If I mention the iconic city of Venice, you can no doubt conjure up images of graceful gondolas gliding along shimmering canals, or colorful carnival masks and revelry. But if you are a child, the most iconic and memorable image in Venice is the pigeons of St. Mark's Square.
The pigeons are not shy. At all! The boys were a bit tentative at first, but it wasn't long before their nervousness eased and they could match the pigeon's feistiness.
I never could get used to the feeling of their rapid fluttering and bony claws. I really tried to be mature and hold still, but it didn't take long before the primal urge to shake violently and scream like a little girl would take over. As I am normally not very girly about anything, my husband was plenty amused at my display.
On our second day in Venice, the boys begged to return to St. Mark's Square to feed the pigeons again, but this time they had a plan. They cleverly intended to wear their hats and gloves, so that they could avoid the creepy claw feeling on their skin. I can say with confidence that I have never seen my kids enjoy something with such exuberance as they enjoyed that bag of seed and those greedy pigeons.
Sadly, only three months after our visit to Venice the city outlawed the feeding of birds, ending a tradition over a century old. While I understand the logical reasoning behind this mandate, the city and its children will be a little sadder because of it. Knowing this was truly a once in a lifetime experience that can never be repeated makes these pictures all the more special.
This post is a part of Travel Photo Thursday at Budget Travelers Sandbox
I love the exuberance and the joy on your children’s faces…Amazing photos. Thank you for making my day.
Wonderful photos. Those are two happy children! I can’t help but feel happy looking at them. I love the look on your sons face in the first photo – it’s that “I’m scared but this is so cool” expression! A shame it’s been banned, even if it’s for good reasons.
lovely photos and what fine memories to share — it’ll be interesting to see what the square is like without the pigeons, too.
I LOVE it and that first photo is AWESOME!!
I want to go to Venice – even if they are not being fed, do you think they are still there?
Thanks for linking up!!!
~Becca
Great photos! Although I’m with you – I’d be screaming if they were all over me!
That first picture is PERFECT!!!! That was an amazing shot!
Your vacation sounds like so much fun! I bet the food was incredible! Mmmmmm!!
Poor birds. They probably don’t know how to eat on their own. =(
They look like they are having so much fun! Great pics!
That is awesome! I think I would have a blast there with the pigeons too. LOL!
Too bad they outlawed it.
Thanks for sharing!
Awesome pictures! 🙂 looks like it was fun and thanks for sharing!
I spent my lone day in Venice with pigeon poop all over my shirt. So it was nice to see some photos of the pigeons being enjoyed! Your kids are so expressive, I love it!
So many wonderful shots. Wow. Nicely captured.
: )
My kids also had a grand time feeding those darn pigeons. Your pictures show much more character and fun than mine though. Very cute.
Such fun photos! They make me want to hop on a plane to Venice right now, even if the rules have changed regarding feeding.
Oh those photos are the greatest! What fun!!!
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I love pigeons!! I would always feed them and play with them (with gloves on of course lol) in san francisco where there is an abundance. They are really interesting creatures.
This was one of the great things about Venice. It truly is sad that they banned that. Our son was only 5 months old when we went, so he didn’t get to appreciate it.
What joy! And what amazing photos – to capture kids and birds in such clear shots is amazing photography. I love those birds and Venice.
Hahaha! The first and the last pics are my favorites and really made me smile (much needed today, so thanks!) at my screen. I'm not sure if I'd be comfortable with that many pigeons that close to me.
I would not be able to stand there and have all those birds on me
Clearly I missed this post the first time around when we were in Europe last summer. I LOVE these pics – the boys are having so much fun!!
Hilarious photos of your sons having fun with the pigeons. But, being that I'm not a fan of those birds (because of personal experiences which I won't bore you with), I'm glad that they've outlawed feeding of them. But I do understand that it's sad when traditions are ended.
I love these pictures and how your entire family, especially your boys, are having so much fun. I was looking forward to seeing the pigeons while in Venice but didn't see too many of them last year. Well, the no feeding and the square being flooded may have a lot to do with it.
Looks so fun! I have similar memories from when I was young and fed the pigeons. As you said, it is kind of sad to think about not being able to do it anymore.
These photos are just so fantastic! I think the first is my favorite. I cannot believe how unafraid the pigeons are there. I understand the change in policy too, but its sad to see tradition go away too…
Those pictures of your children are adorable!