the canals of tongli in western china

ok, i admit, have a list of favorite canals is a stretch.  and strange.  but here’s the thing: writing about venice on tuesday really got me in the mood for that other-worldly venetian spirit.  and i think canals have something to do with that.  two cities immediately come to mind with the same spirit of venice that somehow only a boat in a narrow green canal can create:

the canals of venice in los angeles

• venice, california – it still amazes me that most angelenos don’t even know of the venice canals, though it was always on the top of my list for visitors (and the town’s namesake).  south of santa monica, tucked away just east of the crazy beach and west of eclectic abbot kinney, the canals wind through blocks of stunning houses, each creative and different from the next, connected through narrow alleys and steep foot bridges.  i could spend an afternoon wandering the canals, peeking into residents’ lush yards (probably not recommended?), and then spending the evening strolling abbot kinney and eating at one of its many famed restaurants.  the hardest part?  finding the canals.  good luck!

just some family fun along the venice canals in los angeles

• tongli, china – referred to as the venice of the east (sensing a theme here?), tongli was my favorite city on my tour of western china.  during a cruise along the canals, i overheard women singing at a restaurant, waved to elderly chinese men taking an afternoon stroll, and listened to the patter of light rain on the stone bridges as we passed underneath.  i also witnessed a truly absurd fishing habit.  an older woman had tied the ankles of large black pelican-type birds to her rickety boat. on command, the birds would dive for fish, catch them, regurgitate them into an empty bucket, and then get their necks wrung by the woman.  extremely strange.

the site of the bird fishers. seriously mad ritual!

which places have you visited that are simply magical?

street/canal signs in tongli