Venice, Veneto

September 2-5th, 2008
Artistic niches in Venice

In the evening I continued traveling and from Padova went via train to Venice. Despite my exhaustion, the moment the train entered the Grand Canal, Venice seduced me with its irresistible charm and poetic beauty. I stayed in a gorgeous hostel in San Marco. That night the gentle movement of the canal lulled me to sleep and in the morning I awoke and saw high ceilings decorated with frescoes, white plaster reliefs of cherubs, rustic mirrors, and vintage chandeliers.. as I sipped my morning cafe my spirit soared.

During the day I enjoyed getting lost through the mirage of streets as I walked from traditional museums to contemporary galleries. I visited: Galleria dell' Accademia to view the traditional Venetian masters works of art; saw selected works by Picasso, Kandinsky, Chagall, Pollock, Dali, Rothko at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the house where she lived; and Ca Pesaro’ Museum of Modern Art. The museums were beautiful and I was enjoyed admiring the works of great masters new and old.

In Venice, I found inspiration & beauty everywhere I looked...

...even the gondaliers on the Grand Canal and street scenes were poetic.

I made friends with some international girls at the hostel. Together we took some gondola rides from San Marco to Lido to attend the 65th Venice Film Festival. The atmosphere in Lido was electric and the streets surrounding the red carpet area were filled with elegantly dressed Italians, limousines and the paparazzi.

65th Venice Film Festival.
September, 2008.