Last year for my birthday we went to Venice.  It’s only a couple of hours on the train from Florence and I was determined to spend at least one birthday in this wonderful city.  After all, Russ has had countless birthdays here because his birthday is in July and we are always on vacation in that month.  Having a November birthday, I knew that the Venice we have come to love was the summer Venice and I was anxious to see what it would be like in the grayness of rain and cold weather.

It’s still magic, perhaps even moreso.  It was very quiet, not crowded, and we had a few days to wander randomly through the maze of streets and canals that make Venice unique.  This time, I was struck by the neighborhood-ness of the small alleys and waterways.

Perhaps because we were alone most of the time, we took closer notice of the residents and the beauty they have created in their ancient spaces.

The canals, like streets in residential neighborhoods, have personalities all their own.  Some have the luxury of outdoor space and private gardens,

some have the even greater luxury of private balconies,

and some seem like inner city apartment complexes…..one apartment after another, lined up in neat rows with their vehicles parked just outside.

They are all, however, unique in their own way

because Venice, even though it is chock full of awe-inspiring monuments, is also home to many people.  Some would say lucky people, although the residential population is declining due to the difficulties imposed on citizens by way of intense tourism as well as equally intense tax burdens.

I’ve been here many times and I’ve studied a bit of its history, but this beautiful city always seems new to me.   Here are some of the things that grabbed my attention on this visit:

The Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute was built by the Republic of Venice as a thank you to God for ending the 1630 plague that carried off nearly one third of the population.  It is said that one million trees were felled to supply the wooden piles that form the platform upon which the church is built.

It’s enormous…..bend-over-backwards-to-see-the-ceiling kind of enormous.  It does a very fine job of making one feel tiny in the presence of holiness.  And I love to light candles in memory of loved ones gone to heaven……it matters here, I  just know it.

The Scuola Grande San Rocco, an enormous building…..just look at those marble stairs…..is now a museum housing important and very large works by the likes of Tintoretto and Tiziano.  Saint Roch is the patron saint of plague victims and the Scuola started out (and continues today) as a confraternity for charitable works.

The Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo is a pure knockout when you come upon it as a passerby.  It was built by the Contarini, one of the founding families of Venice, in the late 1400s, and the “del Bovolo” part of the name is just the Venetian dialect word for snail, which is what the staircase resembles.

The views from the top of the staircase are breathtaking…..all of Venice stretches out before you…..

as well as the neighbor’s laundry.

The Church of Saint Giacomo di Rialto is the oldest church in Venice……and the sunburst dial ornament draws your eye to the very unusual 24 hour timepiece….it’s fun to just stand there for a few minutes to watch the hand slowly (very slowly) move!

I love books and bookstores.  Aqua Alta is the most unusual one I’ve ever seen.  It has multiple rooms jam-packed with books and magazines, seemingly unorganized although staff can point you directly to what you’re looking for.  These ingenious folks store the books on high shelves, in bathtubs, in sinks, and in particular a full size gondola in the center of the main entrance…..anything to avoid the disaster of the annual flooding.

There’s even a back door with stairs made of piles of old books leading up to the next street.  Of course, there are resident cats presiding over all.

The Cantina do Mori is the oldest bacaro in Venice, having been founded in 1462.  Really.  It’s hidden away on two tiny streets behind the Rialto Bridge (one can enter on either side of the place).  Bacari are little bars that serve a steady stream of customers who stop by

for little bites of delicious morsels (called cicchetti) and a sip of fortification in the form of local wines….many very good whites, by the way.  It’s a wonderful way to snack and I’m sure no calories accrue because you take these snacks standing up and then go on your way.

The Trattoria ai Cugnai dal 1911 is an old trattoria started by three brothers-in-law (cognati in italian, cugnai in venetian dialect) that is just a straightforward venetian eatery serving up good food in an old and comforting setting, not far from the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute.

It was cold and windy when we got there.  We were hungry.  It was my birthday.  We ate well.

The Caffe La Serra started life as a 19th century greenhouse and is now a flower shop and cafe located at the Biennale Gardens.  After spending a morning traveling by vaporetti along canals, it’s very other-worldly to sit in this warm and light-filled cafe, sipping a hot drink, surrounded by greenery.

And finally, in my list of notable things on this particular trip…..there have to be gondolas, right?  I mean, it’s Venice so there have to be gondolas.  As it turns out, our favorite Venetian, Roberto Tagliapietra, has been doing this work all his life…..he’s a wonderful ambassador for his city, a charming and good-natured man who loves what he does……..

Gondoliers and others whose work keeps them on the water are numerous in Venice……sometime in the future I’d like to do a photo blog of the many workers whose jobs are carried out on the water…it’s fascinating to see the ingenious use of boats to accommodate just about every line of work.   But for now, here’s a few interesting workers who passed my way……

Each morning we watched from our hotel’s balcony as workers arrived and methodically wiped down each gondola until it was sparkling and ready to face another day…….

And then one day, as we were passing by in a vaporetto, we saw this scaffolding operator and his trusty sidekick who, it appears, was trying to emulate the noble lion sculpture.  I think he nailed it.

As I write this, one year after I took these photos, Venice is suffering from an extraordinarily high tide that has already caused much damage and renewed serious concerns about its future.   If you’ve not visited, go.  If you have, go again.  Don’t listen to the critics who complain of the heat in summer, of the hordes of tourists, of the high prices.  Do some research, get a map, get off the beaten track and wander through the city on foot……you’ll be rewarded for your efforts.

I love birthdays and I’ve had many (no, I’m not saying how many)…..this one was special.