Giving thanks

21 November is a special day in Venice, when thousands of people flock to the Chiesa Santa Maria della Salute, to attend special masses of thanksgiving for good health. Others have written far better descriptions of this event than I can. May I recommend you read, for example,  Fausto’s blog: http://alloggibarbaria.blogspot.com/

I didn’t take many photos inside the church, for two reasons. It didn’t seem entirely appropriate, but also, there were so many people, it was difficult to raise my arms above my waist level!

One of many stations inside the church were our candles could be lit and left to shine a light

Outside the church, there were calories by the kilometer.

My next destination was also a place for giving thanks on this same date. It was the Sotoportego de la Corte Nova, in Castello. This humble, rather dark sotoportego is home to Our Lady of the Rosary, and is important to residents of the Corte because prayers to her helped save them from the plague in the 15th century, and also kept them safe from bombing during World War 1. Here, I found no crush of people, no stalls selling candles and edibles, no hawkers of helium filled balloons. Here, there was only silence and solitude, and the flickering light of a handful of votive candles. Here, I gave thanks.

I can’t leave you without my “pissotta a day” contribution.