Venice ۩ Venesia ۩ La Serenissima

If I could be like anything in the world, I would want to be like Venice. I've always thought it was more million-dimensial than three-dimensional (who knows what's going on in the canals at night, beyond sea level?) Every stone has its own story and walking through the old, washed-out streets is like being in a painting. It's so full of magic it's almost not real.

not my photo, unfortunately

TO (TRY TO) UNDERSTAND VENICE ;;
despite my great affection for literature i don't connect prose or poetry with cities; however, the following books have shaped my perception of venice remarkably:

1. The Flowing Queen by Kai Meyer → read this book if you're not in Venice but want to know exactly what it feels like. it is unimaginably difficult and rare to capture essences of cities (actually of anything), but he did it.

2. Corto Maltese: Fable of Venice by Hugo Pratt → this and all other volumes including those not set in Venice because Corto has Venice inside him. these comics are beyond gorgeous and inspiring. i bought two volumes when i was in nyc; i'd never read comic books in english before - the first one i was into was Diabolik which i had in croatian (later in italian) - and it was a bit strange, but the other Corto Maltese volumes we have are in croatian and they feel just right.

3. The Secret Venice of Corto Maltese: Fantastic and Hidden Itineraries by Guido Fuga and Lele Vianello → 7 itineraries with (often deliberately vague) instructions on how to reach places that appeared in Corto Maltese or are related to the life of its author + hundreds of little stories, amazing illustrations and recommendations on places to eat and drink. a book like this should exist for every city. available in most bookshops in Venice.

these photos are from September 2008



I have the biggest crush on this giraffe, I would definitely wear it were it possible to buy it! They've been showcasing it in the same place for at least two years now, always with the "NO SALE" sign. Sigh. It's probably one of those "Venetian sense of humor" things.


Speaking of Venetian sense of humor ... Love this. More?



Last September was the first time I saw a film at Venice Film Festival legally, even though from my experience nobody really cares about the 18+ rule.