ITALY - VENICE- What? No Pigeons?

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Geo: 45.4345, 12.3384

13th February
VENICE
We caught the train from Padua to Venice. It was only a half hour train ride away so it quite easy to go just for the day.
It was cold and very windy but Venice is always beautiful no matter what the weather is.
I am a little spoilt because I have been to Venice about 10 times, over a number of years but the first time is like Christmas morning. You are in awe of its beauty.
The gondolas and the canals with the endless bridges at the every step there is a photo opportunity.
I find the first time I visit a city I take all of the usual touristy photos. But if I return to a city I find that I start taking photos of the unusual and or the ordinary.
Especially a place like Venice it's beautiful but for some people it's home.Every day life in Venice would be very difficult. Even a simple thing like going shopping. Throwing out the rubbish. If you need to drive.... Where do you park the car. Or maybe take the boat to car!! Too hard to even thing about it.
Then don't forget you would have all of these crazy tourists racing around trying to get the best picture.
St Marks square is always amazing.
I remember on out first visit I was 13 and you could buy bags of food for the pigeons and we would have them eating from our hands, shoulders and even out head.
Birdseed is not sold anymore and you could actually get fined if you get caught feeding the birds anything. The main reasons for their ban is the cost of the clean up of the pigeon droppings and the fact that they are eating the marble and stucco.
So another tradition, gone but the beautiful city built on wooden stakes is still standing and is wonderfully amazing.
Next time, I will have to come to Venice when the tide is very high and you have to walk on the planks or just walk threw the water with wading boots like the fishermen do.
It's always a beautiful day in Venice.

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