by Cristina S.
Member since:
March 21, 2007

VENEZIA

April 01, 2011 03:06 PM UTC (Updated: April 03, 2011 03:52 PM UTC)
views: 0 | 23 people recommend this | comments: 75

Venice
filled with ponti
riven with canali.
Gondolas everywhere invite
leisurely glimpses of age-old houses.
Pizza, pasta, pan forte and
gelato - pleasures for
visitors to
Venice



Ponte (bridge) over a canale (canal)

 

A canale

 

Gondola

 

Gondola passing under a ponte

 

Canale Grande

 

Rialto Bridge

 

Passing under the Rialto Bridge

 

San Marco

 

San Marco

 

Steeple of San Marco

 

The Venetian Lion standing guard

 

Venice
filled with ponti
riven with canali.
Gondolas everywhere invite
leisurely glimpses of age-old houses.
Pizza, pasta, pan forte and
gelato - pleasures for
visitors to
Venice

Comments: 75

Cristina S. Apr 1, 2011, 3:14pm UTC
Venice dates back to 421m when the first church was dedicated...

At the moment, I am on the island of Murano, a scant mile away from the Venice, working with a family. What a beautiful place!
☃ Shannon K. Wendt Apr 1, 2011, 3:18pm UTC
What a wonderful experience!
Connie C. Apr 21, 2012, 2:16am UTC
Oh I wish I was there too. Sounds wonderful.

Love the photos and the poem.
☃ Shannon K. Wendt Apr 1, 2011, 3:18pm UTC
Absolutely first rate photo essay! Love it all!
Cristina S. Apr 1, 2011, 3:35pm UTC
Thanks Shannon - this is an inspiring place!
Rose (just an ole GA peach) W. Apr 1, 2011, 3:21pm UTC
Absolutely, positvely GORGEOUS...both the photographs and the verse!!! Thanks for letting me know...I'm there with you in spirit now :)
Cristina S. Apr 1, 2011, 3:36pm UTC
Rose, we could have a lot of fun exploring all the little corners... canals... bridges...
Nana to Seven Cutiepies Apr 1, 2011, 3:23pm UTC
Looks wonderful, nice photos.
Cristina S. Apr 1, 2011, 3:36pm UTC
Thanks Gloria!
Tory H. Apr 1, 2011, 3:23pm UTC
Lovely place; I'd love to visit someday.
Cristina S. Apr 1, 2011, 3:37pm UTC
You would love it Tory - I found out that it is impossible to imagine this city, even when you look at photos - you just have to see it for yourself...
Natalie Neal Whitefield Apr 1, 2011, 7:09pm UTC
I have a dear friend who travels to Venice every year to play with the early music groups there and to do her research. She, too, loves Venice with all her heart. And this playful poem and enticing photographs are calling out to me. I'm thinking "travel" a lot this week. Mmmm. Another beautiful experience to place at the top of our travel list. Thank you, Cristina, for sharing this with us here at Home Comfort We are featuring your poetic travelog this week.
Cristina S. Apr 2, 2011, 1:46am UTC
Natalie, one of the really amazing things is to be in a city filled with huge throngs of people and not a car, bus, truck, golf cart or whatever in sight. Just boats...
Natalie Neal Whitefield Apr 2, 2011, 2:17pm UTC
What a fabulous experience that must be! Such great first-hand reports by everyone I know who has ever gone there.
JoAnn C. Apr 1, 2011, 7:58pm UTC
Wonderful photo essay. I haven't made it to Venice, yet.
Cristina S. Apr 2, 2011, 1:46am UTC
Thanks JoAnn - when you go, you will be amazed!
lynn a. Apr 1, 2011, 8:22pm UTC
THis is a beautiful photo essay. I especially enjoyed seeing the sculptures at the tops of the buildings or gates or whatever they were on. Can you imagine present day workmen attempting that? Only the few.
Cristina S. Apr 2, 2011, 1:56am UTC
Lynn, you are right, probably no one would work like this today.
Throughout the more than 1000 years of the basilica's history, Venetians have brought back artwork from their travels that was then incorporated into the basilica. So some of it is actually older than the basilica itself...
Debra C. Apr 1, 2011, 8:36pm UTC
Very nice tour ... and now you made me hungry.
Cristina S. Apr 2, 2011, 1:57am UTC
Thanks Debra - you could always have some spaghetti :-)
Katrina Hall Apr 1, 2011, 9:13pm UTC
Oh, such a lovely tour of my father's favorite place!
Cristina S. Apr 2, 2011, 1:59am UTC
Katrina, I spent two days wandering around - that was all the free time I had - and at first I found it quite disorienting. But it grew on me - and it is a place I want to come back to and explore some more!
Sherrie H. Apr 1, 2011, 11:00pm UTC
What a beautiful tour! Thanks for sharing! Venice is on my list for someday.
Cristina S. Apr 2, 2011, 2:00am UTC
Sherrie, you would love it - and knowing you, you would find a story to tell!
William Dotani Apr 2, 2011, 3:15am UTC
This is lovely. Much wider than the Amsterdam canals.
Cristina S. Apr 2, 2011, 4:47pm UTC
Not having been to Amsterdam, I wouldn't know :-)
William Dotani Apr 2, 2011, 3:18am UTC
Now, because this could be the host city fot the 2020 Winter Olympics, several swimming clubs from several countries have asked for permits to do practice swimming in the canals.
Cristina S. Apr 2, 2011, 4:48pm UTC
Bill, I know the tides exchange the water in the canals twice each day but you could not pay me to swim in them...
William Dotani Apr 2, 2011, 5:09pm UTC
Did someone put this in your job description and then offer pay for you to give tourist's swimming lessons?
Cristina S. Apr 4, 2011, 2:33am UTC
Ha ha, only at the Lido...
William Dotani Apr 4, 2011, 2:42am UTC
I of course gave this some serious rethought when it dawned on me that these canals are popular with fishermen and they of course troll from gondolas. The hooks they use could cause an unfortunate clothing accident to a swimmer. Getting worm stain out of a bathing suit is a problem.
Cristina S. Apr 4, 2011, 1:30pm UTC
nope, gondolas are strictly for tourists Bill, no fishing in sight :-)
William Dotani Apr 6, 2011, 1:25am UTC
Eh! I won a contest for a fishing trip there. I certainly hope it's not a scam.
Marianne K. Apr 2, 2011, 5:01am UTC
Gorgeous poem and photos, Cristina !! We visited Venice in 1985 for our son's 11th birthday. Everything you saw and experienced brings back wonderful memories. It's indeed a city that needs to be walked to inhale it's unique position and way of life.

Take care and keep well :)
Cristina S. Apr 2, 2011, 4:50pm UTC
Thank you Marianne - you said it so well: inhale its unique way of life.
Everyone walks everywhere - or takes a vaporetto - so folks are outside a lot!
Kay M Apr 2, 2011, 12:45pm UTC
This is a beautiful photo essay. Thank you for the lovely tour.
Cristina S. Apr 2, 2011, 4:50pm UTC
You are so welcome Kay! Thanks for stopping by.
elizabeth evans Apr 2, 2011, 12:53pm UTC
Cristina...the pictures are fabulous....loved everyone of them.
Cristina S. Apr 2, 2011, 4:51pm UTC
Thanks Elizabeth - it is easy to take fabulous photos in Venice :-)
William Dotani Apr 2, 2011, 5:10pm UTC
Your poem excites sight and taste senses.
Cristina S. Apr 3, 2011, 3:51am UTC
And you are just imagining - the real thing is lots more powerful!
Sonia M. Apr 2, 2011, 6:04pm UTC
Il mio cuore è rimasto a Venezia

Beautiful photos and verse, Cristina....I long to go back to Italy!
Cristina S. Apr 3, 2011, 3:50am UTC
Anche il mio, Sonia!
Sonia M. Apr 3, 2011, 1:22pm UTC
;-)
Rosa See Ya Apr 2, 2011, 9:36pm UTC
Hubby wants to be Italian, hopes it's in his father's bloodline :)

Thanks for this, it is an awesome place. I always have to ponder how they keep it afloat. Love the photos - you've given us a glimpse of paradise, i believe!
Cristina S. Apr 5, 2011, 3:59am UTC
Rosa, lots of people want to be Italian :-)

They built houses on big, heavy poles. The salt water (without air) slowly petrified them - so many of these houses are built on stone pillars now!

So it is not a question of keeping it afloat - it is a question of living with permanent flooding...
Nurse Nancy S. Apr 2, 2011, 11:32pm UTC
My sister visited Venice a few summers ago. She was enamored with the city and all it had to offer. However she said the waters gave off a very foul odor. She said that was the only drawback to the city.
Cristina S. Apr 3, 2011, 3:56am UTC
Nancy, the water only smells bad when there have been successive lower than normal tides - normally there is an exchange twice a day with the "old" water flowing out to the Adriatic Sea and fresh water coming in. It did not smell at all when I was there.
Nora D. Apr 2, 2011, 11:40pm UTC
Oh my gosh, what breathtakingly beautiful photos! Guess what? Our son, almost 24, has travelled to Italy about 2 years ago with a college group......they were over there for two weeks, and our son absolutely LOVED it.....he plans to go back and said he would just love to live there. He took 800 photos when over there.....they went to Venice, Florence, St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, Sistine Chapel, and many, many magnificent places........I am really hoping to be able to travel over there......what an incredibly fantastic experience that would be!!!!!!!
Cristina S. Apr 3, 2011, 3:59am UTC
For sure Nora - awesome sights, sounds, smells, tastes...

I was working with an Italian-American family there, and they told me lots of people get "Venice-sick" meaning they long to go back until they finally do - and many stay :-)
dee b. Apr 3, 2011, 1:18am UTC
My god these photos are manificent! I believe if I ever had the chance to visit you would be hard pressed to get me to go back home. Thank you for sharing these. Through your eyes I have had a chance to glimpse the wonder of this part of the world. I have often dreamed of traveling. And wish so much to one day be able to travel to such places as this. I hope to someday travel to Ireland as well. As it too is a beautiful country.
Cristina S. Apr 3, 2011, 4:00am UTC
Dee, yes, Italy is beautiful. And many other places are too. But I do think that there is beauty wherever we are - if we will but choose to see it :-)
dee b. Apr 3, 2011, 6:49pm UTC
So true!
Marilyn (PaintsOnSlate) S. Apr 3, 2011, 6:49am UTC
It looks so beautiful and I'll bet it tastes great too.
Cristina S. Apr 3, 2011, 3:48pm UTC
yes, it does!
Connie C. Apr 3, 2011, 8:20pm UTC
This post/Photo is spotlighted in the Friday/Weekend edition of Today on Gather.

You Can Read It By Clicking HERE.

Congratulations!

I hope you will find the time to read the other spotlighted posts and photos.
Cristina S. Apr 4, 2011, 2:34am UTC
Thanks for the spotlight Connie! I appreciate it!
Jeanette Cheezum Apr 5, 2011, 1:15am UTC
this was a great photo essay. We loved Venice.
Cristina S. Apr 5, 2011, 3:58am UTC
Thanks Jeanette, it is a beautiful spot on earth!
Svetlana Goryacheva Apr 29, 2011, 6:44am UTC
I ADORE Italy, pure and simple... La Serenissima è veramente bellissima... meravigliosa! :-) Grazie infinitamente, cara Cristina! :-)

Hugs and blessings - S.
Cristina S. May 4, 2011, 7:02am UTC
Thanks Svetlana - I get to go back (for work) in about 10 days!
Donald M. Jun 14, 2011, 2:49pm UTC
What a lovely city. So full of great articture. It makes you want to go for a boat ride. Great photo essay. I have not been able to learn to do that yet.
Cristina S. Jun 15, 2011, 2:19pm UTC
Thanks Norma, yes it is a beautiful place! And one gets lots of boat rides, since the only other way to get to anywhere is to walk, lol - and some places (like another island) you cannot walk to :-)
Rose Hill Jun 29, 2011, 4:16pm UTC
It is a breathtakingly beautiful place, the Piazza San Marco was like a fairytale come true. I loved it all and brought back a really nice piece of Murano glass - many years ago.
Unfortunately, the water stank both times I visited:)
Still I would have loved to stay a while and see more.

Lucky you - enjoy your time in Venice and the Island of Murano!
Cristina S. Aug 6, 2011, 11:30am UTC
Hi Rose, you would have a field day with your camera either place... The water did not smell at all, I was there twice, for a total of 5 weeks... The colors of the glass are just amazing!
William Dotani Aug 5, 2011, 11:50pm UTC
The carvings and masonry work on the building fantastic and elegant.

Did you go swimming there?
Cristina S. Aug 6, 2011, 11:28am UTC
Ha ha, Bill - even though the water is partially exchanged at each high tide, I would never stick even just my big toe in :-)
William Dotani Aug 7, 2011, 2:37am UTC
Are you sure you wouldn't on the August 28th holiday?
William Dotani Aug 8, 2011, 2:54am UTC
If not for you posting this and me reading it, I would have never come up with that "Gray' satwe story you star in. Creativity does not come in a vacuum, but from interactions with angels a good people like you. Thank you for your help.
Cristina S. Aug 11, 2011, 2:47am UTC
(blushing)Thanks Bill - it is people like you that keep me coming back to Gather, though I spend much less time here than I used to - too much going on. Long story. Thanks for being my friend!
William Dotani May 12, 2012, 2:38am UTC
A long story would not be an acceptable 100 word story unless you used abbreviations. Take care.
♥ Christine aka stine1 ♥ Sep 4, 2011, 11:14am UTC
I must admit that I did not enjoy Venice at all. All I saw where old houses and ruins. It is not as beautiful as seen on tv.
Cristina S. Sep 5, 2011, 1:49am UTC
Christine, old houses, yes. And some are not well kept at all. But did you also see the simple beauty of reflections on the everywhere present water - bright colors - gorgeous glass...?
♥ Christine aka stine1 ♥ Sep 5, 2011, 1:59am UTC
You mean in the brown or green muddy water? *lol*
There were too many tourists to see anything beautiful, too.
Cristina S. Sep 5, 2011, 2:04am UTC
Too many tourists - yes, that is really true! That's why I like Murano - much more room, though it is actually much smaller than Venice.

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