Venice

As the sun set to our right and the full moon rose behind, we boarded the vaporetto from Aeroporto Marco Polo to Lido, the thin barrier island that separates the lagoon of Venice from the Adriatic Sea. This is where Thomas Mann's Von Aschenbach retreated to assuage his wanderlust and ultimately to die. Lido is "young" compared to Venice proper, and reminded me, in places, of Charleston. The night cooled quickly, threatening rain, and we were very tired from the long flight, so we stumbled into an quaint little restaurant (two tables!) and enjoyed a fantastic dinner of local fish grilled in butter and garlic, accompanied by a crisp Sauvignon.

Our first day in Venice was cold and rainy, and we immediately became lost in the tangle of narrow alleyways. As all tourists do, we found our way to Piazza San Marco. The balance of the day was spent out of the drizzle and in museums: Il Museo Correr, the Peggy

Guggenheim and the Academia. The following day was sunny and warm, an interesting contrast to the day prior. We strolled the length of the island, starting at the far end of the Grand Canal, stopping for a cappuccino at the Rialto bridge and wending our way back to the Basilica.

The grandeur, variety and detail of Venice's palazzos and churches is staggering, even 500 years after her prime.

Even so, it is hard not to feel like one of a million fleas on a dead dog during the day as the streets teem with tourists and the shops and restaurants that cater to them (I suppose that includes us, too). At night, the crowds dissipate, and the lighted facades and dark medieval alleyways form a chiaroscuro that recaptures a hint of the old, living island-city. From the square, we continued eastward past the ancient shipyards of the Arsenal, where the tight alleys are replaced by relatively broad boulevards.

At its Eastern extreme, the island is surprisingly placid, verdant and uncrowded. This shot was taken near La Biennale, where pieces from emerging artists from around the globe were on exhibition. We stopped into (free) exhibits by New Zealand and Icelandic artists.
The last two days were spent exploring the diverse bird life along the Adriatic coast from the outskirts of Trieste to the Po delta near Ravenna. Despite their relative proximity, the days provided very distinct experiences. The Isola della Cona, at the mouth of the Isonzo River, is a small but incredibly rich reserve with several blinds and an impressive three story observation tower. On the second day, we relied upon the formidable Menotti Passarella, who guided us through the Po's maze of waterways to various avian hot spots, including this flock of flamingos (that long pinkish-while line on the water at left). You can check out our birding blog for more.