Countdown to My Next Trips!


Make your own Countdown Clocks

Thursday, May 01, 2008

I Forgot Something in Venice

Venice is just as charming as you'd imagine it. After arriving on an overnight train, boarding a water taxi, and getting off at our stop around 8am, we were as lost as we ever wanted to be among the narrow, cobblestone streets (if you can even call them that).

There are no cars in Venice, and there are relatively few bicycles too because of the mass of bridges and uneven terrain. That leaves the dwellers and visitors to walking, though the private gondolas docked just outside the seaside windows aren't a bad choice either. It turns out that this seemingly enchanting emblem of Venice is actually a viable mode of transportation there. And despite having a gondola parked just below our window
(see the picture of our apartment at left), I forgot to step foot in one while I was on my trip.

I didn't realize this until we were on the train back to Austria, and I was bummed, but not entirely dejected. Luckily, I live just down the 405 freeway from Long Beach where The Gondola Getaway set-up shop in 1982. Here, authentic Venetian gondolas cruise the Naples waterways, and you can request a singing or silent gondolier to escort you through the canals.

For $75, two pseudo Venetian water travelers are offered a basket of French bread, cheese and salami, a bucket with ice and glasses, blankets, and background music (assuming you don't opt for the singing gondolier varietal). You do need to provide your beverage of choice- French champagne, Italian wine, or whatever else suits your fancy.

While it won't be exactly the same as gondoliering through the misty Venetian canals in January, I'm looking forward to taking a cruise with The Gondola Getaway to see what I left in Venice. And if it's so wonderful that I must take a trip back, LAX is just a little bit further up the 405.

The Gondola Gateway
5437 E Ocean Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90803

(562) 433-9595
www.gondolagetawayinc.com