Heeding travel guru Rick Steves’ advice regarding Venice, Italy: “Don’t plan anything, just go with the flow and get lost!” we set out to do just that. And no matter where we went—the highly populated squares and piazzas, or the paths less traveled—we encountered pigeons.
A quick internet search reveals that “Pigeons once rivaled cats as the traditional, if unofficial, mascots of Venice.” Further, I learned that many people around the globe believe that to be hit by a “bird bomb” is a sign that good luck is just around the corner; it’s even in the 2003 movie Under the Tuscan Sun.
What you can’t see in the photo below is the agitation on the face of the proprietor of an off-the-beaten-path outdoor restaurant that’s frequented by locals—families on a Sunday afternoon.
Note: the child in the background is not about to be airlifted by a giant pigeon. It’s somewhat of an optical illusion in that the pigeon is only about 8-feet from me, while the child is about 25-yards in the distance.
As a young couple left their table, pigeons descended en masse to snatch the left-behind crumbs; their fluttering wings tipping the wine glasses precariously. The proprietor rushed out, flapping his hands to shoo them away before any glasses crashed to the ground and broke.
What was the last thing that exasperated you?
Tuesdays with Laurie 