Finding Quiet in Chaos

As I made my way back along the street where I had lost site of Marlene, I checked every shop. When I got back to the intersection at the far end of the street, there she was, waiting, patiently. I’m not sure she new that she had been lost, so with few words, off we went to see more of the city.

One of our pleasures in Venice was finding a nice quiet place for lunch. As noon approached, we kept our eye open. One day we found a shady corner along side the canal, where the street met a bridge. On another, it was in the courtyard of a university, while another was a church step. However, probably the nicest picnic spot of all was one day on a park bench within earshot of a street violinist. After walking the morning away, there was nothing like tasting a blend of cheese, crackers, tomatoes, and fruit, while sipping a little red wine. And of course, we always enjoyed a little quiet time together, in the ambience of all that history.

There was a shortage of public washrooms throughout the city. Of course, after that became apparent, there was even more need. We were resourceful though, we found them in a hospital, a university and oh yes, there was a McDonalds in Venice too. The washrooms were clean, but we skipped the Big Mac.

Did you know, there are no traffic lights or round-abouts in Venice. No stop signs either. Why would there be? Remember, there are no cars and trucks. The canals were busy with boats, but it was the laws of the sea that kept things ticking along in a semi-organized fashion.

We found the local market. It was outside the busy tourist area, and where the locals went to fill their needs. There were lots of vegetables and fresh fish.

Each evening, we’d find a little al fresco restaurant alongside a canal. Dining in Italy was typically between 7 and 10. This was somewhat later than we were used to, but it’s all part of siesta pushing their day into evening. There was always lots of wonderful fish, pasta and local wine.

In the chaos of the city, we seemed to be always searching for some quiet, and without exception, we found it in some of the most interesting places.

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http://travellingwithsteveandmarlene.blogspot.ca/2011/09/farewell-italy-could-spain-be-next.html