04 March 2008

Sleepless in La Serenissima


Since the first of the year I have been haunted by occasional insomnia. (Check the time of this very post.) My vampire nights begin almost exactly at 3:00 a.m. My eyes pop open and dozens of all-too-familiar thoughts come flooding in, and then I’m wide awake.

For a brief moment, I always have the stupid idea that I can get back to sleep – it never happens. Usually I just get up and work on something in the studio. Or else I dress and take myself out. Sometimes it’s a solitary passeggiata through the Piazza, sometimes a Grand Canal ride on the “N” (for notte) line. At least the latter offers me the sight of two other people – the vaporetto conductors.

Those of you who think Venice is entirely too crowded should really see it about 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. It’s a ghost town.