Venice ; The Last Years

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Please click on the ^^  above mp4 video to view the video. 

This was the unforgettable trip we made in Dec 2017, the video of the Rialto river coming up and the lovely 16 - 18th century buildings on both sides of the waterway. With global warming going on unabated with each passing year, low lying cities like Venice will be completely submerged in 50 years or less, so predict climatologists. My wife and I visited this wonderful spot in December 2017 and were enchanted by the waterways, the buildings which were built in ornate Baroque style and of course the many boutique shops of all the famous brands like Dior, Chanel, Hermes, Boss, Bottega Venetta, Louis Vuitton and Prada - all with payment options like Alipay, Wechat pay and the traditional forms of payment.

Surreal view of a boutique shop along the narrow streets of Venice.

This phenomena highlights the growing influence of the Chinese tourist dollar, which has been steadily coming in, first as a trickle, now a fast flowing stream. Much to the delight of the tour operators, the sales industry and of course the museums etc.    

St Mark's Basilica Dec 2017 

The Apostle Mark, one of Jesus's 4 apostles who ventured into Egypt and was instrumental in the  setting up of  the Coptic church  in the first century A.D. My late father Geoffrey must have taken inspiration from Mark's gospel in the Bible to Christen me as such.

Mark the soldier and Mark the apostle.

Mark the Tourist ; 5 th December 2017

I am glad he chose such an inspirational and great man, and was not swayed to name me after one of the members of the Beatles (Ringo or Yoko) or Rolling Stones  (Mick or Keith)

Outside our hotel, 6th December 2017