Venice carefully deconstructs what it means to be human. The city itself demonstrates the beautiful parallels of human emotion: happiness and sadness; decay and liveliness; love and hate. What once was an elegant paradise for Europeans has literally started to rot in its own gorgeousness and, although the sadness is pervasive, there is something so… alive… about it, still.
The gothicness and preserved beauty of Venice reminds me of the many of us who hold on to the past like it’s a pearl that will never be found again. We hope to find that beauty again, that happiness, that time where life was handed to us on a jewel-encrusted platter and all we had to do was accept it. All we ever had to do was be happy that we were so fortunate.
This is Venice.
Venice reminds us of a time that was more beautiful, more carefree, and is more of an artifact of what once was, rather than a bid into the future. And, truly, the decaying building fronts desperately being preserved by the historians are a beautiful reminder that everything that was once elegant may eventually disintegrate. And, it hinges on the balance that is life, in its rawest form. That moments can be preserved, but the physical nature of our memories will decay.
And, Venice is an absolutely magnificent reminder of this. Of the stark balance of human emotion. Of the line we straddle between sadness and happiness, of holding on and letting go, of accepting what once was and accepting what is now. Anybody who is truly happy knows that their ability to be sad is just one heartbeat away, because the feeling of true happiness is so electric and urgent that we are constantly on the verge of falling to the wayside.
Venice, in every sense of the word, is haunting. But, also, clearly, hauntingly beautiful. The city is slowly decaying and there are people so bent on preserving it that it’s reminiscent of a doctor charging up the paddles for a patient that has already gone on. There’s something desperate and mindnumbingly beautiful about that. About the sadness that comes along with letting go of something that once was perfect.
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This was such a beautiful post. The contrast with the present and the past is stunningly portrayed in your words, Jamie, and I want to thank you for writing about it.
Personally, part of my love of travel stems from my love of history — to be able to walk the places where others have walked, to imagine it as another time when people lived different lives but felt the same raw, human emotions, to be able to wonder what once was…There’s nothing like it. But to see the changes of those places is a bit heartbreaking in that the city, the structure, and the architecture might remain the same, but all around are the marking of that change in the commercialism and tourist attractions, in the crumbling, in the decay. I can’t say I blame people for wanting to preserve it.
There is something haunting and beautiful about that, like a whisp of a dream that you can never quite grasp because it’s already long gone. You see what is and can only imagine what once was. And sometimes, you’re a bit hesitant to imagine might possibly be.
The way you wrote about this city is nothing short of magical, Jamie. And this line: “Anybody who is truly happy knows that their ability to be sad is just one heartbeat away” is lingering with me today. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing your journey!
Hardly any time to keep up with your journeys, but you sure caught Venice! Keeping in mind that Venice is nothing if not self-conscious, even while it keeps sinking below that liminal boundary between consciousness and what’s beneath it. For Zen masters, love is a distraction from their true goal, and for Christians, it stands for the ultimate glory. I’ll take mine combo, with cheese!
Miss Varon
Bravo on an other great musing of your ‘Experienso Italia’ (I have no idea if that was Italian or not ).
This post shows more mature, constructed, and polished style to your writing which just goes to show how your European adventures are expanding your horizons!
(Buy the way – that’s not knocking your ‘old’ style – it’s truly unique and quite brilliant – you’re only person I know who could actually comment on the punctuation of her sentence, whilst actually writing the sentence itself!)
Anyhoo – looking forward to your next post!
p.s. We have named our new cats ‘Mrs Eaves’ and ‘Gotham’ – I’m sure you approve.
Simply stunning, Jamie. Your words, even more than your photos, drew the emotional picture for me.
Jamie – this is a beautiful post. And though it’s been years since I’ve been to Venice, you captured exactly what I remembered about it (and wrote it much better than I probably would have).
Your pictures are gorgeous as well.
Oh. My. God. I am Venice.
Beautiful post! I really enjoyed this. I <3 Venice! And you captured it perfectly…it's a place that you never forget for those exact reasons.
Incredible photography, too!
Beautiful post Jamie! You are an amazing writer. Thanks for sharing…
This is beautiful. Just had to say that. Thank you for writing it. I feel the same way about Venice but was never able to put it into words.
Love your thoughts and writing on Venice. I never thought to compare my emotions and life with a old and mystifying-mysterious city like Venice. But you brought out the character of old Venice in a different light. Wondrous as it is, Venice is one of the destinations I love to go back to. There is always something different to see. I love going down the grand canal and listening to the men singing. Words can’t describe… (you probably could) Love your take on Venice in your photos so so amazingly artsy.
Thanks again for sharing your incredible adventures!!! You help heal the ache in my heart for travel. “emoshoekick”
Fantastic pictures. I have been wanting to go there and kayak through the city. Thanks for sharing your trip with us.
Oh no!
Now you make me want to go there again !
It was very inspirational trip for me when I went there a year ago …
I can feel this cool air on face and in my nostrils watching your photos..
Good luck on you trip !
Kasia