Magical Venice!

I have always dreamt of Venice like the way made famous by our very own Bollywood films and romantic novels.

Water would lap at the doorsteps of these grand buildings that would stretch on either side of a winding canal. The gondoliers would be dressed in their jaunty striped shirts humming a tune, their gondolas making gentle ripples in the water. If one looked hard enough, one would always find mysterious folks disguised in elaborate Venetian masks running amok while the very air swirled with danger, romance and magic.

I know very cliched but yours truly was very excited about the fact that she would be walking in the most romantic city to see for herself whether there was any truth to those familiar tropes.

Well, the first glimpse of Venice was definitely unlike any other city.

Right outside the train station there was a canal with a vaporetto (water bus) chugging across it. A poster of the Venice Biennale 2019 hung on its side, the very one that made even the famous Banksy invite himself, anonymously of course.

A magnificent church like building shone like a beacon in the backdrop.

The elements that made Venice so unique, were right there.

With just two days in hand, sat or rather stood on the deck of noisy vaporettos that were always packed to the seams. The thrill of floating down the Grand Canal, especially in the evening light was incredible.

I am convinced it was water fengshui at work.

I also discovered Venice was walkable and an awesome way to explore its lesser known sights.

For instance the buildings looked neglected and forlorn (water had reclaimed the ground floor of many), yet they screamed grandeur and grace.

I suppose I will never get over the thrill of witnessing a typical Venetian Rush hour.

Was it serendipity that I chanced upon The Merchant of Venice, in Venice of course.

Thank you William Shakespeare for the introductions.

He lives on !

Were those the masks we wear or was it just quirky window art in the most Italian way possible?

Then the question- what’s a canal without a bridge to write home about?

Rialto Bridge fits the bill perfectly.

Also there was the Bridge of Sighs.

I wish there was a better story behind that name, the kind that involved a lover’s sigh of longing and hope but no such luck. It was more of a prisoner’s sigh of despair.

Sigh!

I definitely perked at the wharf in St Mark’s Square.

The gondolas bobbed gently,

all lined in a row,

the gondoliers calling it a day,

as the sun rides low.

The lofty campanile of St Mark’s Basilica,

No huffing or puffing up the stairs,

It was quick ride up an elevator, worth every euro spared.

The view from the top was absolutely gorgeous,

The square was really stunning,

the white dots were dinner tables,

getting ready for guests.

From the opposite window in the campanile,

The roof of the Basilica di San Marco and beyond.

That answered my question, where do the locals live ?

My most incredible photo has to be of the Basilica in the light of the dying sun.

I witnessed the Aqua Alta, water from the High Tide seeping in.

This was Venezia’s mesmerising beauty wrapped in the inky blues.

Simply magical!

The lights lit up and the cool breeze picked, it was a wondrous land!

In the words of Fran Lebowitz, “If you read a lot, nothing is as great as you’ve imagined. Venice is- Venice is better.”

 

Lens artist photo challenge : Magical .

Wander. Essence : Photography Inspiration