I couldn't wait for my first Gondola ride!
Polly was very excited to start her Italian tour in Venice. She had seen pictures of it before, and couldn’t wait to see some of the sights she had only seen pictures of.
Gondolas gliding through the canals around Venice
One thing in particular that she was excited to see was the gondolas. I don’t think anyone can envision Venice without thinking of those special icons.
Grand Canal
Gondolas are flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boats which work well as a means of transportation through the waterways in and around Venice. They are propelled by a gondolier who stands facing the bow. Gondoliers are usually men, however as of August 2010, there are now some females working as gondoliers.
This is the life!
Gondolas are actually individually customized to the shape and size of the particular gondolier who will be using it, and are typically painted black, which follows the tradition of a law at one time, that stated that they should be that color.
We were in a traffic jam on water!
During the 17th and 18th centuries, there were thought to be about eight to ten thousand gondolas in use in Venice. Today, there are approximately four hundred in active service. Most of them are for hire by tourists, but there are a few privately owned gondolas also.
I bet I'd make a good gondolier if I was only a little bit taller!
There’s no better way to see the unique and magical city of Venice, than by gliding silently through the canals that surround and dissect it.
Tags: Polly 2
May 9th, 2011 at 9:16 pm
All of a sudden, I’m in the mood to sing something in Italian! I can’t figure out why!
May 18th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
That must have been fun.
May 18th, 2011 at 6:19 pm
It was a lot of fun, and was a really nice way to see Venice.
May 20th, 2011 at 6:03 pm
Dear Polly#2,
Was the weather nice? What color was the gondola?
May 20th, 2011 at 7:40 pm
Dear Arianna,
The weather was very nice. It started off a little bit cloudy, but gradually the sun came out and the temperature was just right. The gondola was black and I thought I looked very sharp sitting at the front and enjoying the view!
Love,
Polly #2
May 26th, 2011 at 7:44 pm
Thank you sweet Polly#2 from Arianna
June 16th, 2011 at 6:29 pm
Thank you, love Arianna