As I was scrolling down a series of pictures from my album, trying to recall my trip to Venice, the first thing that occurred to me was the colors, then the places, and the humans.
Personally, I like its melodramatic purple sky – a slightly moody, pinkish/ grayish purple. For me, this color represents very well the aura of Venice, probably because there were certain remarkable moments I got to observe under its lilac-hued skies. It can be the time I stood on the Rialto Bridge, watching the signature bustling scene of Venice in the late afternoon. From afar, lines of ferries intersect each other as they take the tourists to the island. Slightly to the right of the canal, I could hear overlapping calls of waiters, tempting the tourists into their restaurants. The afternoon in Venice, therefore, sets itself apart from the commonly-known tranquil nature of Europe. Or it can be the time I returned to Venice on a ferry from Burano island. It was during sunset hours and the whole sky was bleached in purple. I still remember people flocking to the main deck, blocking each other’s way to witness that sublime scene. Only when the crowd scattered, did I finally get to see it with ineffable joy and admiration.
As the sky’s color gradually turned into murky darkness, I can’t recall how many times I got lost in Venice’s labyrinth of alleys. However, as many people claim, it is the unexpected detours that lead you to some very hidden, yet lovely corners. I also had some favorite spots when being lost in the alleyways. Despite my efforts to find the way back to the hotel, oftentimes, I was drawn to many decorative boutique stores of different turns, and before I knew it, I was lost again.
The last time I saw Venice, its color was blue, with dashes of white clouds coming and going, blending and parting. Standing in front of the Doge’s Palace, I could hear the gentle lapping of water on one side, and observe its finesse architecture on the other. At the moment, I wished I could stay here a bit longer.
Coming to Venice and being able to explore places that I could only see in films has been a dream come true. I will definitely visit Venice again someday, maybe this time with a better phone storage capacity and a camera to capture more beautiful corners of this city.
Author: Quynh Trang Le
Editor: Phoebe Elliott
Visuals by: Rea Roitner