My Neighbors

The nature of living in Venice is that you see your neighbors all the time....in fact, you see more of them than you probably want. Looking out your window implies looking into your neighbors apartment....there just isn't any way around it.

When I look out the windows of my kitchen and/or bedroom, I look across the way (50 feet maybe) into another building that has (as best as I can tell) only 2 families living there at the moment.

The ground floor (our first floor) is some sort of construction shop or storage place and the guys show up like clockwork Monday to Friday around 730am. They talk, sing, laugh, make manly construction noises and then go home.

But on the first floor (our second floor) is Old Lady Venice (as I call her). She dutifully pours out 2 extra large bottles of water from each of her windows onto the ground below each and every day. At first, I thought she was providing water on the ground for the construction guys (everyone in Venice cleans their front walk with water and a broom), but when she kept doing this on the weekends I ran out of ideas. I guess its just something she has always been doing and not wanting to break any superstitious law, she continues to pour water.

Above Old Lady Venice is the transplanted Asian family. Their dinner table is situated right in front of the window and I often see the slightly overweight husband eating his dinner without a shirt on. They do lots and lots of laundry in the Asian household...it doesnt look like there are children based on the clothes I see hanging on the line between our buildings. But at least I know they are clean. However, probably the most intersting part about Asian family is how they have managed to bring some of their home traditions into Venice. As you can see from the picture, they prefer to cook their own chickens and cure them in the window!

There really isnt any place in the world like Venice! I am continually amazed and humored by my little island.