Vibrant Venice
There’s nothing quite like sweeping into Venice in a wood paneled boat. Sitting in the back, I stood up as we approached the city and took in the view. Jet lag and the exhaustion of a 14 hour journey evaporated, and I was entranced. As we entered the Grand Canal, the boat slowed down and we crept up towards the Rialto Bridge and then pulled into a dock in front of my hotel.
My first few hours were spent exploring, as I navigated narrow streets and small bridges over the canals. I was in wonder of the whole city. How you could be in a crowded piazza one minute, and a moment later, a brisk walk could lead you to a seemingly abandoned dead end in front of a ruined old palazzo. It was magical.
After a delicious dinner within a jet lagged stumble from my hotel, I sunk into my cool, inviting bed, lulled to sleep by a nice combination of melatonin, two Zzzquils, and the glass of wine I had with dinner. (Please note that I do not recommend this to the reader). Miraculously, I slept through the night, and woke up just past 7am, with little time for breakfast beyond the coffee and biscotti in my room. I hurried down the still and sparsely populated streets to get to my 8am tour of the Doge’s Palace, taking a moment to enjoy St. Mark’s without the throngs of people who would soon descend upon it.
After the tour (which was very informative), I settled in for a nice lunch before heading to my rowing lesson. For those of you looking for a true Venetian experience, I highly recommend taking a rowing lesson rather than sitting back and letting someone else do all the hard work. I especially recommend this for solo travelers who may not necessarily enjoy a romantic gondola ride for one!
My instructor from Row Venice was a retired schoolteacher and native Venetian. She was immensely patient and gave excellent instructions, as well as a personal history of Venice and her family. She sang out her instructions, rhythmically rowing to the tune, and cautioned, “Occhio, occhio!” when another boat would come too close. When she suggested that we should leave the sanctuary of the canals and head into the Lagoon, I was incredulous. After all, we had no life jackets on, and she had not even asked whether I knew how to swim! If we capsized and fell in, who knows what would happen. But I wanted to feel the rush of waves slapping against our batela, as motor boats, vaporetti, and the larger ferries sped past, leaving us to continue rowing ahead in their wake. To venture out into the unknown, leaving the comfort and safety to experience the excitement beyond. It all seemed an all too appropriate metaphor for life – and so we ventured out into the open Lagoon…
