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| Gondolas at the Pier |
Venice in December is typically cold and foggy but it’s an
interesting time to visit, if only to be far from the madding crowd and
still make the most of the city’s unique heritage. Having flown to the UK on a
work trip in December, I was keen to explore a European destination before
heading home and whilst I’d always wanted to visit Venice one day, the
thought of exploring this city surrounded by packs of other tourists put me off
from making firm plans. December therefore seemed to offer a perfect opportunity
to do so in a quieter setting and to focus on visiting some of the art
galleries, to read, to write and take photographs at one’s own pace….and space!
I was alone and it might have seemed strange to be exploring one of the most beautiful
and romantic cities in the world, a solitary figure. But it was fine. And I’d
do it again.
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| Misty Morning |
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| A quiet walk along the canals |
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| Getting lost in the maze |
The mood in December is dreamy, melancholic and surreal, as one
wanders through the city on misty mornings. It’s a safe city and the effects of
jet lag saw me setting off through Venice’s mazes at the crack of dawn. As I
walked, the city slowly awoke from its slumber: lights being switched on in
dark houses; dogs and their owners on their daily routes; boatmen making their
way to the pier….precious quiet moments before day break.
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| Grand Canal |
There are so many beautiful shops in Venice and I peered
through the windows to gaze at a display of masks in one shop; of delicious
sweets and pastries in various
pasticceria
and I picked up food and drink for the day, from these temptations at the windows. With
so much of Venice being geared for tourists it’s hard sometimes to get a feel
for local life…and for honest conversations and
experiences. It was nice therefore to talk with a young
lady who worked at one of the hotels who felt, for example, that the local council was not doing enough for the city, despite the revenues it earned. Also
with an artist who was painting the scene of the canal in front of him, who
let his guard down a bit to tell me about his travels around the world, his
wife and how he hated mobile phones! There were other unexpected moments, like
the exhibition of an Indian artist, V.S.Gaitonde, at the Guggenheim, displaying
various works in his “nonobjective style”, and the vision and insight of so many galleries and museums, large and small, with artwork of the past and of the future. I
was unsure about visiting the Teatro La Fenice but I did in the end- the interior was beautiful
and I spent some time gazing at the exquisite ceiling.
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| La Fenice |
The decay of Venice is also, in some ways, its beauty and few
cities in the world are able to provide this fascinating composite of
breathtaking beauty and understated elegance and mystery. And regardless of how
busy Venice gets, there are always opportunities to indulge in quieter times and
steal some intimate moments, like visiting Venice in December.
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| Piazza San Marco |
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