The Scala Contarini del Bolovo and other Venice memories

Hmmm???  Seems to be Venice heavy, this blog, yes?  Venice is a sparkling memory, of course.  However, I also did spend a number of extra days there in advance of joining the tour - in total I spend 7 days there, so half my time.  Florence, Rome - much shorter.  That will explain in part why it is Venice that is highlighted more.  I only hope it's not boring 'ya all'....

This is a picture I captured of a young adolescent out on his boat.  At the time I took it I thought it was absolutely enchanting to see him out and about in his city, enjoying his leisure time in his boat.  I was struck by how very different his pass time was from what my friends and I would have been doing in Regina, in the Saskatchewan prairies at his age.

Later - many, many hours later - I saw him again.  Alas, no picture.  I was in the vaporetto on the Grand Canal but there he was steadily rowing right down the middle.  He seemed like he was in a trance.

Hmmm?  I wonder if he is practicing to be a gondolier?  Alessandro said most gondoliers started young and that it took lots of practice!  Good luck to him. 

More pictures

The Scala Contarini del Bolovo
This unique building in Venice is a small palace hidden away in an obscure little campo.  But it's worth the hunt!  It is undergoing renovations but soon will be open to the public I think.  (Hey!  Another good reason to return to Venice!)

This lovely, elegant spiral staircase is unlike anything you will see elsewhere in Venice.  The spiral is reminiscent of a snail's shell (Bolovo), hence its name.  (Earlier I had posted a picture of the roof tops of Venice from its bell tower... can you find this building in it?  I bet you can!)