Venice has lost its tourists. Watch what the locals have to say and how they are dealing with the shutdown. [YouTube]

The timing of the video was fruitious. I had just shared a photo on Instagram, which prompted a long and lovely email — letter really, from my friend Barb. And through sheer coincidence, I started reading the latest Donna Leon mystery — Trace Elements.

The video made me nostalgic for the city. I have only visited the city once, but I have often thought of going back. My one visit, over two years ago, had a profound impact on me. While its beauty — perceived as it might be, for it hides a lot of ugliness — is a reminder of its history and the fact that given time, even the most important places and people become a spectacle. A spectacle, that exists to the amusement of others, and not for the reason it was important.

Recapping my visit, I wrote:

The regional advantages are often overcome by others, more powerful, and innovative. Somewhere new becomes center of the universe. Humanity rearranges itself into concentric circles of success and apathy. The question, however, we should ask ourselves — what are we in Silicon Valley going to leave behind?

All that thinking about Venice prompted me to revisit some of my unedited photos from the trip. It was also a chance to reconsider some of the previously edited photos, and see if time had given me the ability to revisit Venice, perhaps with a different lens. Not on the camera, but in my mind.