Still Lost in Venice and Loving It

With a day of exploring lesser known nooks and crannies already under our belts it’s time to visit the heart of Venice. Piazza San Marco, a crucial gateway for trade and diplomacy during the height of the Venetian Republic, that continues to inspire even today. The significance of this location holds a special place in my heart as I imagine hordes of treasure laden galley ships docking here from medieval times to the late 18th century. I’ll admit, however, that in modern times, the experience is slightly blemished by a smattering of scaffolding and constructions throughout the square. A small nuisance but vital to Venice’s survival!

As we walk through the square a group of students ask if they can interview us for a school project. I laugh to myself, clearly we must look like the world’s most obvious tourists. Of course, we’re happy to oblige. Some of the questions include, “Why did you come to Venice?”, “What do you know about Venetian culture”, or “What do you think about the impacts of tourism in Venice?” Their questions seem telling of the struggles that this beautiful place must overcome. In response, we note that even in winter there are plenty of people… and that we’re thankful we’re not here in summer. They nod with a knowing grimace, continuing to chit chat with us for a while before we wish them luck with their project and they thank us for our time. 

Speaking of tourism inspired activities, next up are the pigeons! It’s illegal to sell bird seed here but someone seems to be doing it anyway. We watch, as a sly peddler charges two naive vacationers 10€ for a handful of corn. Later, Jesse barters him down to 2€ and though the peddler acts like we’ve ripped him off, we all know he’s definitely still won. Nonetheless as soon as the corn exchanges hands, Jesse is swarmed by a frenzied tornado of pigeons eager to score a kernel. In less than a minute the swarm disperses like nothing had ever transpired leaving nothing but a look of surprise and thorough enjoyment on Jesse’s face.

“I’ve done it! I’ve done the pigeons!” He laughs in reminiscence of the first time he’d learned of this peculiar activity. In fact, “The pigeons” had been a bucket list item since Jesse had seen the experience demonstrated by his favourite explorer, Karl Pilkington on the travel show, “An idiot abroad!” To commemorate Karl, Jesse recreates a scene from the show.  

After basking in the sights of Piazza San Marco we continue our lazy exploration of the sprawling Venetian corridors. I stop every few minutes to take another photo. Jesse rolls his eyes affectionately, “stop taking photos of the same alleyway!” We were here yesterday.” He snorts, knowing all too well that I have absolutely no bearing on where the heck I am at any given moment. “Oh?” I reply playfully, “But this time I caught a seagull in the picture!” I gleefully retort, trotting over to show my achievement. 

And so we continue for the rest of the day until finally, I get the quintessential Venetian evening I’d been dreaming of. This consists of a plate of Cicchetti and an Aperol Spritz consumed from the comfort of a plush and decorative chair in a darkened corner of a highly rated restaurant. Jesse has been dreading this “overpriced fancy food” but is pleasantly surprised. Though, predictably, his favourite is still KFC.

Later, in the wee hours of morning, of all things, I awake with a throbbing pain in my thumb. It’s infected. “For the love of..” I grumble to myself as I sit in darkness checking my phone for the earliest available chemist. Jesse wakes briefly, sleepily calling me “a problem child” before wrapping himself in a blanket cannelloni and dozing off once more. Eventually though, I can’t take the boredom and forcing Jesse out of bed, we head off to see the sunrise. What a rare and beautiful sight it is. One I’ll cherish forever. 

On the way back to base, we meet a rather majestic dog who, seemingly aware of his magnetic aura, poses as people stop to take a photo of him. We chat with his owner, who gives us some tips on where we might find more hidden churches and other ornate corners. Then, after a brief stop at the chemist and awkward interlude soaking my thumb in some salt water, we resume the adventure. Unlocking obscure locations on this wonderful island, like we’re in a computer game.