Venice over Valpolicella

Is this the most beautiful city in the world? I'm not sure that cities need to be in beauty contests. Actually, I'm not sure that people do either. 

But if there was a Miss Universe for metropoli, I can guarantee that Venice would be on the finals dias. For beauty, yes, but especially for uniqueness and character. She would be very wet, slightly smelly, have dark, musty, mysterious places, superb cuppola ..........sorry, I lost the plot there for awhile.

This is a watery city like no other.

Everything about Venice is different, interesting, pleasing. First and foremost, it is an island. Everything moves on water or by foot. The ambulance is a boat, as are the taxis and buses, trucks and bikes. Gondolas carry mostly Japanese tourists at Concorde prices. Goods move to shops by boat, then pushed by barrow. The waterways are always busy, moving people and things. And the paths - there are no roads - echo only to the sound of footsteps and conversation. It takes awhile to sink in that there is no vehicle noise. It is lovely. 

The paths are narrow, windy, not quite random, but not something that Colonel Light had a hand in either. Getting lost is part of the delight of this place. Every turn has a street or waterscape, a piazza, a market or palazzo that catches the eye. The buildings have texture, colour and patina.

And there is water everywhere. Any walk passes countless canals and crosses many bridges, from the tiny and intimate to the grandness of the Rialto. 

At high tide, the low parts of Venice go under water. People cope in various ways. Venetians move about effortlessly in designer knee-high rubber boots. Elevated platforms are built for tourists over low areas like Piazza San Marco. Buildings have flood barriers across doors that are installed and removed with the tides. Shops have bilge pumps that fire up erratically to drain them, squirting water through windows. Can you imagine anywhere that floods twice daily without fuss or complaint? Welcome to Venice.

Tourist numbers are staggering. We are here in the low season and so glad for that. Even so, most people we pass clutch a map or a camera. Do not come here in summer. Every bridge has a tourist capturing a Venetian vista. Yes I am one of them.You can almost hear the whoosh as terabytes of images are hoovered up each second. 

And shops! There are more shops selling Murano glass, Venetian masks and Florentine leather than there are people. They are mostly small, beautiful and overpriced.

In the end, the charm of Venice overwhelms all of these things. If you come here and walk these streets, cruise these waterways, you will be seduced.