From NATHAN LUMP @ New York Times
It’s been two years since I was last in Venice. But I found myself thinking about the city again today, after looking at a lovely slide show produced by my colleagues on the Travel desk about the Venetian Carnevale, the 10-day masked extravaganza that starts this Saturday. I have something of a love-hate relationship with Venice. There are few places on the planet where I have been quite so thrilled by art, and of course the sheer unlikelihood of the place, the gorgeous fantastical quality of it, cannot but mesmerize, no matter how many times you’ve seen it. Then again, I wish it were easier to have a great meal there (don’t get me wrong, I’ve eaten very well in Venice, but I do find this more of a challenge than in other Italian cities), and I always find the place a bit creepy at night, when the sudden and near-total emptiness of the streets can give the feeling of being locked in a museum after closing. As amusing as I’m sure Carnevale is — and I suppose the streets are plenty lively after dark then — my aversion to crowds means I’d never dream of going for the festival. No, I prefer Venice as it was on my first visit, one gray, cold and misty November. My companion and I ditched our guidebook, and we simply wandered the quiet, fog-shrouded streets. And in that atmosphere the city felt not like some commercialized tourist trap but rather a place of romance and mystery, of unexpected beauty down obscure lanes and great possibilities for discovery every time we stopped studying the map and just allowed ourselves to get lost.
What’s your favorite way to experience Venice?
Re:Rethinking Venice
Funny is that we are going to spend the Valentine's day in Venice this year. Cliche? For me its also been so long time to bring the topic of revisit Venice. I love Venice, I think it has the most beautiful city name alone with Paris and Berlin. It is so fruity that I can not decide to call it by She or He! Just so many characters in it. The hating part has to be the travel effect, sometimes I found myself was dreaming about owning the city and brought it back to 15 century without packing all the travelers! Travelers, Including myself made the city looks like a big antique shopping mall. And my idea about staying at Danieli Hotel for 3 months doing nothing but leisure with mates sounds exactly like something I wouldn't be accomplished in my life. I bought A history of Venice, the most authority version I could find in Venice but I still haven't start reading yet! Eating in Venice is fine by me, as an asia, maybe I don't have that much of a expectation. Whatever they bring on the table at Verora's is fine by me. :) Oh! One thing I forgot that I just dislike, the fact the city is sinking.:( I hate to remember that.
Carnevale is a beautiful picture, I kept hearing from friends praised these special days in town. So I am bring 3 books in my travel this time: Brideshead Revisited (You know why), Death in Venice and the history book I mentioned earlier. There is no way I am gonna finished these books in about 10 days, but I will give it a try.
PS:Chris Bickford's slideshow is amazing! Truly breathtaking! Now you guys are my love-hate ones, b/c I will never have your way of seeing beauty yet I can never resist your leadings.
