I have added a few new photos to the gallery. Check them out! They show a few scenes that are becoming part of my daily life here in Venice, including the apartment where I’m living, the things I see along the Riva in the morning, the office where I work, and the graceful decadence that is everywhere in Venice.

At the same time, there are those like François Pinault who are pouring money into Venice to restore its more important structures like the Punta de la Dogana. It’s a valiant effort, and for all the wear and tear, it is remarkable how well-preserved the tourist center (the Piazza San Marco, etc.) seems today. Wander more than a few minutes from the Piazza in any direction, however, and you see the decay that is inevitable and unavoidable in a city so old and uniquely exposed to the elements.

It’s fine that the Piazza is sparkly and clean, but when the houses of Venetians are falling to pieces (on the outside, at least), where will the money come from to help preserve them? I wonder, for the majority of the houses I walk past to and from work, whether these buildings actually are inhabited, so poor is their exterior condition.

I’ll take some photos in the next few days so you can see what I’m talking about. Unfortunately, tourists don’t care about the run-down buildings in back alleys, nor is there really a way for them to help even if they did. Even organizations like Save Venice devote their funds only to “prestigious” restorations, which really makes one wonder whose Venice they’re saving – the one inhabited by Venetians, or the one they like to visit on holiday?