Fog in Town, Fog on the Lagoon, Today

Fog makes the city more dramatic and moody than usual, it makes the lagoon simply impassable. The above photo was taken after nightfall, the below image of the cormorant stretching his wings just after 3 pm, when I was, fortunately, close to where we moor our boat. Not much more than a half hour before it had still been sunny, with a pleasant haziness and good visibility. Summer storms are the most famous examples of how quickly weather in the lagoon can turn, but fog can also sweep in with surprising swiftness (as I found out last year: http://veneziablog.blogspot.it/2014/12/lost-in-sudden-fog-on-feast-of-santo.html). 

The little martin di pescatore (or kingfisher) below is an elusive fellow who resides in the trees along  the northeastern bank of the Canale delle Vignole (running through the island of that name). He typically appears as simply a flash of electric blue alongside the canal bank, swooping not far above the water then disappearing into the trees. I've never come close to getting a photo of him--until today, when I suppose he knew the thick fog would do a pretty good job of protecting him from any paparazzi. But, in spite of the fog, and the need to crop the image, it's the best look I've got of him so far.