The Biennale, the Good, the Bad, and the Bungled

Greetings from the Biennale and dreamy, miraculous Venice, La Serenissima — and this time, they’re not kidding. This beauty, built on millions of petrified wood trunks, isn’t tourist-free exactly but as close to it as I’ve ever seen except in January. I think news of Europe’s heat wave kept people away through the weekend I visited. Hardy har har on them. It’s extraordinarily cool and dry for Venice in late August, 70 degrees and low humidity. It’s warmer in Vermont.