Venice

Venice! Gondolas, masks, winding alleys, beautiful bridges, and pigeons...we loved all of it and more. I have to admit that I went to Venice with low expectations. I had heard complaints about how it is over-run with tourists, it's dirty, it's sinking, it's expensive, etc. And with those criticisms echoing in my head, I was caught off guard when the city began to work it's magic on me. I think it started with our first night when we attended services at the beautiful Spanish Synagogue. Just as with the city, I was caught off guard by how much I enjoyed the service which was Sephardic Orthodox...entirely in Hebrew, separate seating areas for men and women...something I had never experienced before. Following the service we attended a lively dinner at Gam Gam, a local Kosher restaurant. We ate family style with Jewish ex-pats and travelers (from Australia, London, the States, France, Israel) and locals. We sang, swapped travel tales, and exchanged e-mails. As the evening came to an end, we wound our way through the Jewish ghetto back to our apartment, the streets were surprisingly empty and it felt as if we had the city to ourselves.

My favorite moments were echoes of that first evening. Wandering the quiet streets early in the morning or late at night. Venturing into little nooks and crannies which held surprises. Meeting new people in unexpected spots. Avoiding the tourist masses as much as possible. Watching the kids chase pigeons. Being surrounded by water. Reminding me of New Orleans with an alluring mix of decay and decadence; fantasy and gritty reality....all seen from the canal view in our apartment....gondoliers singing to tourists, men unloading plumbing supplies, a boat full of soda and wine, a couple kissing in the alley across the canal, laundry drying. Venice was the perfect place to celebrate the start of a new year.