Italy Travelogue Venice Gondola Ride (7/17)

January 07, 2025

Italy Travelogue Venice Gondola Ride (7/17)

September 18, 2024

Venice is a city built on 118 small islands, connected by canals instead of roads. Here, boats serve as the primary means of transportation.

Gondola Pier

The main transportation options in Venice include cruise boats, gondolas, and water taxis. Among these, the gondola is a centuries-old traditional boat, manually rowed by a gondolier.

We boarded a pre-booked gondola.

A typical gondola can accommodate 5 to 6 passengers.

Operating a large gondola appears to require significant physical strength.

The gondolier, called a Gondolier, must pass rigorous exams in areas such as rowing, history, and culture to earn their qualification.

The Ride

Our journey began in the open sea and moved into narrower canals.

Passengers usually sit evenly to maintain balance, but the gondolier might occasionally ask them to shift positions to adjust the boat’s tilt.

At one point, I moved to the front of the gondola to help balance it.

In Venice, even deliveries are made by boat.

Connecting the islands are about 400 small bridges, making for picturesque crossings over the canals.

After gliding through narrow waterways, we returned to the pier.

Seeing the city from the gondola felt like a serene and unique way to explore Venice—an unforgettable experience.

Back to St. Mark’s Square

We returned to St. Mark’s Square, where a live music performance was underway at a nearby café. The atmosphere was enchanting, and we enjoyed watching pigeons fluttering around the square.

We took a photo with St. Mark’s Basilica and its iconic bell tower as the backdrop.

Naturally, we joined in the fun of taking a jumping photo in the square!

Jumping photos gained popularity thanks to Philippe Halsman, who captured natural, relaxed expressions of his subjects while they were mid-air.

St. Mark's Basilica

Falciani Ristorante Pizzería

For lunch, we headed to Falciani Ristorante Pizzería, a well-known restaurant located to the left of St. Mark’s Basilica.

Address:

Falciani Ristorante Pizzería

S. Marco, 353, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy

We ordered fried shrimp, squid ink pasta, fried calamari, seafood risotto, and drinks.

The fried shrimp and calamari were wonderfully crispy and flavorful. The seafood risotto featured chewy grains of rice infused with the rich taste of clams, creating a symphony of flavors.