound. And he is just so pretty...
(I like clean shaven Rob for the record (a la the Bruce Weber shoot for VF)...grunge... not so much).

PSA: Please keep the people of the Gulf Coast in your thoughts and prayers. It's so saddening for our country to be encountering yet another environmental dilemma and so many people are losing their jobs each day. The poor animals are suffering too, so please try to help out (or pray) for all who are touched by this disaster. Hopefully we will all be stronger from it.

Enough of my rambling, here are some photos of beautiful Venice:


Hotel Londra Palace. My room is the top one with the two lights still on. (oops)


Hermes. More boutique photos are in the album.


The small pier/dock in front of out hotel.

Here are just a few (in a nonsensical order..sorry). The next post will have the more illuminated pictures (Venice at Night) among other things.

The rest of the photos can be found at the photobucket link here: VeniceAlbumOne

For more professional photos (with incredible commentary) check out venicedailyphoto.blogspot.com. It's on my "Favorite Places".

Love,
B