H.V. Morton once said, “To appreciate a gondola, a man must be twenty and in love.” What about everyone else who ever steps foot in a gondola? On a recent trip to Venice, a group of five riders set out on the canal, none of whom fit Morton’s description. There was the single guy in his early thirties, a woman in her late twenties who has been married just over a year, a man in his late twenties who has been married less than a year, a woman in her late thirties who is dating someone, though not on this trip, and a single woman in her mid twenties. Perhaps Morton would think there was little hope for enjoyment from this group, but what is typically a romantic interlude proved to be not only fun, but quite informative.
The driver of a gondola, or a gondolier, typically dons “traditional” dress of black trousers, a white shirt and a straight brimmed straw hat with a red sash around it. As the gondolier navigated through the narrow canals of Venice, the question struck the group, “How does one learn to navigate this contraption?” For anyone who has ever been on a gondola, they are not the smallest means of transportation, and turns are tight; so tight in fact that at one point, a fraction of an elbow of one of the riders was beyond the brim of the gondola to which the gondolier promptly said, “Hello” and shook his finger at his rider, the seemingly universal sign for, “you were caught doing something wrong.” Gondola traffic flows both ways, and paddling is an art, therefore it was obvious there had to be some specific training.
After some investigation it was revealed that there is indeed much training required for paddling these boats. One must first pass a written test in order to advance to stage two. Next, there is the equivalent of a road test, except of course, this one is taken on the canals of Venice. Part of the mastery is maneuvering this vehicle through the narrow canals. Gondoliers stand on the right side and navigate with a single paddle. The paddle is positioned on a wooden hook-like protrusion, and depending on the angle and position of the paddle on this hook, the gondola steers in a specific direction. Once the “road test” is passed one must apprentice for at least a year. If you are lucky enough, your master gondolier might take a vacation during your apprenticeship, which could prove to be the defining moment for an up and coming gondolier. This is the chance to prove yourself and perhaps advance to the final phase which of course would be navigating your own gondola through the canals at about 20 Euros for half an hour (this rate works out to about 1$ a minute). On average, it takes about five years to become a master gondolier and earn your own gondola.
Venice, being 150 small islands, does not allow any cars; therefore one must rely on foot and the waterways. Yet, the locals can not afford to pay the high prices of the gondola. Truthfully speaking, gondolas serve two purposes today, a tourist’s desire to experience this tradition, and wedding transport; it is still tradition for a bride to arrive at church by way of a gondola.
For daily transport most locals rely on water taxis small boats that run on a regular time schedule. In contrast to gondolas, these water taxis are motor powered, therefore transport is quicker then a slow paddle through Venice. For about 33 Euros, or about 50$, one can procure a monthly pass.
Along with the history and factual information that was received as the group floated through the canals, several questions arose, the first being whether gondoliers have gondola races. It was discovered that there are said races, though these take place in the main portion of the river, as the narrow canals would be a hazard for such events. It was also questioned how one would receive emergency medical care with seemingly slow transport. Alas, there boats which serve as ambulances, though these too are powered by motor.
Though most often thought of as a romantic interlude, there is more to a gondola ride then meets the eye. Not everyone can navigate one of these long boats, and though they are perhaps one of the more unique ways to get around a town, earning a license to tote around tourists and brides is not handed to just anyone.
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