On the Water in Venice

Print pagePDF pageEmail page

I am fascinated by the activity on the canals and lagoons in Venice. I can sit and watch them for hours. There are no vehicles of course and everything has to be transported by water.

[Sorry about the sound – I don’t know how to remove it yet!]

The gondolas, vaporettos and water taxis are the most obvious, but they are actually only a small part of the traffic.

Morning delivery on Rio
Morning delivery on Rio di San Agostino

In the morning in particular, there are all sorts of boats on the smaller canals, with people loading and unloading everything imaginable.

Sanitrans picking up a man in a wheelchair
Sanitrans picking up a man in a wheelchair

Yesterday, we saw a speed boat called Sanitrans which pulled up at a landing to collect a man in a wheel chair.

About to unload goodness knows what!
About to unload goodness knows what!

Imagine having a mattress delivered or large pieces of furniture. No wonder everything in our home exchange flat comes from Ikea. The delivery charges must be horrendous.

Standard cart with two extra small wheels for going up hump-backed bridges
Standard cart with two extra small wheels for going up hump-backed bridges

Of course, once the goods are taken out of the boats, they have to be transported by hand so the delivery men (I have not seen any women!) all have these nifty little carts with extra wheels to help them go up and down the hump-backed bridges. And a lot of arm and leg muscles.

Boat with hoses - we can only guess what they are for.
Boat with hoses – we can only guess what they are for.

We can only guess what all the hoses are for on the boat above.

People training for a regatta
People training for a regatta

Several times we saw people training for regattas but they are so fast that it’s difficult to catch them in time.

Rialto Bridge on the the Grand Canal
Rialto Bridge on the the Grand Canal

Today we went to the maritime museum near the Arsenal, a bargain at less than 2 euro per person and half-empty. They have a very large collection of scale models of every shape and size, spread out over five stories, including a room dedicated to the stunningly decorated Bucintoro, which was the ceremonial barge of the Doges of Venice.

Mock-up of a Bucintoro, the Doges' ceremonial barge
Mock-up of a Bucintoro, the Doges’ ceremonial barge

Every year, on Ascension Thursday, the Doge would throw a ring into the lagoon, symbolizing the marriage of Venice to the sea. The museum has a collection of these rings. We were mystified when we first saw them!

"Wedding rings" for vessels - about 18 or 20 cm in diameter
“Wedding rings” for vessels – about 18 or 20 cm in diameter

While we were having a cappuccino opposite the lagoon, a barge went past loaded with cranes and cement mixers!

cranes_cement_mixers The gondola experience still awaits us so keep tuned!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

9 thoughts on “On the Water in Venice”

  1. Hello Rosemary

    I am really enjoying reading about your time in Venice, fascinating place. I’ll be there in Sept, my first visit. So looking forward to it!

    Regards, Carol

    1. Hello Carol and welcome to Aussie in France. September should be a good time to visit. Fewer tourists but still good weather.

  2. I am so enjoying your holiday in Venice. ..especially today’s photos -the practicalities in life in a city built on the water!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *