Mooring poles on the lagoon
I couldn't help being drawn to the graphic quality of the empty
mooring poles near the entrance to the Grand Canal. Like many parts
of Venice they could be from any era and you get a real sense of
stepping back in time. Aside from the modern water taxis I suspect
this view has changed little over hundreds of years.
Pigeons, St.Marks Square
In the same way that they have colonised London's Trafalgar Square,
the pigeons have also taken up home in St.Mark's. So much so that
they have become a tourist attraction in their own right, providing
a healthy living for the bird seed sellers on every corner of the
square. A definite must see for Alfred Hitchcock fans.
Evening fog, St.Marks Square
November in Venice will normally mean rain. I was lucky, I got fog.
But this only served to enhance the atmosphere around St.Mark's
Square, adding an air of mystery to the wonderfully ornate buildings
and the passers by.
Bridge of Sighs
An iconic view of Venice, the bridge that took it's name from the
'sighs' of the convicted prisoners as they made their way from the
court to the prison. I wanted to try and bring out that sense of
a journey to the unknown by leaving the prison side out of the image.
The evening mist and the gondola passing under the bridge at the
opportune moment were just good luck.
Campo Santa Margherita
Not all of Venice is canals. There are some wonderful open spaces
and squares dotted around the city. Campo Santa Margherita is one
such location. With cafes and restaurants on it's edges it has been
a popular meeting place for years. I loved the way the colours of
the leaves combine with the building and the red of the bench. It
speaks to me of autumn in so many ways.
Lone gondola on the lagoon
Not so much the one that got away, rather the one that got left
behind. I couldn't help thinking it looked so sad on it's own. If
you look closer at the boat you can see that it is not symetrical.
Apparently all true gondolas are wider on one side than the other
to help the gondoliers manuveur them in the narrow canals. Art and
education, what more could you want?
Canalside pavement
Obviously canals are an intrinsic feature of Venice, but I wanted
to show how they have grown almost organically alongside the buildings
they both connect and divide. Off the main 'streets' the canals
blend into their surroundings to a point where you almost forget
they are there. Until you try and cross one that is.
Evening on Calle Spadaria
I wanted to try and capture an image that conveyed the feeling of
the narrow streets that cross back and forth across the city in
between the canals. For me this view sums it up perfectly. Street
level is a hive of activity but above that is the relative calm
of the houses and hotels. The domes in the background belong to
the basillica on St.Marks Square.
Gondola for hire
If you spend a few hours wandering around the main tourist spots
you will be approached more times than you can count by men in stripy
jumpers and straw hats offering to take you for a ride in their
gondola. Word to the wise here, apparently if the boat doesn't have
the fancy gold 'comb' on it's bow, it's not a 'real' gondola so
you shouldn't be paying as much for a ride. The views are still
stunning though, whatever you are in.
Venetian doorway
I always keep an eye out for local detail when I am on my travels
and the combination of the colours and textures of this doorway
were too good to pass by. For me, what really stamps 'Venice' all
over this image is the tide mark that can be seen on the stonework
and the bottom of the door. Although Venice is no longer sinking
I suspect that, more than most, Venetians are aware of the possible
impacts of global warming.
Gondolas on the Grand Canal
New York has it's yellow taxis, London has it's red buses but Venice
has it's gondolas. Of all the images of Venice the gondola is surely
the one most recognisable around the world. I am particularly fond
of this image as I took it from a gondola. Yes, I admit I did the
whole tourist thing, but, as they say 'when in Rome...'.
Evening gondola ride
What struck me most about this scene was the contrast between the
clean white shop front and it's bright lights, compared to the weathered
and dark building on the right. Venice is full of such contradictions,
and they go a long way to giving it it's character.
