 |
| "View of the Doge's Palace in Venice" by Canaletto (1735-50) |
But upon arrival, after an hour-long wait to push onto a vaporetto, or water bus, as crowded as the Lexington Avenue subway at rush hour for a ten-minute ride to my hotel near the Rialto Bridge, I was ready to fly home. By the weekend's end, the bad vibes abated as the weather improved and I acclimated to the utterly unique environment.
"Grand" has been a loaded word for me since adolescence, when my mother listened in to a phone conversation I was having with a male friend who used it to describe something. I can't remember the words Mary used when she warned me to stay away from him, but her implication was clear: he likely was queer. Well, Mom: it's also a perfect description of the most famous canal in Venice, as you well knew having been there yourself.
More Northern Italy
Time of day, location and weather make the S-shaped waterway a two-mile long chameleon, constantly changing colors.
 |
| View of Piazza San Marco, Afternoon |
 |
| View of San Giorgio Maggiore Campanile & Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute |
 |
| Ponte Accademia View, Morning |
 |
| Ponte Rialto View, Early Evening |
Of course there are many other canals
. . . some so narrow that neighbors--if they can afford to remain--converse across them.
Is there anything sadder than a single person hiring a gondola? Dining alone is bad enough!
I can't say that I saw many couples, though. Mostly groups. Up to five people can share the cost, more than $100 for half an hour. Gondoliers, rigorously trained, earn 150K annually. Apparently, that's no longer a living wage for a family man in Venice.
This deluxe model had just conveyed what may have been a bride and groom under the Rialto Bridge.
It sounds a lot more romantic in theory than practice given the mobs of other people on and around the iconic sight.
It's a lot more picturesque from afar
. . . and other bridges can be just as charming.
They're also perfect spots from which to paint the Grand Canal.
I did jump in into a traghetto, which requires two rowers. Two euros buys you passage across the Grand Canal so long as you're willing to share the experience with as many as 25 strangers.
A super yacht docked on the Giudecca Canal, just beyond the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, but no cruise ships were visible.
Spending nearly three complete days in Venice enabled me to see how a city built on a lagoon functions. For example, vaporettos--public transportation used by the majority of people--give priority to residents and workers, not visitors which is why I had to wait so long to catch one the morning of my arrival. And some bridges, like this one not far from the railway station, are purely functional.
Barges collect garbage
and deliver food.
Canal traffic can be heavy, too. Many residents appear to own motor boats instead of cars which makes perfect sense, although I didn't see any parking meters.
Venice
Trieste
No comments:
Post a Comment