The food is pretty bad, though. I splurged for one meal, and went to a restaurant recommended by my guide book. It was on the ground floor of a swanky hotel and was amazing. Otherwise, everything I ate was overpriced and tourist-oriented.

Don’t Look Now, but I think I saw one.

My wife and I visited Venice in March of 2007. the crowds were huge, but I believe the most fun we had was in Cannareggio, the area where we stayed. There’s lots to see there: The Ghetto that gave the world the name, the church where Tintoretto is buried as well as his house, a poignant Holocaust memorial, few crowds, neighborhoods where families lived and worked and lots of stores and restaurants where I had to use my very rudimentary Italian. I have pictures ,a href=”http://www.beautifulhorizons.net/photos/venice_and_cannareggio/index.html”>here.

Although…ye gods, the canals in late summer.

And while we’re on the subject of Italian city-state republics, I’ve always been more attracted to the Florentine Republic. Intellectual and cultural ferment, struggle against aristocrats both internal and external, and of course, Machiavelli.

1996, right after finals but right before Christmas, in Venice was one of the best experiences in a foreign city I’ve ever had. Almost no tourists, sun set near four, the city was coated with a mysterious and romantic fog. My companions and I, returning from a foray to the near-empty Guggenheim stumbled upon an open air market in a piazza one night. It was close to eight at night, but business was brisk: old books, antiques, jewelry, vintage clothes. Nothing plastic or touristy or gauche. It was simply lovely, and we spent a good hour and a half or so browsing. I’m pretty sure we were the only foreigners around.

The next morning, we went back to that piazza and all traces of the market were gone.

La Serenessima still can be found, sometimes. Cheers!

Not unlike what we have in the US today, down to such details as the over-developed secret police, as well as other features of a security state.

Also, both commercial / maritime empires, with often aggressive foreign policies run with an eye to their oligarchs’ economic interests, and both began as outposts of older empires. I never thought about it before, but there really are multiple parallels, on very different scales of course. Interesting point.

I don’t think we’ll be leaving quite as distinguished an artistic heritage behind, though.

(I wasn’t really interested in Heritage except for Paperino and Dylan Dog, which I am happy to inform timberites are widely available at kiosks even in the quietest parts of the city.)