Recently, we received an e-mail from Gregory Alan Forney, a.k.a. Before Day, in which he described his new music video titled Cogli l'attimo (an Italian phrase that means "Seize the moment").
We enjoyed the music video, which is catchy, upbeat, and filled with appealing Venice imagery. You can view it above on YouTube. After clicking the "Play" arrow, click the "full screen" symbol for maximum enjoyment.
If you'd like to download the song as an MP3, MP320, or FLAC file, visit the Cogli l'attimo page at CDBaby.com, where you can also read what inspired Greg to write his song. (Cogli l'attimo is also available on iTunes.)
ABOVE: A sewage boat arrives to collect the contents of a septic tank or a "pozzo nero" (cesspool) in a Venice storefront.
Sewage isn't the most appealing travel topic, but if you're at all interested in urban infrastructure, you might as well learn where things go when you do.
Most of Venice's sewage goes directly into the city's canals. Flush a toilet, and someone crossing a bridge or cruising up a side canal by gondola may notice a small swoosh of water emerging from an opening in a brick wall. In theory, such waste is supposed to be purified by septic tanks, but such systems are the exception, not the rule. (Septic tanks are most common in restaurants, hotels, and other structures that have been gutted and renovated in recent years.)
From time to time, septic tanks need to be emptied by a pozzo nero ("black well") boat, which hauls the muck away. Buildings that use cesspools to store untreated waste also need an occasional pumping-out. In the photos and video on this page, you can see how the process works.
BELOW: A hose runs from the boat or barge to a temporary sewer pipe on shore.
BELOW: The sewer pipe runs across a square into a storefront where a pump draws sludge or waste from an underfloor storage tank.
BELOW: This video shows a sewage boat pumping waste and cruising away after sucking up a tankful of muck.
Want to learn more? Read Venipedia's illustrated article about sewage disposal in Venice.
ABOVE: This nine-minute video offers a great overview of the Venetian Lagoon, the Lido di Venezia, and the islands that surround Venice's historic center.
If you've seen our satellite-image orientation map at Veniceforvisitors.com, you know that Venice is a cluster of islands in the Venetian Lagoon, which is separated from the Adriatic Sea by the Lido di Venezia (a long, narrow resort island). And if you've flown into Venice's Marco Polo Airport, you may have enjoyed a real-time overview of Venice and its Lagoon from the air.
For an even better birds'-eye view of Venice, you can book a private helicopter tour with Heliair, which offers trips of six minutes to half an hour from Nicelli Airport on the Lido di Venezia.
Rates aren't cheap--you'll pay anywhere from 75 to 330 euros per person, depending on the length of the tour--but if you've got the cash, Heliair can provide you with a breathtaking experience.