Surreal, Haunting, Spectacular

Lost Images of 2012 is my year-end series of photos that did not make a blog post and that have the merit to stand on their own. In celebration of the Holiday I chose Venice for its perpetual capacity to wow a lens and evoke awe. I encourage you all to click the images and view them in large format.

I love the looks on the faces of these gondoliers.  Clearly they don't love these happy tourists, but they sure love their ribbons.

Getting my turn at rowing on the grand canal. Yeah, that's a water taxi just ahead of us. Yes, it was one of the coolest things I have ever done.

I swear sometimes these clothes are hung out to "dry" for effect. They are always staged so perfectly.

Like these sheets with stitched branding just outside this bright red house in Burano. Italians have more style in their big toes than I do in my whole existence.

Rowing in and out of canals with 2 amazing women gave me so much time for perspective and I was amazed just how often we were completely alone and rowing silently.

The skill of the men and women who make their life on the water is like watching ballet on a constantly moving stage.

Anna was so much better than I ever could be at rowing. I loved being forced to work on my Italian and my rowing. My brain was in knots and I worked up quite an appetite.

As our day on the canals came to an end I could never have expected that 5 hours removed from an international flight that I would still be flying. Thank you Nan* for one of the best Italian days of my life.

*Nan McElroy is the author of Living Venice - a must read for anyone traveling to the canal city