This weekend we went to Venice. Now I am sure there are about 1,000 blogs about visits to Venice, not to mention all other types of media. Yet still, though I have come across people mentioning the beauty of Venice, I dont ever recall someone referring to the sadness one feels upon seeing Venice. Thats what struck me the most, the sadness.
And its not from lack of beauty. Upon arriving, you are struck with the magic of it all. It just seems so out of this world, the canals and the majesty of the buildings. It feels like you have walked into a fairytale land, one that would begin with "Once upon a time, a long long time ago, there was a place where in order to go from house to house, you dont walk, but you hop on a boat," or something along those lines....
The most striking moment to me was taking the bus-boat ride (yes, buses are boats in Venice), and seeing the Church of Salute (or Health). A strikingly beautiful church that seemed to be floating on top of the waters. Truly amazing.
But then I started to get the sense of sadness that permeates Venice. It feels, just like one would expect in a fairytale, stuck in time. Its like you opened a history book, and instead of reading, it somehow sucked you in and you are visiting the city.
And for such a beautiful city, which, due to its particular geography, can not "grow", you also see how beauty can kill a place. People come from all over the world to see Venice, and it truly is worth visiting. But in such a small area, with thousands of tourists visiting on any given day, how can you protect its essence? You have the sense that Italians are fleeing Venice due to the high cost of living (and man, is it expensive there) while others a flooding in to visit. I was told by the year 2024, if things remain as is, there will be not one original Venetian left in Venice. And if that is the case, then is it still Venice? I dont know.
And I kept help thinking of other places that are in danger of losing their essence. I recently read that Bethlehem, due to the ongoing occupation and difficulties of living, is slowly being emptied out of Christians. I cant recall the exact number now, but it was pretty dramatic, that a once mainly Christian town has harldy any Christians left. The reasons are again economic (occupation can strangle the economic life out of anyone), and Christians due to their connections through churches etc. have more opportunity to flee. Is Bethlehem still Bethlehem without them? I really dont think so.
And in case someone will twist my meaning as an anti-immigration rant: these are not "natural" changes, but ones being imposed. In the case of Venice, for being beautiful, and in the case of Bethelehem, for being occupied.
A loss to all humanity I say.
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