Len's UK/Europe 2000 Photo Album: Venice, day 1

October 3. After sleeping on the night train from Nice, I arrive in Venice at about 6:30am and start looking for a hotel. My guidebook recommends a place called Fondazione Levi (about 50 yards from the north end of Accademia Bridge) and that's it, the doorway above. Actually on the other side of the door the building is beautiful with a courtyard and marble floors. It's a guest house run by a foundation that promotes research on Venetian music, so you can sit in the courtyard and often hear someone practicing singing or piano -- very nice. My single room with shower was only L140,000 and was very clean and comfortable.

A butcher. Notice the lack of signage on his store. Venice is such a small town, the locals don't really need signs unless they want to attract tourists.

The courtyard in front of Chiesa Della Salute. I don't know what the buiding in the background is -- a residence perhaps. Check out the couple in the center; she struck that pose without me having to ask.

This is one of my favorite shots. When I asked these highschool girls if I could take their picture, they all said, "no!" Two of them even ran away. I was about to move on, and then suddenly they just came together in this pose -- beautiful. Also notice the wrist watch. The young people in Venice were all wearing those big, Star Trek-like, digital watches.

A band playing in Piassa S. Marco

The pigeons in Piazza S. Marco will flock to anyone with food. The guy at the stand is selling bird feed.

Gondolas near S. Marco. Across the canal is Chiesa Della Salute.

Bridge of Sighs.

Buildings along the Grand Canal.

The Grand Cannal looking west toward the Rialto Bridge.

The Grand Cannal.

A building on the Grand Cannal. A lot of these old buidings are deserted; Venice is sinking and the ground floors get flooded on a regular basis -- some at every high tide.

A cruise ship, the Amsterdam II, steams around the Islands of Venice.

More stores without signs. Notice the little tables; they become the sidewalk when it floods.

A small park near S. Marco.

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