I sometimes wonder if other cities and/or lagoons offer so much just to look at as Venice does, and I’m not talking about palaces and churches. Elsewhere you sometimes have to go in search of wonderful glimpses, but here all you have to do is keep your eyes open and your brain turned on, even if it’s only in neutral. For this to work, though, you’re going to have to put your dang phone away. Otherwise you’ll never see anything.
State your business and leave.Remember all the excitement a few weeks ago when the canals were dry? The tide is back, but you need to pay attention to the tide forecast and moor your boat accordingly. As mentioned on a previous occasion, by not leaving enough slack the owner has guaranteed that his boat will be hanging by the neck, plus he will never be able to open those knots. I hope he’s got a good knife handy because cutting is his only option.Speaking of boats, this relic just across the canal from the strangled boat is looking extremely fine at that magic moment of sunset. During the day it has no glamour at all.Sunset is a famously great moment. You can tell that by looking at everybody on the fondamenta looking westward making photos.This fluttery red ribbon came out of nowhere the other day. I can only hope that locks on bridges are no longer a thing because ribbons are lovely. And, unlike locks, they weigh nothing.I’m guessing this couple is Portuguese: “O nosso amor e’ magico 21-3-23 ap”. Our love is magic. The first day of spring evidently worked its own magic. So heartfelt good wishes to a and to p — I hope your amor continues to flourish even after you leave Venice. You’re not likely to have a romantic canal to count on to keep that glow.I can only hope that whoever she is going to be spending the day with admires her sartorial perfection. She even harmonizes with the color of the vaporetto’s interior. Impressive. I used to live a life where I too gave important attention to how my outfit came together. I wonder which came first, the bag or the shoes. Maybe the vaporetto.It’s not that rules are unknown here. It’s that they only have the grip of a month-old Post-It note that has fallen down a hundred times and just won’t stay stuck.A closer look, so you can be sure to read this request/order/admonition. The usual high marks for effort will be awarded. As for effectiveness, well…you see the result.Other things that make no sense: The shopping carts at the Prix supermarket in our neighborhood. Why do the sides stop halfway up? The designer has never gone shopping? The factory ran out of plastic?You’re in luck if you’re the kind of person who likes a challenge, like this gentleman ahead of me. He has managed to arrange his groceries according to size, shape and volume with remarkable skill. The person ahead of him, please note, faced the challenge in a completely different way — by sidestepping it altogether. His or her shopping trolley is also crammed, but the objects don’t risk falling apart.I just like the way it looks.The requisite pink or pale blue bows on the doorway announcing births always sound a tiny imaginary trumpet fanfare in my heart. In this case, I gather there are twin girls. Oh boy.A lovely, if melancholy, surprise at the entrance to the church of the Gesuati. An abandoned rose does not augur well, and I can only hope that a and p’s magic love has not come to a premature end.
Lovely! I am glad to see that l’ispettore Gatto is on duty. On my last visit to Venice all the outdoor cats seemed to have vanished and I feared there had been an official round-up. You are much more visually acute than I am — I tend to smell, hear and taste more than I see — so this post is a revelation, and a reminder to keep my eyes open next time. Thank you, Erla.
Grazie Erla,
È sempre un gran piacere di ricevere le tue email. Vedi le cose che tanti degli altri non vedono. Le piccole cose che danno ricchezza, personalità, e vita alla bellissima città. Scommetto che la prossima si tratterà dei ragazzi pazzi recitando le trovate pericolose, avranno fatto per il social media? Che peccato. La ringrazio e porgo i miei migliori saluti. Marietta Sestiere Dorsoduro…….
Grazie Marietta. Faccio del mio meglio. Non commenterei sugli pazzi perche’ e’ futile. Ci sono, e ci saranno, sempre. Ammetto che “Ora basta” e’ una risposta naturale, che diciamo tutti. Ma sentirla dalla gente che e’ responsibile per la citta’ e’ ridicolo. Se il sindaco e/o il presidente della Regione non possono dire niente altro, dimostrano di essere forse un pochino meno intelligenti dei ragazzi pazzi. Sono stati eletti per governare. Quindi governate!
I so enjoyed your photos and comments – actually laughed out loud at the cat and note! Glad to see
Venice is just like many neighborhoods, with so many stories!
Thank you!
I empathise with the gent who arranges his supermarket goods lining up at the checkout. We librarians do it too!
As well as the fascinating content, Erla, your post titles are always so creative.
I never imagined there’d be a carry-over from libraries to shopping carts, but of course it makes perfect sense. But if you start alphabetizing your groceries I may have to intervene. Appreciate your compliment on the titles; sometimes they just come to me, other times I just have to throw something up there and keep moving.
Sadly I spotted a multi padlocked bridge on my last visit at the beginning of this month in Dosoduro that helped me get more closely aligned to my inner raging, homicidal maniac. Thankfully done on the Accademia bridge! Lovely story as always.
I hate to see the padlock festooned bridges, makes my fingers itch for sturdy bolt-cutters!
You do have the ability to see and record the things me do not notice properly unless someone points us to them – thanks.
Here in England in many supermarkets there are what my OH calls “trailing baskets” – rectangular plastic deepish ones, with an overlong handle that are very useful for customers wishing to trip up other customers either by abandoning the basket or pushing or pulling it into one’s path – it’s not always noticed unless you walk round looking downwards! I should have snapped the ones in the supermarket this morning for example, I’m sure many of you would recognise the pesky things.
I’m always amazed by the obtuseness of so many designers. It’s too obvious that they have never field-tested whatever their brilliant creation may be. And don’t get me started on the Calatrava Bridge, whose lack of a simple ramp remains one of the greatest mysteries of modern life. An architect here once justified its design by saying that the bridge was a work of art that only ALSO happens to be a thing to be used daily. Pretty sure anyone who has walked over it would gladly have renounced the “work of art” in order to enjoy an easier way to make the crossing.
We have been to your divine city at least a dozen times and by now do not even pursue sights and sites. We merely wander and look and reflect and laugh and eat. When you have been somewhere often — even one’s own home town — taking walks to observe the seemingly mundane of daily life reveals precious scenes and causes for contemplation.
You have a better stage than many, though, and so we return often. Maybe again next year…
I’ve known plenty of Venetians, including Lino, who pass by some place they’ve been a million times and notice something they’ve never seen before. “Just looking” is a phrase that seems to have been made for Venice.
Love to see that more little Venetians are being born. My young granddaughters, 10 and 12, are coming to see Venice for the very first time next week. How I wish I could be there with them. I am hoping to add two more Venetophiles to the family.
Happy to see that l’ispettore Gatto is on duty. On my last visit to Venice the number of outdoor cats (pre-pandemia) seemed notably diminished, and I wondered if there had been some sort of official round-up. Thank you for the wonderful observations, Erla.
No official roundup. I think the decline may be in the number of people who used to feed the stray cats. There may be lots of indoor cats, but of course they don’t easily show themselves. My overwhelming impression, though, is that everybody prefers dogs.
Sigh. One of my lasting impressions of Venice is the leftover spaghetti some kind person piled onto pages of Il Gazzettino behind the Gesuati every day after lunch.
Hope you and Lino are doing well, and thanks for every post.
Erla, forgive an old man’s brittle brain, per favore. I momentarily mixed you up with Nan McElroy, a friend who teaches rowing.
But I stand by my compliments on your photography.
Calatrava Bridge always seems a menace to me! Slipped on it when we arrived one icy day in the depths of winter, with luggage, on way over to vap stop from ‘Bus station and never ever saw that wretched pod thing used for anything more than sporting stickers on it. – did it ever work? Designer should have been sentenced to cross and re-cross it on icy days on roller skates … oh dear, I feel a drawing coming on, I’ll have to go and lie down.
The “ovovia” may have been used once, but everyone knew it was useless. It was removed sometime not too long ago, counting in Venice years. Two years ago, maybe? Anyway, it’s long since forgotten.
Ahah! Just read that “they” are to replace the glass with stone!
Now: how long will that take to be done, and how much will it cost – and is the structure strong enough and the first place?
Yes, that’s kind of old news by now. Nothing more has been said, so this idea may remain on the shelf along with all the other “We’ve really got to do this as soon as we find the time” projects. Supposing it were a serious idea and a serious project, it would certainly take longer than predicted to accomplish, and would cost more than predicted, and gosh, let’s just all hope it’s strong enough to support the weight. One might imagine that they would insert stone that weighed no more than the slabs of glass, but there again….In any case, it already weighs too much because the subsoil isn’t strong enough to support the thrust of the bridge. This was discovered quite some while ago. Good times.
42 Comments
Lovely! I am glad to see that l’ispettore Gatto is on duty. On my last visit to Venice all the outdoor cats seemed to have vanished and I feared there had been an official round-up. You are much more visually acute than I am — I tend to smell, hear and taste more than I see — so this post is a revelation, and a reminder to keep my eyes open next time. Thank you, Erla.
Oh, I love these posts. Thank you for the mext installment!
Lovely trip through Venice, thank you.🫶🏼
A lovely photo essay!
High praise! I’m glad you liked it.
Great Photos. So nice to see the real Venice.
Grazie Erla,
È sempre un gran piacere di ricevere le tue email. Vedi le cose che tanti degli altri non vedono. Le piccole cose che danno ricchezza, personalità, e vita alla bellissima città. Scommetto che la prossima si tratterà dei ragazzi pazzi recitando le trovate pericolose, avranno fatto per il social media? Che peccato. La ringrazio e porgo i miei migliori saluti. Marietta Sestiere Dorsoduro…….
Grazie Marietta. Faccio del mio meglio. Non commenterei sugli pazzi perche’ e’ futile. Ci sono, e ci saranno, sempre. Ammetto che “Ora basta” e’ una risposta naturale, che diciamo tutti. Ma sentirla dalla gente che e’ responsibile per la citta’ e’ ridicolo. Se il sindaco e/o il presidente della Regione non possono dire niente altro, dimostrano di essere forse un pochino meno intelligenti dei ragazzi pazzi. Sono stati eletti per governare. Quindi governate!
I so enjoyed your photos and comments – actually laughed out loud at the cat and note! Glad to see
Venice is just like many neighborhoods, with so many stories!
Thank you!
Lovely post, Erla! Keep ‘em coming, please.
Thanks, Steve. I’m trying to get back in the groove and your cheerful response is keeping me going. Hope you’re keeping well.
I empathise with the gent who arranges his supermarket goods lining up at the checkout. We librarians do it too!
As well as the fascinating content, Erla, your post titles are always so creative.
I never imagined there’d be a carry-over from libraries to shopping carts, but of course it makes perfect sense. But if you start alphabetizing your groceries I may have to intervene. Appreciate your compliment on the titles; sometimes they just come to me, other times I just have to throw something up there and keep moving.
Love reading about your wanderings round Venice Erla, thank you so much for sharing.n
Sadly I spotted a multi padlocked bridge on my last visit at the beginning of this month in Dosoduro that helped me get more closely aligned to my inner raging, homicidal maniac. Thankfully done on the Accademia bridge! Lovely story as always.
I hate to see the padlock festooned bridges, makes my fingers itch for sturdy bolt-cutters!
You do have the ability to see and record the things me do not notice properly unless someone points us to them – thanks.
Here in England in many supermarkets there are what my OH calls “trailing baskets” – rectangular plastic deepish ones, with an overlong handle that are very useful for customers wishing to trip up other customers either by abandoning the basket or pushing or pulling it into one’s path – it’s not always noticed unless you walk round looking downwards! I should have snapped the ones in the supermarket this morning for example, I’m sure many of you would recognise the pesky things.
I’m always amazed by the obtuseness of so many designers. It’s too obvious that they have never field-tested whatever their brilliant creation may be. And don’t get me started on the Calatrava Bridge, whose lack of a simple ramp remains one of the greatest mysteries of modern life. An architect here once justified its design by saying that the bridge was a work of art that only ALSO happens to be a thing to be used daily. Pretty sure anyone who has walked over it would gladly have renounced the “work of art” in order to enjoy an easier way to make the crossing.
We have been to your divine city at least a dozen times and by now do not even pursue sights and sites. We merely wander and look and reflect and laugh and eat. When you have been somewhere often — even one’s own home town — taking walks to observe the seemingly mundane of daily life reveals precious scenes and causes for contemplation.
You have a better stage than many, though, and so we return often. Maybe again next year…
I’ve known plenty of Venetians, including Lino, who pass by some place they’ve been a million times and notice something they’ve never seen before. “Just looking” is a phrase that seems to have been made for Venice.
Bravissimo!!
Love to see that more little Venetians are being born. My young granddaughters, 10 and 12, are coming to see Venice for the very first time next week. How I wish I could be there with them. I am hoping to add two more Venetophiles to the family.
I hope they have a wonderful time. Just remember, Venice is kind of an acquired taste. My mother made no secret of her preference for Florence.
I await every glimpse you share with us.
Gracie.
Thanks so much, Doug. I’m trying to get back in the groove here. It’s been a very uninspiring couple of (or however many there have been) months.
Happy to see that l’ispettore Gatto is on duty. On my last visit to Venice the number of outdoor cats (pre-pandemia) seemed notably diminished, and I wondered if there had been some sort of official round-up. Thank you for the wonderful observations, Erla.
No official roundup. I think the decline may be in the number of people who used to feed the stray cats. There may be lots of indoor cats, but of course they don’t easily show themselves. My overwhelming impression, though, is that everybody prefers dogs.
A’s and P’s love was commemmorated on my birthday. I wish them hugs and nuzzles forever!
Nan, your photos evoke smiles. What a good eye you have!
Thanks so much, and happy birthday (belated). Who’s Nan?
Thanks Erla, you are reminding me it’s 6 years since we were last in Venice, we need to return soon
Sigh. One of my lasting impressions of Venice is the leftover spaghetti some kind person piled onto pages of Il Gazzettino behind the Gesuati every day after lunch.
Hope you and Lino are doing well, and thanks for every post.
ETA …..for the strays.
Thanks, we’re fine. Of course the next time you come, YOU can be the kindly spaghetti-leaver, no? Just a thought….
Only if it’s leftovers from our lunch together.
Leftovers? If I don’t clean my plate they don’t let me have gelato!
Erla, forgive an old man’s brittle brain, per favore. I momentarily mixed you up with Nan McElroy, a friend who teaches rowing.
But I stand by my compliments on your photography.
Not to worry, it’s one of those little brain hiccups. I know them all too well.
Ridendo forte!
Calatrava Bridge always seems a menace to me! Slipped on it when we arrived one icy day in the depths of winter, with luggage, on way over to vap stop from ‘Bus station and never ever saw that wretched pod thing used for anything more than sporting stickers on it. – did it ever work? Designer should have been sentenced to cross and re-cross it on icy days on roller skates … oh dear, I feel a drawing coming on, I’ll have to go and lie down.
The “ovovia” may have been used once, but everyone knew it was useless. It was removed sometime not too long ago, counting in Venice years. Two years ago, maybe? Anyway, it’s long since forgotten.
“Venice years” are like dog years, for purposes of calculation.
Ahah! Just read that “they” are to replace the glass with stone!
Now: how long will that take to be done, and how much will it cost – and is the structure strong enough and the first place?
Yes, that’s kind of old news by now. Nothing more has been said, so this idea may remain on the shelf along with all the other “We’ve really got to do this as soon as we find the time” projects. Supposing it were a serious idea and a serious project, it would certainly take longer than predicted to accomplish, and would cost more than predicted, and gosh, let’s just all hope it’s strong enough to support the weight. One might imagine that they would insert stone that weighed no more than the slabs of glass, but there again….In any case, it already weighs too much because the subsoil isn’t strong enough to support the thrust of the bridge. This was discovered quite some while ago. Good times.