ECHOES. In the winter months, La Serenissima lives up to her name, pausing for breath after the crowds and cruiseliners have departed and before the mayhem of Carnivale begins the cycle anew in February. From October, mist and fog descend on the lagoon, enveloping Venice's spires and cupolas in a veil of white, and high tides bathe her streets, turning her marbled piazza into a mirror that conjures up shimmering reflections of her great domed basilica and columns. Artist and sculptor Arbit Blatas captured this mood perfectly: "In the winter, Venice is like an abandoned theatre. The play is finished, but the echoes remain".