Travel
Venice is best admired from the water, and no visit in Venice would be complete without a ride on a gondola. Gondolas are traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boats traditionally built by hand from approximately 280 separate pieces of wood. Gondolas are designed for the lagoons in Venice and presently, the gondolas are used mainly to transport tourists for sightseeing tours. If there is a gondola, then there is a gondolier, the one that propels the gondola. Gondoliers are not just experienced Italian rowers but they are well trained individuals licensed to handle the gondola.
I went on a gondola ride tour this morning together with 41 ship guests. The tour began with a motor launch or taxi boat transfer from the quayside where the ship is at berth to a floating pontoon-type pier designed for taxi boats in Riva Delle Zattere. Upon arrival, an approximate 15-minute walk to the gondola station followed and from there we board the 6-person capacity gondola and commenced the sight seeing tour along small and charming canals of the city. For me the gondola ride is far more exciting than what I expected especially when the gondola started negotiating along the narrow canals, passing underneath several low pedestrian bridges and meeting with other gondolas in the canal. The word ‘marvelous’ perfectly fits to describe the scenic landscape and unique character of Venice. Beautiful centuries old buildings, palaces, opera houses, apartments and mostly gothic architecture designed well preserved churches dominate the city. It’s really peculiar to see restaurants, coffee shops, apartments and hotels with doorways serving as entrances and exits facing directly from the canal instead of roads or streets with water taxis instead of taxi cabs parked on the sides of these buildings. Well, this is just another Venice peculiar identity attracting visitors from around the globe.
Gondola traffic along the canal in Venice, Italy on May 28, 2010
After the approximately 40-minute gondola ride, we were dropped off to the gondola station close to the famous Gritti Palace Hotel. Then we walked to St Mark’s Square, where we enjoyed some free time to explore the area independently (without the Italian tour guide) or browse the local shops. I still have more about Venice but I’ll do it on my next post. Few more minutes and BINGO game onboard (for crew only) will start and I have here with me three BINGO cards to play with. I guess I have to post this now or else I may lose my chances of winning. Well, who knows?
Gritti Palace Hotel in Venice, Italy on May 28, 2010
