Venezia, Veneto
pretty on the outside, ugly on the inside
Venice was my one regret after six weeks of traveling in Europe. Sure, it’s pretty. But lots of places are pretty. In all of my travels, I have never met people as rude as Venetians. In 36 hours, I was physically shoved to the side TWICE by locals walking past me in the street. Even in huge crowded cities I have never had that happen. I wanted to love Venice, but it was clear to me that Venetians are resentful that their dying city is being kept alive by tourists.
And tourists indeed! All the sights were packed. It was a ridiculous tourist gauntlet of ugly masks and glass. When I got off the beaten tourist path as everyone recommended, I found the city dull in the extreme. When the whole city revolves around tourists, and young people and families are leaving the city because of the cost of living, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that the backstreets are less than vibrant. While waiting for my flight out, I had to keep reminding myself to think “I only have two hours left to spend in Venice” rather than “I still have two hours to kill before I get out of Venice.”
over 6 years ago
