Venice, the romantic, magical & enchanted city, that’s full of history, winding streets, canals, and yes, gondolas. It’s said that the best way to see Venice, is to get lost in it’s streets. There are so many little alley ways that twist & turn, it’s an easy task; especially for J & I, since we both have no sense of direction. In my travels, I’ve experienced a few things that have truly moved me. One such experience, was the one I wrote of in my previous post, about my visit to the Amalfi Coast; another, is getting lost in Venice.
J & I were looking for a restaurant that I had read about in some food magazine, Corte Sconta. It’s a little trattoria that’s hidden in one of Venice’s winding streets. We took a wrong turn & found ourselves in a small square, where there were no tourist & no gondolas. There were young boys playing soccer, men sitting on plastic chairs chatting & the smell of dinner filled the air. Because there were no cars, the boy’s yells & laughter bounced off the hard surfaces & echoed.
I stood there taking it all in. The sights, sounds & smells gave me such an overwhelming feeling, that I began to tear up. (which is something I do when I’m moved) As we stood there, I couldn’t help thinking, that here we are, staying in some fancy palazzo, looking for the best places to eat, and these people were happy in their modest lives. It goes to show how little we really “need” to live & be happy. In a world full of indulgence, seeing this was refreshing. Experiences like this, give me a reality check. I try to use them to keep me grounded, which is not easy, since I myself, is guilty of indulgence.
Getting lost that day, is something that I’ll never forget. The sounds of those happy echoes will forever fill my head. Forget the shops, St Mark’s Square & the gondolas; to me, those echos are Venice.
D I V A
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St. Mark's Square
