More Venice

Venice is quiet. There are no cars or motorbikes, so one has the pleasure of hearing the other sounds of life. And church bells, of course.

Venice is also full of tourists. Really full. And apparently it's less and less populated by Venetians each year. According to an excellent National Geographic article: "Number of Venetian residents in 2007: 60,000. Number of visitors in 2007: 21 million." (Here's a link to the beginning of the article.)

Among the problems the city faces these days: It's sinking and flooding. It's expensive. Trash overwhelms. But sitting on the steps on the edge of St. Mark's Square as night falls and music and voices fill the air, it's easy to forget all of that and just enjoy.