Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Venetia, pe ploaie / Raining Venice

I am back from my short trip to Thailand. A lot of impressions and over 4000 photos have to be sorted out (as soon as possible) in order to start my presentation. Meantime, I will continue my posts (4) about my trips to Italy, done during the period 1997-2000.

My first two encounters with Venice took place on March 1997 and December 1998, and both have been...wet!

My first surprise was to see Canal Grande immediately after I came out from the railway station. People with umbrellas and shivering a little, took the vaporetto, leaving me in the rain, disoriented. At an impulse, I decided to take the foot way to the San Marco Square, indicated by signposts. This is what I wanted to see, influenced by two postcards kept by my grandfather, and which made me dream about a mysterious place, full of gondolas.


The sky and the streets were dull. The water was high to the brim of the street. Only the little shops selling rain boots on the streets, made some profit. I remind that in the December trip it was funny to see ladies dressed in elegant furs and wearing those boots!


In San Marco's Square, instead of a lot of people and doves, everything was covered by two palms of water. People were queuing on planks, to see the Basilica. I thought then that I will never come again to Venice, which seemed to refuse to show me a better face. Till May 2009, when I stayed there four days and my opinion changed completely. But about that trip, some other time... 


M-am intors din scurta mea excursie in Thailanda, aducand cu mine impresii si peste 4000 de fotografii. Dupa trierea obisnuita, voi incepe sa va povestesc cum a fost. Pana atunci, continui cu inca cateva postari (4) despre calatorii in Italia anilor 1997-2000.

Primele mele doua intalniri cu Venetia au fost foarte scurte si s-au desfasurat pe ploaie, in martie 1997 si decembrie 1998. Imi amintesc ca ceea ce a constituit o surpriza neasteptata a fost faptul ca, iesita din gara, am dat imediat ochii cu Canal Grande.  Oameni cu umbrele si zgibuliti de un vant subtire se urcau in vaporetto-uri si se departau grabiti. Eu am luat-o pe jos, urmand indicatoarele, pentru a ajunge in Piata San Marco. Asta vroiam sa vad prima data in Venetia, purtand in minte doua ilustrate pastrate de bunicul meu si vazute cand eram copil. Ele m-au facut sa visez la un oras misterios, strabatut de gondole.
Totul era mohorat, peretii caselor coscoviti de umezeala. Faceau negot bun doar micile magazine care vindeau, in strada, cizme de cauciuc. Pe stradutele apropiate de canal erau intinse, din loc in loc, scanduri, pentru a putea circula fara sa te uzi prea tare pe picioare. In cea de-a doua calatorie, cea din decembrie, m-au amuzat doamnele imbracate in blanuri elegante si incaltate cu cizme de cauciuc! Cred ca era ceva ce puteam vedea doar acolo.

Cateva poze, facute pe Canal Grande, arata apa ridicata la nivelul cheiului.
In sfarsit, am ajuns in Piata San Marco. In locul imaginilor insorite, cu o multime de oameni si de porumbei, retinute din filme, m-a intampinat un loc trist si cenusiu, acoperit de doua-trei palme de apa, peste care era aruncata o podina din scanduri lata cat sa treaca un om si pe care stateau cuminti la coada cei care doreau sa intre in basilica.

Cand lucrul acesta mi s-a intamplat de doi ori consecutiv, m-am gandit ca nu voi mai merge la Venetia care nu dorea - se pare - sa mi se infatiseze intr-o lumina mai buna. In mai 2009 am revizitat insa orasul, facand acolo un popas de patru zile si atunci impresia mea s-a schimbat total. Dar despre asta, alta data.
 Basilica San Marco
 Procuratiae Vecchie
 Basilica si parte din Palatul Dogilor
 Capela si Scara Gigantilor, Curtea Senatorilor
Palatul Dogilor, Loggia

24 comments:

Joop Zand said...

Lovely place to be..... good photo's..... i like Venice.

Greetings, Joop

Traveling Hawk said...

Thanks, Joop! I wish you nice holidays!

nickro said...

Cât poate influenţa meteorologia percepţia turistică :)!

Traveling Hawk said...

nici nu stii cat :)

VP said...

I have to go to Venice,sooner or later!

Traveling Hawk said...

I think so, VP :)

joo said...

I was in Venice once, and it wasn't very successful visit. To be honest with you the it was sort of disappointment. Probably I should consider revisiting it!
Can't wait to see your photos from Thailand!

Traveling Hawk said...

I like it only he 3rd time, so you may try it again, Jo:)

Randy said...

What an enchanting looking place.

ioana2micile-vacante said...

Am fost de doua ori in Venetia, de fiecare data a fost vreme nemaipomenit de buna, de fapt de cate ori am fost in Italia a fost la fel. Totusi, in octombrie am prins o mica acqua alta in Piata San Marco. Insa, din prima clipa in care am descins in Venetia si probabil cat voi trai, Canal Grande va ramane cel mai important, mai uluitor, mai extraordinar obiectiv turistic de acolo.
Un an nou cu multe calatorii!
La multi ani!

Traveling Hawk said...

It is Randy, but you need time to discover it.

Traveling Hawk said...

Multumesc pentru vizita si comentariu, ioana2micile-vacante!

RIZALENIO said...

Water world. I want to visit this place soon. Happy New Year, Traveling Hawk. Can't wait to see/read your Thailand photos/stories.

magda said...

Oooo, this is surprise!!!
Thailand!!! Wonderful! Welcome come back, my dear friend!
Your photos with Venice are so beautiful!
Is a very nice and interest place!
I wich you a Happy Year!
Many kisses

Traveling Hawk said...

I will start after New Year's Eve, Rizalenio :)

Traveling Hawk said...

Thanks, Magda1 All the best to you too!

Traveling Hawk said...

Welcome, Jen Umm and thanks for the comment. Yes, my Christmas in Thailand was great:)

Happy New Year!

ikinga said...

Locuiesc de 6ani la cca 40min de mers cu trenul de Venetia. De obicei merg in Venetia de cateva ori pe an, si tot as fi vrut sa vad orasul inundat dar n-am reusit. :) Ai putea sa te declari multumit ca ai vazut ambele fete ale orasului. Normal ca de cele mai multe ori imi aleg zile insorite pentru a merge, evatand Iulie si August cand e foarte cald, umed si aglomerat. Ah, iti ramane sa vizitezi Venezia in Februarie, in timpul carnvalului, absolut superb, merg in fiecare an. Ah, si prin Octombrie, cand se tine Biennale.
Ceea ce tu numesti "Venetia pe ploaie" venetianii o numesc "acqua alta".

Traveling Hawk said...

Bine ai venit ikinga si multumesc pentru completari. Deocamdata nu am putut calatori in perioadele mentionate de tine fiind inca in serviciu si neavand concediu atunci. Calatoresc in vacantele studentilor, in decembrie si de Paste, mai putin vara. Atunci aleg locuri mai racoroase:)

Iti doresc un An Nou fericit!

LifeRamblings said...

glad i made it to Venice. it's one of my favourite places in italy.

Traveling Hawk said...

It's the favourite for most of the tourist!

J_on_tour said...

Thanks for reminding me of this photographic gem of a place.
I was once in Venice in December 2007 and even though the waters kept low, the weather was very cold. I was disappointed with the processing of my 35mm film and always promised to go back again. Now an aeroplane company has just started bookings from my local airport this summer :-)

Traveling Hawk said...

That's good for you, J_on_tour! May be you will return to Venice, to take more photos:)

Liliana said...

Cat de frumos e!