The Movie Set Called Venice
Trip Start
Jun 15, 2006
1
8
11
Trip End
Jul 09, 2006
Venice,
Italy
Friday, June 30, 2006
From the air the island looks ridiculously small. On the ground, when wandering hopelessly through its maze of canal-lined streets, the island seems grand; even magical. Taking an evening stroll along the Grand Canal, with a baritone voice belting out an Italian classic to the accompaniment of an accordion while floating on a gondola, seems classic. Classic in a Bogart-era Hollywood sense. Classic as in black and white with a bit of static on the screen. Classic as in Venice, just as it has always been.
Venice is and has always been a tourist attraction by itself. And although such tourist attractions as the pigeon-filled St. Mark's square are classic (which is why they are tourist attractions), Venice is only found when you go exploring around the corners.
Classic Venice is the Rialto food market found behind the souvenir-orientated Rialto market along the main drag leading to the Grand Canal. Here you can barter for fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, squid and octopus. Here you can watch an Italian soap opera being filmed.
Classic Venice is found in the neighborhoods outside the "tourist triangle"
Cannaregio 1
. Catching a water taxi up to the northern shore of Cannaregio, walking through the quiet neighborhoods, and spending some time reflecting in the Jewish Ghetto. Exploring the side canals by gondola while the sun slowly sets. Classic.
Eating a three-course meal and drinking a bottle of wine amongst locals at a restaurant located along a graffiti-sprayed and muraled brick wall.
Watching Italy win its quarter final world cup game and then being witness to all the children jumping off bridges and into the canals in celebration.
Enjoying a beer at a canal side cafe, watching the gondolas go by.
One last double dip cone of gelati before leaving Italy behind. Deliciously classic.
All of these are scenes from the classic movie called Venice. A movie that has been playing for years and will continue to run. It's longevity and timelessness, makes it perfectly classic.
Klenske, Ink.
