The City Behind a Mask

Venice. It rests on wood pylons driven 15 feet into the ground. Only 60,000 residents remain in this once grand city. They are leaving at a rate of 1000 per year. Strict building codes and laws prevent what seams like almost any changes to the rotting buildings. City planners worry that in six decades, Venice will only be a historic museum.

However, that does not minimize the enchanting mystery of this place, especially in the quieter, traditional, and residential sections. Laundry swings over the narrow streets in harmony with the sea breeze. The wind carries the smell and moisture of the ocean on its back. The sound of the occasional accordion echos off the water and bounces off the colorful facades. The gondolier's paddle creates ripples which reflect off the innumerable bridges.

Though filled with historic grandeur, Venice is deteriorating from the inside out. Tourists see the colorful facades and imagine Venice at its peak . It is like a masquerade. Beautiful and mysterious to the eye, but something deeper lies beneath. This is the picture of enchanting mystery. A city behind a mask.

// Katelyn //