Venice, Italy: View from a Gondola
Venice, Italy is one of the most romantic places on earth. Located in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy, Venice is made up of more than 100 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon of the Adriatic Sea.
Unlike most large cities, there are no roads or cars --- transportation occurs on the canals or by foot. Our series on Venice and Italy will include several articles highlighting the romance and art of Venice. This will be the first of a series of blogs on Europe. This article will focus on the canals and romantic gondolas of Venice.
On arrival, there are several ways to reach the city of Venice from the airport. You will be tempted to take the most economical approach - the bus or train that will take you to the outskirts of the city. I suggest that you truly enjoy the beauty of this floating city and choose transportation by water bus or the more expensive option of a water taxi.
The long, narrow flat-bottomed boats or gondolas have a high prow and stern making balancing the watercraft and navigating the narrow canals of Venice and art.
Gondolas of today have evolved and are much different from the original ancient row boats from hundreds, and perhaps thousands of years ago.
During our visit to Venice, the canals truly came to life by the serenade and stories of the gondolier as he slowly maneuvered the boat along the historic waterways.
Originally Moores, servants and slaves, gondoliers' daily contact with Italy's aristocracy and nobility propelled the profession into one function as true highly sought after ambassadors. The gondolier knew of many secrets of the Venetian Republic.
There are many theories as to why black is the chosen color of the Venetian gondola. Until the mid-1600s, colorful gondolas could be seen across the city.
Many believe that the fall of the Venetian Republic or the disastrous plague that prompted the change to all black gondolas. Below is a photo from the canal of the infamous bridge of sigh taken from our gondola.
I believe that the gondoliers' blue or red and white striped shirts blend wonderfully with the sophisticated elegance of an all black gondola floating along the beautiful Venetian canal.
Gondoliers are licensed, and the rates for each ride is regulated. The standard 40-minute ride costs 80 euros. The rates can vary throughout the day and can peak at more than 100 euros during the early evening.
We were fortunate to have a very friendly gondolier with an excellent voice and a great sense of humor ferry us along the canal. The view from the canal with breathtaking and experience unforgettable.
