Sunday 20 November 2022
There are few places in the world more wonderful than Venice on a sunny autumn afternoon.
As I wander through the ancient streets and piazzas, across countless small bridges, I marvel at the timeless grandeur set against crisp azure skies. As I turn each corner, something unexpected greets me: an idyllic canal, a magnificent church, a crumbling palatial facade, a burst of sunlight.
Although Venice is an exquisite museum piece, taking one back to the golden era of the great city states of The Renaissance, it is also a living, vibrant hub of tourism and commerce. I gawp at the luxuries gleaming in the windows of Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo, Versace, Cartier and Louis Vuitton; I marvel at the dazzling displays of Murano glass; my mouth waters at all the tempting culinary offerings; I study the modern art sculptures that are dotted around as part of the Biennale festival; and I imagine wearing one of the Venetian masks I see hanging outside the souvenir shops during the Carnival. Everywhere I go there is the mellifluous chatter of Italians, all wearing designer sunglasses, all stylishly attired and all, like me, enjoying life on a fabulous day in Venice.
By the time I return to our rented apartment by the Arsenale, the old shipbuilding area of the city, I am hobbling with cramp and dystonia in my feet, despite periodically popping the grey and blue pills that I carry everywhere. This reminds me that the reason I am here is to do precisely that: take in as much enjoyment as possible from life until my body stops me.
I will be here for the next seven weeks, with Clare periodically joining me. We have rented a (surprisingly cheap) apartment as an experiment to see if living in a different European country for a couple of months could be an option for the next two or three years. I can do my work anywhere that has reliable WiFi so why not do it from Venice, or Rome, or Seville, or the French Riviera? Of course it may not work. I may struggle too much on my own or get lonely or bored, especially when the weather is cold and damp.
But today I don’t concern myself with the future. I live in the present and squeeze as much enjoyment out of the day as I can.
Time for an espresso. And some chocolate.
