Venedig. Der Löwe, die Stadt und das Wasser

The first time in 1964 in the company of a young woman. Then in 1982 with the Orient Express. Only on the tenth visit did he take the risk: a gondola ride. And finally, in 2018, a violent storm severed the only land connection between the city and the rest of the world, causing the guest to stay longer than planned. Cees Nooteboom's love for Venice has now lasted over 50 years. He has visited the city many times, staying in magnificent hotels and gloomy apartments, paying tribute to the painters and writers who lived and worked here, observing both the looming sellout of Venice and the behavior of its residents and visitors: clever and self-ironic, almost tender. The great Dutch author and traveler Cees Nooteboom asks himself the question: "Why do I love this place more than other places?" In his writings spanning three decades, he provides the answer and pays tribute to Venice, La Serenissima, with an immense radiance.