-
Celine Dion loop
We had one last mini-tour of Italy before saying goodbye for a while. It was two days in Venice, and one each in Verona and Vicenza.
How exciting is it to arrive in a place via taxi-boat? After we parked in a garage on the outskirts of Venice, we got on board and in no time we were cruising down the Grand Canal, watching the colorful building facades, tall campaniles and waterside churches pass by. The closer to St. Mark’s we got, the more gondolas we saw. If there’s anything Venice is known for, it’s the romantic image of a dude in a striped shirt and funky hat serenading some lovebirds while rowing through the narrow city canals. If you can stand the smell, it does seem quite nice, but I’m fairly certain everybody’s sewage is flushed into those beautiful canals. That’s an ass-umption guided strictly by the emerging fumes near bridges that consistently threatened to draw tears. REAL STINKY. But Venice has more to offer than Gondoliers and a smelly experience.
We were fortunate to be there during the 12th Architecture Biennale, where big-name architects showcase projects for their home countries/firms in a bunch of pavilions. It was split up between two main sites. One was set up so that each country represented had it’s own exhibit, displaying the developing trends of architecture and projects geared toward current and future issues in the built environment. The other was a series of themed exhibits in the Arsenal by famous firms that showcased ideas pushing the philosophical side of building. It was a lot to take in, but it was interesting to see all the different ways professionals are thinking about the future, incorporating new and old technology and thoughts. Canada thinks they can make Avatar happen on earth with these hanging mechanical vines and plants that spontaneously reach out now and then… reaaal useful. I bust chops.
Outside the Biennale, I ate a lot of good food, browsed the markets and shops, and saw a few sights with Celine Dion on repeat in my head. Both nights we spent there, we met at St. Marks Piazza before dinner and heard “My Heart Will Go On” among other classics on the way. Three or four string quartets performed at different spots along the colonnade, and I guess they determined over time that that song is the go-to when the audience is at it’s peak. If you go, check out one of those concerts – they’re a very pleasant way to end the night. Good luck with the bed bugs though… That sucked.
