The Requisite Ride

As you all know, Padova is practically a suburb of Venice and what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Venice? Gondolas, of course! Since before we even left for Italy the kids have been talking about going for a gondola ride. We put them off by telling them that when grandma came for a visit we would all go on a gondola ride. Well, grandma’s visit is underway and the gondola ride must be taken! To say I was lukewarm to the idea would be an overstatement. But, we made our plan to go to Venice on Sunday morning. My curmudgeonly self crabbed to Bill, “C’mon, let’s go get this #$@*&# thing over with” feeling like I was going to be wasting a perfectly perfect fall day, not to mention a big waste of money. It was sunny and 65 degrees and I was more in the mood for a visit to the botanical gardens or a bike ride or just hanging out. We had a busy day on Saturday and I thought about suggesting that we put it off until next weekend. However, I felt like this is in the same category as going to the dentist or wasting a good morning getting your oil changed, you might as well do it and just get it over with. So we hopped on the city bus, got a train and arrived in Venice about noon.

Unfortunately, I lost my section on Venice from my favorite Rick Steve travel book (which reminds me, do you have it David?). I had read the section of how the whole gondola “thing” works a while back. I was planning on stopping in the tourist information office, but the line was about 40 people and we really didn’t feel like waiting in a long line. My Plan B (that I concocted when I saw the line) was to just wander into the city and find a gondola on one of the side canals because no way was I getting in a boat that is basically just a big canoe in the choppy waters of the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal is so choppy because it is crowded with water buses, water taxis, private boats, UPS boats, etc. Plus, I have seen the sites on the Grand Canal multiple times from the water bus and didn’t need to see it again. As we were wandering into the city, I had more than a couple of moments of self-doubt. What if you don't just go “find” a gondola on the back streets? What if you have to make a reservation somewhere? What if? What if? What if? But at this point, I had 5 people confidently following me (I’m not really sure about the confident part - well, maybe Isabelle) to find a gondola I wasn’t even sure would be there and/or available. As we were weaving through the city streets we came upon many small side canals, but alas no gondolas to be seen on a somewhat quiet Sunday afternoon. Sam pointed out yet another small canal and whadda ya know? We saw a gondola with a couple of people in it, the gondolier pointed us to a set of steps about 100 yards away and a couple of minutes later we were on the water.

I have to say from the bottom of my jaded black tourist heart, it was unexpectedly one of the most enchanting things I have ever experienced. He took us for a 40 minute ride on the “back” canals and I felt like I was in a picture book of long-ago Italy. It was a magical, peaceful ride. The gondolier, of course, had lots of good stories and Bill’s Italian is so good that he (the gondolier) did not feel compelled to share his stories in English. Amazingly, I understood about 50% of what he was saying. One of us, who I will let remain anonymous, asked the gondolier if he sings. His prepared answer is “I am so bad that last year I was in a karaoke bar and they turned off the machine when I started to sing.” The boys thought that was a hilarious story and I believe Nick put it in his journal at school today. Anyway, it was just wonderful and we all loved it. Afterwards, casual pizza lunch at an outdoor café on a little piazza for the ragazzi to run and the adults to sip our vino and relax.

Come to Venice, go on the gondola!