A Day in Venice

For my full day in Venice, I woke early as I hoped to see and do a lot so I could get out of this town packed with American tourists. I took my coffee just across the Rialto Bridge(they serve American coffee in Venice…how sad!), visited the famous farmer’s market (where everything is brought in by boat…but truly, so is everything else) and the fish market. I wandered through San Marco Square, and visited the Academia (totally disorganized) and the Guggenheim (another story of chaos and frustration). I had lunch on the Grand Canal, and read Hemingway’s ‘Over the River and into the Woods’ as a make-shift siesta, and then had a three-scoop gelato cone to get up some energy to visit the Ducal Palace.

I did all of this in six hours. Very little of what I saw or did had lingering opportunities. Time passed slowly here, and by 4PM I needed more to do. I had a bellini at Harry’s (where they originated), I wrote in my journal, took a thousand photos, and even though I said I wouldn’t waste the money on a boat ride I did inquire, which turned into my golden ticket.

The Gondolier had originally told me it was 80 Euro for 30 minutes, which was just way out of my price range. When I said thanks, but no thanks and walked away he came running after me and said that if I came back to this exact spot in an hour, he would take me for free. Sounded fishy, but free is free and I had nothing better to do.

So I high-stepped it to my hotel near the Rialto Bridge, changed and got ready for the night, and then put on my ‘New York face” as my friends in Spain call it, and got back to Piazza Berdolini in record time. Nicolas was waiting for me, sans gondolier costume. We had to walk back to the Rialto bridge to pick up his uncle’s gondola, but there was time. It was only seven, and the sun would not set before 9.

Five minutes later we are coasting along the Grand Canal. Nicolas is telling me about “gondolier school” (there really is one), and his lineage of Gondoliers. He points out all the major highlights (something learned in gondolier school) and asks about New York. His English is not the best, and my Italian is basically limited to 'menu'. But we make do. He drives me around for 1.5 hours…at sunset…which would have cost a fortune if I was paying. Thank God I wasn’t!

But not paying has its consequences as when I was getting out of the boat, Nicolas told me to not go with ‘my friends’ (imaginary) to dinner and come with him to MY HOTEL. Okay, this was definitely not part of the arrangement. So I thanked him, and left pronto!

It was a VERY awkward situation as it would have cost me close to 250 euros to take the ride for as long as I did, and yet I got it for free. I wanted to tip him or invite him to a drink, but when he got all smarmy there was nothing else for me there and I felt I did not owe him anything. It was just a yucky situation. I did the only thing I knew to do, and that was run. I found a restaurant on a backstreet and went inside ordered a drink and prayed he did not come looking for me. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck.

But, my photos are simply beautiful.