Venice – as romantic at 58 as it was at 8?
You don’t think of an 8-year-old being romantic, do you? Maybe it was the fascination of the city towering over a young boy, with a golden glitter in the summer sun. I didn’t think of the city being a simple island in the sun that was no more than 15 kilometers square.
The architecture of the city was fascinating to me. The love of buildings was something I got from my grandfather who was an architect back home.
Architecture tells such a wonderful story of the people. Imagine the pride of the Doge in building a new church for the remains of Saint Mark, one of the four Evangelists that followed Jesus. This new church became his tomb, the Basilica of San Marco.
I remember taking a photo in the square with the Basilica in the background and all of a sudden a pigeon lighted on my sister’s head just as I was ready to snap the picture. We all laughed. Well . . . everyone laughed except my sister.
Maybe it was riding in the gondola under the Bridge of Sighs, thinking of the last glimpse of light a condemned man would get. I wondered what type of death those people had to endure centuries ago and was glad THAT was centuries ago.
I felt fortunate to come back to the main canal and see the bustling life of the city. Life in the city of canals was definitely different. No cars, no pedestrians walking across the streets, but the sidewalks and small cafes were busy.
So what was so romantic at that age? Maybe it was taking the gondola through the “streets” of Venice as the sun was setting, changing a golden sky to crimson just before dark. Maybe it was the patrons sitting at the outdoor cafe who called the gondolier over so the adults could share a glass of wine. The fascination of that simple gesture would bring good luck to all.
All those sights were seen through the eyes of an 8-year-old. Is that part of what made me the romantic I am today?
Will it be the same romantic city when I go back next year? Will it have changed so much over the last 1/2 century? I don’t know, but am sure looking forward to that trip.
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