Each afternoon here in Venice, we spend time watching gondolas full of tourists ply the waters of the canal behind our hotel. It’s a laid-back scene. Gondoliers belt out Italian classics everyone knows. Their voices echo off the walls of the surrounding buildings. Everyone is happy and having fun. We’re going to take a gondola ride ourselves – tonight!
It’s Our Job!
On our first trip to Venice, we didn’t go for a gondola ride. We had planned to, but when we found out how much it costs we reconsidered. It’s much more than one might think. (Or at least much more than this one thought).
But since then we’ve reconsidered. We’ve decided that not taking a gondola ride is not an option. After all… we’re tourists. We’re in Venice. Those are gondolas. It’s our job!
We decided to take our gondola ride at night. My insightful Better Half thought it would be more romantic. I thought it might be less expensive at night. (Wrong!)
So when the sun set and the lights on the Rialto Bridge started twinkling, we headed out into the calli. (Calli are Venetian-style walk-streets – remember?). We wanted to find a bored gondolier looking for something to do.
Let’s Find a Gondolier
I was hoping to find a not-too-ambitious gondolier. A guy who’d settle for wrangling a few euros from us tourists, even if his take is just a paltry sum. Ideally, he’ll be an affable sort, a good gondolier, but a poor negotiator.
We stayed away from Piazza San Marco. Without a doubt, gondola rides and everything else are at their priciest there. Pretty soon we came upon a gondolier standing near a lonely bridge, waiting for a couple of pigeons to come along. (That would be us).
He turned out to not be exactly the type I had in mind. Oh, he seemed quite capable of navigating the narrow canals. No problem there. But his business acumen was more advanced than what I had been hoping for.
Not Our Gondolier’s First Rodeo
He was alone. There wasn’t much foot traffic, which boded well for us. There would be no need to try and speak Italian to this guy. Gondoliers are pros. They deal with tourists from all over the world on a daily basis. He’s probably fluent in five languages. On the other hand, a little italiano never hurts. We approached….
Me — “Buona sera, senore.” (“Good evening.”)
Gondolier — “Good evening.”
He replied in English, signifying to us that he already knows we’re American. Like many Europeans, he probably assumes we’re from Texas. We’ve found that to many Europeans, all Americans sound like they’re from Texas. Anyway…
Me — “Nice night for a gondola ride. And since it’s low season and there’s hardly anyone around, rates are probably pretty reasonable right about now.”
Gondolier — “Yes. Lucky for me that there’s hardly anyone around. I was hoping to knock off early tonight so I can get home to watch the big soccer game.”
Me — “Oh — You’re not available for a gondola ride this evening?”
Gondolier — “Oh, I guess I could be available if it was worth my while.”
What Just Happened?
Whoa. That was fast. What just happened? It was a slow night, so I had the upper hand when we started. Now I’m gonna sound like I’m begging him to take us for a gondola ride at any cost! This isn’t going to be easy.
Me — “Well, I don’t know. I wasn’t planning on spending much. And besides,
the young lady tends to get sea-sick. Maybe this wasn’t such a
good idea. That way you won’t have to miss your soccer game.
Gondolier — “I think she’ll be OK on the canals. The ride is very smooth. And such a beautiful young lady as your girlfriend would enjoy the romance of the gondola ride, I’m sure.”
And with that, the gondolier gave me a wink. An Italian wink.
It was a wink that said, “You and I, we are brothers. True, you are from somewhere in Texas and I am Italian, but we are both men. We have a common bond, you and I – a bond that has grown and developed in our DNA over the millenia, from a time when our ancestors were more closely related…”
“Yes. You and I know the romance of the boat ride in the evening, and the effect that it can have on the opposite sex. It is something that we understand, you and I, yes?”
All that with just a wink. I’m tellin’ you, this guy was GOOD!
To be continued…
Note: The photo of the gondolier at sunset is from the travel site, Rome and Italy.
