Venice vs. The Venetian

Several years ago we went to see The Venetian hotel in Las Vegas while on a weekend trip with our family.  After walking next to the "canals" fronted by high-end mall stores, we found ourselves in a large expanse which identified itself with a sign: St. Mark's Square.  Someone within earshot was heard to ask, "I wonder if St. Mark's Square in the real Venice is as big as this?" Recently, a friend of mine reported back to me regarding his trip to Italy that three nights in Venice was one too many; "it's kinda like Catalina - you've seen the whole thing in a day or two, then you keep walking by the same stuff."

These comments do not anger or frustrate me, nor do they provoke me into an argument - I'm not interested in explaining the wonder that is  Venice to those who have no ears to hear. I prefer that everyone stay home anyway because you see, any time I've had the privilege to visit a major city in Europe in the last few years, I've had to elbow my way through the streets, reserve my admission to the museums, and relinquish the solemnity of the cathedrals to microphoneed tour guides followed by bored, feet-shuffling tourists.

My scientific studies show that there are two kinds of people in this world: those who have an interest, a curiosity to see foreign lands and their people, and those who should never leave the country.  The second group can be further broken into two sub-groups comprised of those smart enough to never leave the country, and those who get no benefit from travel other than bragging rights about where they've been, and we all know people from that last group.  They're the ones who return from a trip with a shopping bag from Harrod's, a "j'aime Paris" bumper sticker, and a plastic apron bearing a likeness of the very naked David by Michelangelo.

The rest of us, those who have been and those who want to go, know the truth: Venice is a magical place.  It is full of wonders crammed into the most unlikely spaces on meandering little streets surrounded by water and connected by footbridges; it is a marvel of engineering and architecture and unsurpassed in its grace and beauty.  Don't ask me if the canals smell of stagnant water because I was so awestruck by their magnificence that I could barely breathe. Don't ask me where I went  because I found it impossible to retrace my steps, often finding myself happily lost in the maze of dark streets and medieval gallerias.  I've been to many a look-out point in my life: the Eiffel Tower, the dome of St. Peter's, the Empire State Building, but the sight of Venice from the bell tower in Piazza San Marco is like no other - devoid of modern buildings and automobiles, the view has scarcely changed over the centuries.

In my next life I'll spend the spring months of the year in an old palazzo on the Grand Canal and I'll haunt the museums and churches, of course getting there early before the tourists arrive, and I'll never have to go to the same place twice.  If you promise to love Venice as much as I do, you can come too.  Otherwise, I recommend saving yourself the trip and going to the The Venetian in Vegas where the canals smell of chlorine.

Link to: St Mark's Square Venice