Venice

[drscott]

We spent two days in Venice after the cruise; finally have the photos up. The visit was marred somewhat when someone getting off the cruise ship picked up the suitcase containing almost all of my clothes and left it in the piazza when he discovered it wasn't his; we filed a missing bag report, and they called shortly after we arrived at our hotel to tell us it had been found and would I please pick it up? Since we had been told it would be delivered if found, we asked for that, they said they would, but by noon the next day nothing had happened. I went to get it (a two-hour excursion with much walking) and the guy at the lost bag room wanted 3 euros for holding it. Royal Caribbean apologized but could not explain the delay....

Venice was quite lovely; I wasn't expecting much, but since it was cool and did not smell like Galveston in summer, the crowds of tourists didn't get to me. The city is down to a full-time population of only 70,000 and shrinking fast, as it is uneconomic and inconvenient to live there. It is destined to be a Disney-like preserve, and one wonders if there is enough money in tourism to do the restoration necessary to save the less popular parts of the island from obvious decay. The Italian government is about to spend a fortune on a barrier scheme to prevent flooding, when perhaps pumping water into the aquifer underlying the island and issuing more boots would be enough...

And we didn't spot any little girls in red raincoats.

Gallery!

Comments

[urbear]

And apparently the hordes of tourists are wearing down the locals... I hear a report about a new Venice initiative a few weeks ago.

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

I read that before we left, but saw no signs of enforcement. Tourists did indeed litter and block bridge stairways around the square, but it was not much worse than other hotspots in Europe. Venetians are on the formal side and I did feel a bit out of place in tank tops, but I had little choice when all I had was what was in my carry-on.

[abqdan.livejournal.com]

On my very first visit to Venice in 1963, we were told by the tour guide that the city was 'sinking fast' and would be under water in 20 years. Every winter the Piazza San Marco was flooded. Given the city is built on wooden piles, that seemed likely. But it's still there. You've got to love modern engineering!

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

Actual sinking stopped when mainland industrial users of the aquifer were regulated. Flooding still occurs every winter, but the damage isn't serious; one controversy centers around studies that show that much damage is caused by powerboat wakes, but no political will exists to fix that since everyone relies on the motorboats and vaporettos to get around. The proposed barriers probably aren't necessary unless global warming raises sea levels by more than a foot, and if that happens they won't be enough to save the city.

Another interesting wrinkle is that the pilings on which buildings are built must stay wet to prevent oxygen from reaching them, which would cause rapid decay. So the water table must stay high as well -- a high and dry Venice would also be doomed!

[redsquared.livejournal.com]

beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.