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It is often said that the ultimate experience for the true romantic is a Gondola ride in Venice.
While Gondolas were once regularly used by Venetians, today Vaporetti have become the main form of water transportation in Venice. A couple hundred years ago there were about 10,000 Gondolas but today there are only about 500, mainly used by the tourists. A Gondolier is a person who rows the Gondola. They are quite a character, wearing black pants, a striped shirt, and closed dark shoes. They usually have a special hat but don't always wear it. Gondoliers stand up to row and use only one oar as this is the best way to row through the narrow canals of Venice. Most Gondoliers speak some English and are well informed about the history of Venice.
This was my second Gondola ride in a year's time. While the first was late in the evening with not much photo opportunities, this time around it was on a sunny morning. Seen here is our Gondolier with two kids in the background standing on one of those numerous small bridges criss-crossing the canals.