I got up before dawn today to see the sun rise over Venice. Yes, that's right, I got up before dawn. Even though it was a cloudy day, it was totally worth it. The Piazza San Marco was completely deserted, and the vaporetto (water-bus) was pleasantly empty. You'll see from the photos. I'm not sure if I'll ever go back to Venice. It's certainly beautiful, but the beauty is spoiled somewhat by all the tourists and the constant threat of pickpockets. But at dawn, when nearly everyone is asleep, Venice is magical. I think Venice might be like this all winter long, so if I do go back, it will probably be in the winter. For now, enjoy the photos. I rode the vaporetto for two hours to get a last look at the beautiful city.
In case you needed proof that people are the same all over the world, last night I was sitting on a bench watching the canal when a boat pulled up. It was idling there by the bank, but it wasn't tying up or turning around. There were four people inside, two boys and two girls, all about my age. I was still trying to figure out what was going on when an Italian woman old enough to be their mother walked up. She handed one of the kids a 50 euro note, and they took off. So even in Venice, kids bum money off their parents.
Good pictures, you captured Venice very well.
ReplyDeleteYou really capture the serenity of the morning in your photos. And I must say, BRILLIANT! Waking up before the crush of tourists and enjoying some solitude in the city - good call Amelia but please be careful. As you pointed out - people ARE the same the world over and not all pickpockets work 9-5.
ReplyDeleteKeep blogging - it's how I start every day!
Don't worry. I stuck my head out of the hostel and looked around. If there had been no one outside, I think I would have gone back in. But there were just enough people that I felt safe. They looked like locals, people with early shifts or people out jogging. Plus, I left my passport in the hostel locker so if I had been pickpocketed, I would have only lost the 5 euro in my pocket. Most of the time I'm not worth stealing from, but I don't want to lose my passport.
ReplyDelete