There’s only so much of a place you can get from a postcard. Those little glossy tidbits usually display Photoshopped representations of the “best” of a city. Rarely will you get the daily life or quiet alleys that really exude the soul of a locale.

When I traveled through the Mediterranean, I kept my eye out for street art in each city. What I got was a flavor of the local community, spoken via graffiti and street signs: politics, subversion, apartments for rent and just general mischief. I’ve included, below, my collection of street art photos from Venice. I’ll post shots from other cities—including Athens, Monte Carlo, Florence, Rome and more—as time goes on.

For the complete collection, visit my Street Art in Venice photoset on Flickr or view them in the slideshow here:

And now, here's something we hope you'll really like:

1. Exploring Classical Art at San Francisco’s Legion of Honor
2. Visiting the Mediterranean – Italy, Greece, Turkey, Monaco and Spain
3. Photos of San Francisco – Chinatown, North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf and Polk Street
4. The Beautiful Honolulu Academy of Arts in Photos
5. Christmas in Paradise – The Honolulu City Lights