Venice: Living in Paintings, drifting into the sunset.
Now, graciously, Christine volunteered to take me to Venezia (somewhere she’s seen four times!), for it was my first trip, and a place that I had been dying to see my whole life. For about 7 years now, I’ve longed to stroll along the Venetian canals, capture a picture of St. Mark’s Basilica, and chase a famous pigeon. And with the help and guidance of my gracious host, I finally was able to do so (and much more!).
If you have never been to Venice, add it to your life list immediately. Just exiting the station, I felt as though I was living in a dream when a glittering green sea lay before me to say “Buongiorno! It’s about time!”
True to form (and the only option we had), we took a water taxi to our first stop of the San Giorgio Maggoire; an iconic church I’ve been studying frequently in my Grand Tour art history class. On the way, I sat in the front of the boat and tried to soak up all of Venice’s grandeur and glory, but I could only swell with happiness as the waves splashed along our boat in the beginning of my big adventure.
The San Giorgio Maggoire offers a completely breathtaking view of Saint Mark’s Square & Basilica and I think this view alone was my favorite of the whole trip. From the Maggoire, you have a clear view of what makes Venice so spectacular, and you feel one with the serenity of the water, and are undoubtedly struck with the awesomeness of a phenomenally structured, impressively decorated, undeniably gorgeous sinking city. We were less impressed with the inside of the Church, but we were glad we saw it’s simply decorated inside.
Our next stop, after all of our “oou-ing” and “ahh-ing” was St. Mark’s Square and Basilica. Now, I’ve seen a lot of Byzantine art…especially in this trip, and I’ve never been hit with its power until I saw the inside of the St. Mark’s Basilica. With its grand ceilings and endless supply of gold artworks, it is certainly a spectacle of religious splendor, but with a real lack of cheesiness, falsehood or, surprisingly, commercialism. For all of the glittering insides, St. Mark’s still absolutely promotes a sense of reverence and holiness. The tourists (and there were quite a lot of us) automatically seem to be so awestruck that there’s no time for rudeness or loudness, even if you were a young, uninterested kid. This Basilica has something to see and admire for everyone, despite any religious ties or affiliation. Just the preserved mosaics in the separate museum alone is enough to make any sensible person with an appreciation for history say “wow” at the 12th century vibrant gems.
After I explored the inside, I ventured to the balcony, where I wanted to scream, “I’m King of the World!” over the scene of endless Venetian waters and the numerous crowds and couples below me. I refrained, but it really was that freeing and exciting.
Chris and I also hit the Accademica, but I wouldn’t recommend it anywhere beyond the Canaletto, Longhi and Guardi paintings. Veronese’s House of Levi is also quite impressive, but I would say the true gem of the museum is Titain’s unsung Pieta. You know a painting really is full of greatness when you admire it without knowing who the famous artist is behind the work. It makes the artist more legitimate somehow when you discover and admire his greatness on your own, without instruction or someone else’s opinion.
The rest of our Venetian adventure was full of slips and spills that made us laugh, but made the tourist traps of Venice very upsetting. I’m leaving it out, but I was disappointed at how commercial everything seemed to become. Sort of like we were trapped in Disney, and that this glorious masterpiece was no more than a dying money maker. Cynical and sad, and not the way I like things to go, especially when the sun shines on it like that.
But, Chris and I ended our day with an unforgettable stroll along the Grand Canal at sunset, and we lived in a true Turner painting, singing along to our favorite Coldplay songs, and dreaming of our days gone by, and even more exciting ones to come.
We caught the train to Padova shortly after, and Christine spent about 40 minutes casually chatting with locals as I watched the last hours of my Italian Grand Tour go by. I think I am most thankful for the genuine experiences of this trip, and that both Liz and Christine provided not only the “things to see and do” with gracious, open hearts and smiles, but that they brought me into their genuine Spanish and Italian worlds of culture, cuisine and welcome unlike any other person I know…and I can truly say I am forever grateful to them for the unforgettable moments of my once-and-a-lifetime trip, and into their real ways of learning, living and loving like the natives do.
You girls both mean the world to me, and I’m not sure how I’ll ever be able to re-pay you for all you have given me over these last 10 days. You are part of every irreplaceable memory, and without a doubt, your kindness, friendship and love will stay in my memory and heart forever.
Just like vision of the pink and yellow sunset gracing the San Giorgio Maggiore on a cool March day, as I swung my feet above the Grand Canal, and listened to the sounds of a closing day in Italy.
Ciao bella.
Hope you enjoyed the ride.
xxx
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