One does not have to look hard these days to be reminded that the world is not as it was.
Almost everywhere you go, faces are covered, distances are kept, hands are sanitized, and we push on slowly...one step at a time...hoping for a better tomorrow.
Our recent trip to Venice, Italy was no different. Although I have never been there before, I was keenly aware that the Venice I was seeing was not the same Venice experienced by the nearly 30 million tourists that typically pass through each year. Instead of elbowing through dense crowds, the city seemed all but abandoned as we strolled through empty alleys, observed fish swimming in clear, quiet canals, and hopped on and off of boats at leisure.
We quickly became experienced vaporetto riders as we cruised along the grand canal and even ventured out to the island of Murano. A set of new friends talked us into an unforgettable gondola ride under the rialto bridge, on which we had the dreamy canals practically to ourselves. My champion husband boosted me up and over countless bridges, and we stopped multiple times each day to enjoy an aperol spritz...as one should while in Italy.
On our final evening, we sat on a nearly empty terrace On St. Marco's Square listening to a beautiful live piano/violin duet while overlooking the grand canal.
When we got back to the hotel room, I sobbed.
Yes, having Venice to ourselves was magical...but it was also very heavy. The city is hurting, as so many places are...especially those whose livelihood is marked so dramatically by tourism. The empty restaurants and terraces and gondolas and alleys were a once in a lifetime blessing for me and John ...but I am keenly aware that their existence means empty pockets and true struggle for many people.
And yet, in the midst of this hurt and hardship, the heart of Venice beat strongly that last night on St. Marco's Square. My tears were brought on by that single violinist, who played no less beautifully and with no less soul for the thirty of us who listened that evening than he would have for the hundreds that may have been watching on a beautiful night before Corona turned everything upside down.
The world is breathtakingly beautiful, and its people remarkably resilient. I will be forever grateful to the floating city for reminding me of both.
Note: More photos and details from our Venice trip can be found under the “Destinations” tab above.
