Before we went to Venice, I really didn't want to go. It sounded touristy, expensive, corrupted, creepy, and totally unromantic. Some of this impression came from the movie "The Comfort of Strangers" which I saw a long time ago but which really creeped me out. Icky! But it left a lasting impression that Venice is sinister. Also the book Death in Venice--more corruption and unromantic creepiness.
But the reality totally bowled me over. Some of the marvelousness of Venice is just the lack of cars. What a relief. What a fine way to live. Your senses are so happy in Venice. But it also is just such a celebration of beauty, set in stone. I love that the people who built it, maintained it, rebuilt it, genuinely care about community beauty. It's true of every public thing. The bridges are lovely, graceful shapes, and further embellished with decorations. The public lights are handsome. The signs are discreetly attached to walls -- no big, ugly metal poles. The esthetic quality is just so high. And all further enhanced by the fact that evveryone is on foot, and there are no motor vehicles polluting the quiet or the air.
I am totally besotted with Venice.
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