Venice is arguably as fabled in the American psyche as Paris. The land of the great renaissance painters and intellectuals. Islands of profound Italian beauty in the sea and in the architecture.
Spectrums dominate the city of Venice. From vibrantly colored facades to graffiti covered churches. From prestine aqua blue waters to murky rivers of trash. From packed tourist sidewalks to a soulless alley.
The city is purely pedestrian. No cars or motorcycle or mopeds. This meant safety in walking around with head craned up looking at the Venetian crammed alleyways.
There's hundreds of side roads in which to get lost. The Venice experience included getting lost. The roads are crooked, signs incorrect, piazzas unknown, and maps useless. I'm in no rush. Getting lost allowed me to explore the areas untreaded by the concentrations of tourists and the Venetian tourism industy.
Calm can be found when take the roads less traveled.
I have a difficult time on what to make of Venice. On one hand, I know it's beautiful, rich, ans artistic history and the fantastical renaissance architectures that line up all the narrow streets. But the other hand holds what Venice has now become.
Tourists have forever transformed the city. They have choked out authenticity, replaced with trickets of gondolas. On the same roads where Venetian scholars walked, tourists pack themselves bickering about what kind of ice cream they want.
Globalization at its _________.
Some apt street commentary.
I get the feeling that these guys wear their uniforms just like the Disney employees put on their Mickey Mouse costume. It's a small world indeed.
Tourism aside, as I tried not to think of it while in Venice, the architecture was stunning. Basilica di San Marco's massive structure was covered with ornate mosaics and a wonderful array or different types of marble. 
It's inevitable that tourism would be prevalent in cities like Paris and Venice. But with such a small land space, Venice has been gutted by tourism. It still offers the beautiful architectural beauty... in which to serve as the backdrop for pictures.
Tourism is the modern day imperialism. No motives. Just mindlessly conquering.
OK now I think I understand part of what i was told about italian inefficiency. Tourism dependant decendants of Italian living off from the remnants of their ancestors' spectacular creation partially explains some of the Italian work ethics and culture of lackadaisical attitude. Compare that with Korean hurry up culture revival from war ravaged past. Like a kid trying absolute best out of her inferior complex.
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