Venice in between time
I woke up early on a Saturday morning, 0545 in the morning. The sun was already shining, Tom Misch on my iPhone plays through a speaker box. No time for breakfast. I’ll eat something on the train there.
“There” is a place I had only ever heard about from people who had ever been there. No one I know has ever been there more than once so I paid it no attention before. But because I have to take a ferry to Rovinj from there, I might as well tick it off the box as a place visited.
The train from Rome was a little over three and a half hours. When I arrived, it was much different, much larger than I expected. Water canals are everywhere, I haven’t seen a car since I’ve been here. For me that’s always a good thing. Because there are no cars that’s not to say there isn’t traffic. Gondola boats are everywhere. Their navigators, the Gondolers, all seem to be a bunch of rough neck locals, trained in the skill passed down by their forefathers many generations ago.
All in all, I enjoyed my time in the city enroute to Rovinj. I’ll be the first person I know that has returned after the first trip.
Venice was founded about 690AD as a merchant town of Italy. Later it would play a large role in the Crusades launching fighters into the area of what is now known as Israel.
There are no cars in the city of Venice. These “Gondolas” are people primary mode of transportation.
Most men who work in the city are Gondola drivers known as “Gondolers”. They are a rough group of men and seem to have all started training at a very young age.
All Gondolers wear a flat hat seemingly made of straw. On the inside it is reinforced with a hard plastic. The hat serves a twofold purpose; keeps the sun away and serves as a small helmet.
Not only do Gondolers drive their Gondolas through the small canals in the city they also move along the main ports.
Surprisingly, there isn’t any real parks or grassy areas for children to enjoy in the city. Children are seen playing on the concrete wherever they find a place.
Tourist pay between 90 and 110 Euro for a thirty minute ride in a Gondola.
I didn’t expect Venice to have aas many interesting museums and cathedrals. They are plentiful in the city.
The entire city is filled with artist who can be seen paining and sketching the architecture.
There is no shortage of work for Gondolers.
Even the Gondolers need a break every now and then.
I couldn’t help but be nosey and see what and how good this artist was painting. She seemed very focused on what she was doing and I didn’t want to bother her too much. She didn’t pay me too much attention.
Her work turned out to be almost a one to one match of the building in front of us both seen in the picture.
Here a group of Gondolers sit relaxed waiting for the next group of tourist to shuttle around for thirty minutes at a time.
A woman stops for a break in the market area of Venice that takes place weekly. It had already been closed for the day when I arrived.
One of the few locals living above a church in the city,
Even Gondoliers can’t help but photograph the beautiful scenery sometimes while at work.
Gondoliers stay hard at work for much longer than eight hours. I spoke to one. He said they never really get tired as long as they can eat and drink something every now and then.