Venice walkabout 2

It is, on the one hand, sort of unfortunate, if inevitable, that Venice has effectively become a town dedicated almost entirely to the tourist trade. On the other, of course, Venice was one of the ancient centres of commerce, so perhaps it was even more inevitable that it would return to that. The stores filled with glass and masks are, initially, eerie and spectacular, and then quickly fade into the tedium of repetition and lack of distinction. The street vendors hawking odd mixes of Italian-made and China-imported goods, despite a pedigree as old as the shopkeepers, significantly diminish the old-world charm.

Even in the off season the main thoroughfares are crowded, especially in the early-mid evening.