I had tried to read to read Michener’s The Source on the flight from Atlanta to Paris, but for some reason, I just couldn’t get into it. So, Kathy suggested that I go buy a book during the layover that we had in Paris on the return flight. I consequently wandered around DeGaulle airport finding the toilets, money exchangers, and a bookstore. I was amazed that even though most of the books were in French, there was a section dedicated to English titles. I bought two books: The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry and the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, World Without End. I started reading World Without End, and was amazed that Ken Follett could cram a three-legged dog, an eight year olf girl-thief, and a knight becoming a monk into 39 pages. I figured that that kind of literary prowness would have to wait until I could fully appreciate it and I chose to read The Venetian Betrayal. Now, the irony that I would spend Euros that I had converted from dollars in Georgia to buy a book written by a Georgian in Paris was not lost on me, especially since the subject of the novel, I thought, was Venice, a city I had just visited. The novel is indeed set in Venice, partially, and many of the locales are Venetian, but I was wrong about the subject matter. The main plot of the novel concerned the body of Alexander the Great, world conquest by germ warfare, secret medieval potions, and aids. I will leave it to you to read the book and see how skillfully Mr. Berry weaves all these threads together. The main thought that kept reoccurring to me as I read the book was how I was now more familiar with Venice, the canals, and the boats only transportation requirement in Venice. I wondered if that familiarity, which I had just obtained, added to my enjoyment of the book. I know that I read the book from cover-to-cover during the flight and enjoyed it. This post about it also gives me the chance to post some pictures from Venice that I took while visiting there. If Mr. Berry wants to use them as illustrations in his novel, he can always ask.
The Water Taxi-The Way to and from the Mainland
The Morning Commute in Venice - Vehicles Are Not Allowed
St. Marks' Basilica and Square in Venice
The Obligatory Gondola Ride on The Canals in Venice
The Sea and Venice
