Photo Friday: Venice

Leaving Piazza San Marco, we were carried along by the waves of people as they coursed through the streets of Venice.

I could easily understand how the Venetians could come to dislike the tourists and the industry that draws them as moths to a flame. The square had been mobbed with people, a sea of humanity. As we entered the current of moving bodies, we were carried along to our next tourist destination.

The tight streets of Venice compressed the crowds of people until we were shoulder to shoulder, inching along towards the Rialto Bridge.

My mental images of the city were altered forever by the reality of masses of people moving as if in a cattle chute towards a final destination for a selfie. I was a willing participant in the madness! Reaching the oldest bridge in Venice, it was a few moments before a spot along a railing would open up, and I could view the canal.

The water taxi’s were bringing more from the airport, darting like flying fish. I thought, “how many more can the city support, before it sinks beneath the waves?” The view was fantastic, yet it didn’t reveal the reality of our position. On the bridge,I could not extend my arm without striking a person!

We descended to the water front, in search of a place to rest. The crowds here where thinner. We sought a space to breathe and enjoy a late lunch.