Next time in I'm in Venice, I'm bringing a lover.

I’m a huge sappy ball of cheese- not the stinky kind, I just showered.  I just spent the evening with 4 lovely women at San Marco square.  It’s a whole different world there at night.  The cruise ships pull away and there’s still a considerable amount of crazed tourism, but a there’s a sense of calm in the emptiness.  There’s not a SINGLE pigeon to be seen.  Much different from the day where these neurotic people have them hanging all over their limbs and head for a single picture.  I’d rather refrain from contracting a parasite for the photo, nothing is worth that.  

We sat front and center at this one place.  I was facing the small orchestra.  There was the animated maestro who played both the oboe and accordion.  The violinist was very structured in her playing, a very professional rigid stance.  She rarely was moved by the music.  The clarinetist, pianist and somebody else were hanging stage right.  They all flirted on a sea-saw of monotony and passion.  Some songs visibly moved them while others, like the Titanic theme song were a bit overdone.  There was a 6 euro music cover charge for sitting there, but totally worth the experience.  I was so enthralled in the music, I finally glanced behind me and there were about 100 people standing and listening.  My pinot grigio was refreshingly crisp and our various snacks and desserts were served on a gigantic silver platter.  The restaurant/cafe had been there since 1700.  I was trying so hard to sit there and be in the moment but I couldn’t help to think about the next time I would be back here doing the same thing.  

It’s a weird thing to be nostalgic about something before it even ends.  I usually (at least recently) have been living in the moment, but this was particularly striking to me.  The musicians were human, they made some mistakes, but their professionalism covered up their errors.  After we all snapped out of our trance, we walked around the square a bit.  The couples were beautiful.  They ranged from young and old, beautiful and seasoned.  A variety of brides, none with handhelds up to my standard of course...

We turned the corner and the one restaurant over looking the Ducal Palace was boasting a jazz trio.  We stood for a few songs and went on our way.  A truly memorable night.