Venice in peril

And she objects to the locals' washing being photographed whilst it's there on the cover of her book.

If I did get picked out of the virtual hat for a copy, Oxfam would benefit. Immediately.

Any other fans of Francesco da Mosto whose first TV series was about his very own city of Venice? This was a real Venetian, showing us his city with great affection. I also love Donna Leon's detective stories about Commissario Brunetti - a cop who actually goes home for lunch and has a family life - which introduce us not only to the landmarks of the city but also to its underside.

Most areas who live from tourism go through these mixed feelings - on hte one hand needing tourism to live/survive and on the other that too many tourists are killing the very essence of what they are coming to experience.

This is happening all over the world. The area around the Everest is now littered with tons of rubbish left there by those coming to climb. Same all over the world - one reason I feel it is too late to go to many of the places I always dreamt to go. When we went on safari in Tanzania a few years ago, I cried and was so ashamed of being part of this awful circus which was damaging to wildlife, and yet knowing that the wildlife only had value because of tourism. A vicious circle.

We were lucky when we visited 2 years ago. We chose November to avoid the crowds- it was the rainy season, and we had to walk on board walks in St Mark's square - but we had the town to ourselves and that gave it a very special feel. But we felt the place was doomed. Venice needs tourism, that is for sure - which does not mean efforts can't be made to reduce the impact. One of the big problems now is that Cruise boats come almost into town to drop tourists, and the vessels are much much too big and cause huge waves and turmoils which cause a lot of damage. There is absolutely no need for this, and it should be stopped.

If ever someone wants a recommendation for a special hotel room, at budget price, with a balcony overlooking the back of St Marks and the AidoMori staue and bells, do ask. It was just perfect!

I have to admit to being glad when the ski season is over and I have the slopes to myself, even though I know the village is dependent on the tourists.
I am probably one of the few people who actually left Monte Carlo during Grand Prix week - my flat was on the circuit and they started practising very early in the morning, I had to have a pass to get to my own flat, and all my favourite bars and restaurants were full.

Venice is such a wonderful place with nooks and crannies everywhere. You truely get transported into another world when you are there. The people are lovely and there is so much too see and do. I have to say the big boats / cruisers do spoil your feel to this incredible place and do understand how they pollute the water but the tourists do bring money into Venice

Thanks. I really look forward to this one!

Yes, me too!

Thanks, Geraldine. It sounds interesting.

Clicked before I could say how much I enjoyed visiting Venice and hope my sister and I didn't do too much damage

Tourist are indeed the life of Venice in so many ways. But I do think it is wrong for large cruise boats to land there- there is no reason why they can't go to the outer lagoon and then be brought in by smaller boats. The huge engines just cause too much damage.

Monster ship that's the menace of Venice: Furious protesters call for ban on huge cruise liner which carries 4,500 people

Controversial visit on Saturday by biggest ever liner to enter Venice saw protesters waving 'No Big Ship' banners
Since the Costa Concordia wreck environmentalists have stepped up efforts to have large cruise ships banned from the lagoon city

By Lawrence Conway

PUBLISHED: 09:35 GMT, 5 June 2012 | UPDATED: 16:29 GMT, 5 June 2012

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A visit by the biggest cruise liner to ever enter the Italian lagoon city of Venice sparked anger among campaigners who claimed the ship blocked views and polluted the air.

The 140,000 tonne MSC Divinia swept past St Mark's Square on Saturday while protestors on the shoreline waved banners which read 'No Big Ships'.

The liner which can carry more than 4,500 people is named in honour of screen legend Sophia Loren and was christened by the Italian star last month in Marseille.
Looming presence: The huge MSC Divina dwarfs the historic domes of Venice during its controversial visit to the lagoon city on Saturday

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2154779/A-giant-cruise-ship-endorsed-Sophia-Loren-swept-Venice-sparking-protests-spoilt-views-air-pollution.html#ixzz2PzfpXpTk
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Have just read a wonderful passage in Polly Coles', The Politics of Washing :

"Casualty, whether it is housed in a stupendous renaissance building in the middle of the Venetian Lagoon or in a jerry-built cottage hospital in the Midlands, is the same the world over: a place of infinite general boredom, punctuated by the odd high-octane drama, set off either by mental imbalance, pain or frustration. It is the Divine Comedy rewritten for the twenty-first century: the circles of Hell and Heaven have merged, for the most part, into a single zone: medical purgatory, with its rows of chairs and endlessly waiting people. Death and Mercy make their incursions, of course, but casualty is, at its heart, the no man's land of a world that prefers to ignore the existence of both."

We, my hubby and I, called at Venice, as one of the Cruise Ship tours.The place was absolutely heaving with touristsCould,nt sit down anywhere.Went for a trip in a gondola, but was,nt impressed.The canal was a dirty brown colour, and we kind of drifted along seeing only backs of buildings.Perhaps I expected a romantic scene, with gondolier singing!From what we saw of Venice, otherwise, it seemed a pretty picturesque place though.

Venice is one of the most beautiful and interesting places in the world. I stayed in Venice for my Honeymoon in 1976 and we went back in 2001 for our 25th Anniversary. On the actual day of the anniversary we travelled to Chioggia at the edge of the lagoon. This involved serveral boats and bus rides. It took a number of hours. When we arrived at Chioggia nothing was open and we noticed some flags at half mast. It was not until we returned to venice in the late afternoon we saw the headlines about the twin towers in New York.