Flight

Venice, Italy, April 1984. If you visit Venice, then expect—and accept—tourists (and pigeons).

Planks

Venice, Italy, January 1984. It's still the season for acqua alta.

Carnevale Chaos

*     *     *     *     *

*     *     *     *     *

Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy, March 1984. It's much too crowded here.

A Different View of the Piazza

Venice, Italy, June 1989. We climb the Campanile when the Piazza San Marco has few tourists.

Fear of Heights

Venice, Italy, June 1989. I climbed to the top of the Campanile only once.

(Here's my preferred view; here's the café. Here's a reason to avoid the piazzetta.)

Venice, without Tourists

John Ruskin's daguerreotypes.

Flocking to the Tourists

Venice, Italy, April 1984. Visitors gather near the Marciana Library.

Heading Home

Venice, Italy, June 1984. The motonave takes me back to the Lido.

A rose in Venice ...

... blooms in the Piazza San Marco.

Rainy Reunion

Venice, Italy, November 1983. In a few weeks, acqua alta will flood the Piazza.

The Doge's Door

Venice, Italy, November 1983. The Porta della Carta is the main entrance to the Palazzo Ducale.

Morning Arrival

Venice, Italy, November 1983. I've arrived at the Piazzetta San Marco, and I'm under the porticos of the Palazzo Ducale. It's not as chilly as it looks; it's just fur-coat season.

(The fellow climbing the steps of the Marciana Library is wearing a Loden coat.)

Fog lifts.

Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, Italy, November 1983. The little yellow dot in front of the church is a fog light. Here's another view of the island from nearly the same spot.

There's always something to renovate.

 

 

Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy, April 1984. The main entry to the Basilica di San Marco undergoes restoration.

Waiting for Business

Venice, Italy, April 1984. The gondolieri haven't switched yet to the uniforms they typically wear in the summer. The men stand in front of the Palazzo Ducale.

Coffee Break

 
Venice, Italy, April 1984. We're back at the Grancaffè Quadri.

The Finest Drawing Room

Venice, Italy, June 1989. The subject of Napoleon Bonaparte first arose on this blog because of his connection to Lithuania. When I look at this photo, I recall Napoleon's impact on Venice. Napoleon called the Piazza San Marco "the most beautiful drawing room in Europe," and I imagine Napoleon had a view similar to this one when he made that observation.

Some Old, Some New

Riva degli Schiavoni, Venice, April 1984. It's easy to distinguish between the locals and the tourists.

Napoleon and the Serenissima

I've occasionally touched on the arrival of Napoleon in Lithuania.

Here's a good look at how Napoleon's arrival affected another favorite place of mine—Venice.

Acqua Veramente Alta

"Acqua alta" is a normal occurrence in the Republic of St Mark every November. But this is a little extreme, even for Venice.

Thanks to my friend Kris for pointing this out to me.

UPDATE: Here are some on-the-scene observations from "I am not making this up."