This last March I took a trip to Venice, Italy with my friend and partner, Tim Reinard. We went on a search for for a couple of gondolas for sale. It was quite a trip besides visiting a few people that we already knew, we met all sorts of other people, current and retired Gondoliers, the current president of the Gondolier Union, rowing club members, songwriters, Gondola builders, as well as a few bartenders and shop owners. Interestingly enough at the time the big question was Hillary or Obama (that is a discussion for someone elses blog please), this was interesting to me that political news of the U.S. was that well known in Italy. Here in the U.S. I don't think anyone I know, knows who the president of Italy was at the time or that Italy has well over one hundred political parties and candidates to choose from.
(The current Italian Pres. is Giorgio Napolitano)
Back to my story...(pardon me while typing this I'm listening to our current presidential debates)
We knew that there was one Gondola available. Angelino Sandri in Oakland, who owns Gondola Servizio on Lake Merrit, contacted Roberto dei Rossi in Venice who is a Gondola builder in The San Travaso Squero (His family goes back some 400 yrs in Gondola Maestro's). The first day went just as planned. After that the plan was over now find another Gondolier willing to sell his boat. Doesn't sound too hard right? Well there is no used lot sale or salesman, so now we're on the search for a guy who is willing to sell his boat, and it's one that isn't about to be buried.
Well after almost a week of searching we went back to one of the first boats we found on the secondary search. We went to a Gondolier named Fabbio dei Bei who rowed a Tra
montin built Gondola out of the Bocino Orseolo behind St. Mark's Square. The other Gondola was working out of Santa Sofia near Ca'd'oro on the Grand canal (opposite the herberia and the open air fish market). We now owned two Gondolas in Venice. The ideas of rowing around the city and celebrating were rampant in our minds, unfortunately we bought the boats just in time to learn how to use a cesola (my spelling is only a guess). The cesola is a modified dust pan intended to scoop out water from the Gondola. We were lucky enough to this twice before we took the Gondolas to the shipping yard. To the right you can see that both Gondolas have completed their journey around the world and are safely snuggled into a slip in Peter's Landing Marina.
montin built Gondola out of the Bocino Orseolo behind St. Mark's Square. The other Gondola was working out of Santa Sofia near Ca'd'oro on the Grand canal (opposite the herberia and the open air fish market). We now owned two Gondolas in Venice. The ideas of rowing around the city and celebrating were rampant in our minds, unfortunately we bought the boats just in time to learn how to use a cesola (my spelling is only a guess). The cesola is a modified dust pan intended to scoop out water from the Gondola. We were lucky enough to this twice before we took the Gondolas to the shipping yard. To the right you can see that both Gondolas have completed their journey around the world and are safely snuggled into a slip in Peter's Landing Marina.That is the short story of an intense two weeks. Here are some bonus photos that I think are worth posting.
Tim getting a free ride down the Grand canal on Nelly
Tim taking a turn as pope.
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