my favorites: canals

the canals of tongli in western china

the canals of tongli in western china

ok, i admit, have a list of favorite canals is a stretch.  and strange.  but here’s the thing: writing about venice on tuesday really got me in the mood for that other-worldly venetian spirit.  and i think canals have something to do with that.  two cities immediately come to mind with the same spirit of venice that somehow only a boat in a narrow green canal can create:

the canals of venice in los angeles

the canals of venice in los angeles

  • venice, california – it still amazes me that most angelenos don’t even know of the venice canals, though it was always on the top of my list for visitors (and the town’s namesake).  south of santa monica, tucked away just east of the crazy beach and west of eclectic abbot kinney, the canals wind through blocks of stunning houses, each creative and different from the next, connected through narrow alleys and steep foot bridges.  i could spend an afternoon wandering the canals, peeking into residents’ lush yards (probably not recommended?), and then spending the evening strolling abbot kinney and eating at one of its many famed restaurants.  the hardest part?  finding the canals.  good luck!
just some family fun along the venice canals in los angeles

just some family fun along the venice canals in los angeles

  • tongli, china – referred to as the venice of the east (sensing a theme here?), tongli was my favorite city on my tour of western china.  during a cruise along the canals, i overheard women singing at a restaurant, waved to elderly chinese men taking an afternoon stroll, and listened to the patter of light rain on the stone bridges as we passed underneath.  i also witnessed a truly absurd fishing habit.  an older woman had tied the ankles of large black pelican-type birds to her rickety boat. on command, the birds would dive for fish, catch them, regurgitate them into an empty bucket, and then get their necks wrung by the woman.  extremely strange.
the site of the bird fishers. seriously mad ritual!

the site of the bird fishers. seriously mad ritual!

which places have you visited that are simply magical?

street/canal signs in tongli

street/canal signs in tongli

my jaunts: venice, italy

i bought this postcard while i was there - stunning! it is framed in my office. st. mark's floods each year, and people must either boat across or walk across narrow benches that line the perimeter (see the background)

i bought this postcard while i was there – stunning! it is framed in my office. st. mark’s floods each year, and people must either boat across or walk across narrow benches that line the perimeter (see the background)

i’ve been dreading writing this post, because i  know it will simply not do venice any justice.  but it’s freezing and dreary in dallas today, and all i can think about is sweet, mysterious venice.  you see, venice is absolutely, definitely, hands-down my favorite city i have ever visited.  ever.  a lot of people don’t like venice.  i do not understand these people.  it is magical.  it is like no place you have ever seen before.  and if you can stay long enough to explore more than just the tourist sites, you will understand how people can fall in love with a city.

i just adored the houses on the water with their boats docked outside.

i just adored the houses on the water with their boats docked outside.

the first sight as you exit the train station is a large bridge and bustling canal with enough boats to create a traffic jam (you may also hear a native american band, which has always confused me, but i hear they are still there!).  there are no cars, no mopeds, no bikes.  the architecture is breathtaking – in fact, a simple square window appears only once along the grand canal.  the houses are faded, but each shows signs of former bright colors and detailed exterior frescos.  glancing inside the windows, you can still see the grandeur that was once venice – large chandeliers, carved ceilings, rich dark red and green walls, gold trimmings.

the grand canal on a cloudy day

the grand canal on a cloudy day

venice is filled with art galleries (the shopping is amazing with beautiful glass jewelry and home decor from the nearby island of murano), museums, and exhibits, and is host every other year to the huge biannual art show.  if you love art, plan in advance and do some research to find times to meet artists and attend exhibit openings.  the streets are paved with large gray stones, and rainbow pace (peace) flags hang from many windows.  the roads wind around and change names every few feet, becoming narrower and narrower until you are finally thrust into a huge, square plaza.  even with maps and the best of navigators (i.e. me), you will get lost.  multiple times.  just go with it.

outside of the biannual art show

outside of the biannual art show

though i highly recommend exploring the narrow and dark back roads for hidden restaurants, bars, and cafes, the tourist sites are also worth seeing.  along the grand canal sits st. mark’s square, with the famous harry’s bar, where cipriani invented the bellini (yum).  the piazza is grand, surrounded by st. mark’s basilica (inside, the floor ripples and dips and slides due to the marshy foundation underneath), doge’s palace, the campanile, and expensive restaurants with dueling orchestras.  definitely touristy, but an necessary visit for at least an afternoon/evening (if you’re willing to fork over some cash for the dueling orchestras, try florian’s, and be sure to tour the interior before leaving).  and everything truly is on a boat!  we saw a construction boat equipped with a crain, a fire boat with a hook and ladder, an ambulance docked outside the waterfront ER, a speed police boat, etc.

the exterior of st. mark's basilica - i wish my camera at the time had been better to capture the details

the exterior of st. mark’s basilica – i wish my camera at the time had been better to capture the details

across the grand canal is my favorite venetian site: the peggy guggenheim museum.  housed in her former palazzo, her surrealist collection that she amassed through supporting surrealist artists is breathtaking (let alone the views of the grand canal from her patio).  peggy was a kooky – some may say crazy – personality in venice, and she she ordered in her will that her art was never to leave venice until the day it sinks (which is happening, by the way – go quickly!).

colorful houses and boats in burano, italy, just a quick boat ride away from venice

colorful houses and boats in burano, italy, just a quick boat ride away from venice

for a nice day trip, head to the surrounding islands of murano and burano.  stop first at murano, known for its colorful glass.  you can explore artists’ studios (and watch them in action) and tour the glass museum, which explains the history of venetian glass.  spend the afternoon in burano, known for its lace and colorful houses.  each window box is filled with flowers and each door has a brightly colored boat nearby in the canal.  it remided me of the canal houses in puerto la cruz, venezuela, where i lived for a year in high school.  the lido beach to the south is also worth a stop if you’re there in the heat of the summer months.

who should go: artists, romantics, those looking for a window into the past

what to pack: walking shoes!  for nights out, you may want a wider, stacked heel or wedge to navigate the cobble-stone streets.

where to stay: to save money (venice can be expensive), try staying in the quieter parts of town with less tourist traffic.  we stayed on the south-eastern end of town, and found that we were surrounded by locals, excellent bakeries, and still walking distance to, well, the entire city.

what to read: sognare venezia, photographed by fernando bertuzzi.  this is my favorite book on venice, and captures the essence of the city much more completely and beautifully than college eva.

best advice: if you go the route of a gondola ride, bring a bottle of wine (tip from my friend, erin!)

en route to the biannual art festival in venice

en route to the biannual art festival in venice

ready for my close-up with st. mark's basilica and the campanile behind me

ready for my close-up with st. mark’s basilica and the campanile behind me

 

my favorites: art museums

my friend, kate, and i on the lawn at the getty center a few years back

my friend, kate, and i on the lawn at the getty center a few years back

i’m a bit of an art junkie; i can’t seem to stay away from museums in any city i visit. the more modern, the better, but i appreciate it all. here are some of my favorite museums throughout the world. there is no way to narrow it down to just three, so stay tuned for additions to this list throughout the year. what are your favorites?

  • the menil collection, houston, texas – my friend, amanda, found this museum while we were both visiting my parents after they moved to houston. known for its surrealist art collection (it includes a room with other-worldly gadgets, knick-knacks, masks, etc. owned by the surrealists – a personal fave everytime i visit), this is a must-see for every magritte, dalí, and miró fan. and best of all, it’s free.
  • peggy guggenheim collection, venice, italy – i visited this museum, housed in peggy guggenheim’s former home in venice, while studying abroad in asolo, italy. overlooking the grand canal, the museum includes art peggy collected throughout her avant garde life. i highly recommend the tour, which provides scandalous insights into the life of the collector. sadly, i have no photos from the museum, so please check out this google images link to see how grand the setting is.
  • the getty center, los angeles, california – it’s hard to not fall in love with the getty. overlooking west los angeles, the getty’s unbelievable views are rivaled only by the architecture and bright gardens within the musuem’s campus. i love(d) bringing a picnic to eat on the expansive green lawn, and then taking a tour of the latest photography exhibit. while it does cost to park (discounted after 5pm!), entrance to the museum and exhibits is…you guessed it…free!
the cactus garden at the getty center in los angeles

the cactus garden at the getty center in los angeles

the gardens at the getty center in los angeles

the gardens at the getty center in los angeles

menil collection, houston, texas

my friend, amanda, and me at the menil collection almost 15 (yikes!) years ago. still one of my very favorites, even though my love for permed hair has lapsed.