On June 29, 1996, the Venetian opera house, La Fenice, was completely destroyed by a massive fire. The symbol of art, music and passionate human creativity ceased to exist in just a couple of hours.... Read more >>

“Bella, Bella! You are so bea-uuu-tiful! I kiss your hand! Avante … please come this way.” That was the greeting my friend Sammie received from the salesman as we disembarked the... Read more >>

A gust of icy, wet snow rips through the Piazza San Marco, snatches umbrellas from the hands of startled tourists, and recklessly tosses the twisted, mangled remains through the air. A café... Read more >>

We didn’t have a lot of time and we had less money, so we had to figure out how to do this creatively. “An appetizer,” said Sabine, my friend, a resident of Tuscany and my Italian... Read more >>

A Night in Venice As the sun sets over Saint Mark's Square this holiday season, be the glimmer among the gamut of typical gatherings. Deck the halls Venetian style and bring the old world traditions... Read more >>

October 6, 2006. The fish market next to this canal on the Island of San Marco was being dismantled and cleaned as I sketched. It had been a cloudy day but the sun came out for a little while before... Read more >>

October 6, 2006. These facades on the canals get this amazing light that bounces off the water. This one near the Accademia had a beautiful garden on the balcony. Watercolor by Kevin Woest Read more >>

I have one enduring vision of Venice. My daughter stands alone on the balcony of St. Mark’s Basilica quietly surveying the scene below. Sophie takes her time—as well she should, since no... Read more >>

If you can, arrive in Venice by boat. I caught the ferry from Croatia. And watching the flat coastline fade into sandy beaches that appear out of the sea, passing through the entrance to the lagoon... Read more >>

I just landed and am now on a vaporetto, a water bus, headed toward Venice—dazed from a trip that began in Los Angeles at some ungodly hour. Now a cool, salty breeze washes over me. Seagulls... Read more >>