Gondolas!

This was my third trip to Venice but up until this trip I had never, ever been on a gondola ride. 

Re: picture below... I took it with Marco.  He said that this was one of the "post card pictures" of Venice.  "Not my favourite,"  he said with a small incline of his head, "but we must take it."

33 years ago I was doing "that backpacking thing" with a friend from high school.  We went in the off season so a) just way, way too cold for a magical gondola ride and b) just way, way too expensive (even then) for our very frugal budget.  Also, no group to go with.

In 2012 I went with a friend from university.  We did have glorious, incredible weather for mid March when we went, but still very, very expensive.  Really, a gondola ride for a pair of people is only appropriate if you are a romantic couple, which of course we were not.   So, even though one gondolier came up to me on that trip and said, "Signora, go on my gondola and I will SING to you!" I declined and no gondola ride for me. 

So now it is 2014 and I am with a tour group.  Note the last word of that sentence - group!  There was an option to have Alfio arrange for those in the tour who wished, to go on a gondola ride together and since the price was split up among a number of people it made the experience feasible.  Consequently, now that when people ask me "Did you go on a gondola ride?" which they always, always, always do (!), I can finally answer, "Why yes I did."  :)

Our gondolier was "Alessandro".  A few hours before our ride I had the chance to catch this photo (one of my favourites) of gondoliers at rest.  (Hmmm?  I wonder if they are unionized and this was a scheduled break?  I must do some research on that. )

In any case, note the man rubbing his eyes, third over from the left on the back row.  That is Alessandro who later was our gondolier.  (Remember to click on the pictures to enlarge.)

I giggle.  When Alfio made arrangements for the gondola ride I requested of him that he ensure that my gondolier group got a good looking one.  When Alessandro was assigned, Alfio turned to me and said, "He is quite good looking, isn't he? "

Yes, Alfio, he was cute.  Job well done.  :D

Alessandro did share some information about himself.  We laughed when he explained how he is not a good driver of the car, but has no worries on the water.  

When asked about how one becomes a gondolier, he said you usually learn when you are young.  He said he learned from his father.  He said it takes a lot of practice.

He said he was often nowadays quite shocked about some people he takes on the gondola - how they sit and immediately begin to text on their phones rather than look out and enjoy the actual city, the bridges, the unique experience! He said it was "A different world nowadays. "

Later he said how he really appreciated we had taken an interest in his life by asking him questions etc. 

 I must say I did enjoy it.  Seeing the city from the level of the water was a very different experience from tramping along its calles and lanes and over its bridges.The water seemed so very dark and inky and mysterious.  Lovely, lovely, lovely.

As we were skimming along we went under a bridge where Alfio was standing.  We called out to him and he waved and smiled.  If I told you I deliberately blurred this picture of him to highlight the sense of movement and "be creative", would you believe me?