Street Photography, People
June 07, 2010

The People of Venice, Part 1

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I enjoyed Venice the first time I visited five years ago.  It's one of those places that you need to see once, to take a gondola ride, to get it out of your system.  The city is beautiful, the buildings are old and creaky, and the canals have water.

But Venice is a one of a kind tourist trap.  And this time around I had a realization; that the Gypsies are the only ones in Venice that are honest and up front about trying to take your money.  Everything is absurdly expensive and crowded, and most of the Venetians are simply rude.  It was really a night-and-day difference from Tuscany.

But for me the saving grace of Venice was the people watching.  Watching the daily life of Venetians on their boats: taxi drivers, gondoliers, delivery men, crane workers, firemen, policemen.  Such an interesting sight. 

We've all seen the glorious photos and paintings of Venice canals and gondoliers, now much tougher to get with the throngs of tourist in the way.  So as the theme for this trip started, most of the Venice photos will be of the people, and not the city.

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More tomorrow.


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2 Comments for "The People of Venice, Part 1"
Andoman says:
June 07, 2010 10:28
I don't think something is a 'tourist trap' unless it's like a roadside attraction like a giant ball of twine or something. And Venice is not that. Venice gets crazy in the summer but I went my 2nd time in the winter, and it was better then.
James Maher says:
June 07, 2010 20:46
It's def a difference in opinion. Most people either love or hate Venice. I see the canals and gondolas as the 'giant ball of twine.' I hear Italy in general is much better in winter, but I just couldn't get over the bad attitude of the Venetians, the subpar food for expensive prices, and just the amount of overly expensive stores there are.