A year ago, I was lucky enough to spend three weeks on a photo trip in Italy. Our itinerary started in Florence where we began exploring Tuscany, then on to Cinque Terre, next stop the Dolomites and finally, Venice. It would have been hard to imagine then what Italy was to experience less than a year later due to COVID-19. Italy is near and dear to me as my mother’s parents immigrated from Italy. It has always been my favorite country with its people, history, cities and natural beauty.
If Italy is my favorite country, Venice has to be one of my favorite cities. It is one of the most desirable destinations in all of Europe and is often overwhelmed with visitors from around the world. To see the photographs and videos of the empty streets due to the pandemic is something that is still hard to wrap my arms around let alone believe it could happen in my lifetime. The only times I have seen it so empty is the wee hours of the morning before and at dawn when everyone is still in bed. These are the great times to stroll Venice as a photographer and get some wonderful shots like this one. May we soon return to some semblance of normalcy where we can appreciate these destinations even more.