The Grand Canal

The very name Grand Canal seems to conjure images of urban culture lived at the height of exotic luxury and ease, along a broad waterway gracefully meandering through the heart of ancient Venice, its glittering course lined on either side with balconied palaces and afloat with gondolas bearing romantic couples in thrall to the serenade of barcaroling tenors. And however overdrawn this image may be, Venice could indeed afford to make much of its principal thoroughfare, for the great channel alwa…