Venice ... Never Out of Fashion
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One know-it-all American college student that I met on the train to Venice commented that he had been there before and had the impression that it was all a charade for tourists, like Disney World where you never see two Mickey Mouses in the same place. He had concluded that nobody actually worked or lived there aside from the tourist industry. It must be noted that this bright example of American youth was also about to get off the train at the wrong station but that's a different matter.

Upon leaving the station and walking towards our hotel I was unconsciously bothered by and still pondering his assessment of one of my favorite cities. Then I noticed a pet store within easy reach of our hotel's entrance. Obviously this store was not in business for the tourists. Then a hardware store caught my eye and a baby furnishings store and a kitchen appliance store. No, this was in fact a city for those that do live there and not simply a contrived environment for the exclusive benefit of the tourist! My young friend had apparently just followed the signs to San Marco and never ventured to explore or use his imagination.

Venice is a city built largely upon wooden pilings sunk into a sandy group of small islands along the lowlands shore of the northern edge of the Adriatic sea. Since well before the days of Marco Polo, it was a thriving trading center with ships from all over the Mediterranean seeking a market for their contents. Spaniards, Portuguese, Turks, Blackamoors, British, and others frequented Venice and the city retains a cornucopia of architectural elements begged, borrowed and even literally stolen from other cultures.

Whenever I wander the narrow alleys of Venice, away from the main thoroughfares and hoping to lose myself, it is easy to see a man and woman whispering in the shadows. A ship's captain with tri-cornered hat having an extravagant plumage rounds a corner somewhat intoxicated and heads off into the darkness for some unknown intrigue down another dimly lit alley. Even in San Marco, full of people dressed in t-shirts and sandals with cameras clicking and beeping, the grand processions and bustle of the waterfront with square masted ships lying at anchor and unloading their cargoes is very easy to imagine.

If I have piqued your curiosity and you want some Venice information and suggestions, try any of the links in the left column (below the main NotAMall categories). You must promise however that when you do visit Venice, you must not simply add yourself to the throng of fast moving tourists who, lacking imagination, frequent the same chain stores they could find in any shopping mall and never walk slow enough or long enough to feel the mystery and romance of this amazing city.

Now, repeat after me ... "I promise."