Ah, Venice. . .

Posted by derrick on February 27, 2006

Jones - Fraulein-will you permit me?
Elsa - I usually don’t.
Jones - I usually don’t either.
Elsa - In that case, I permit you.
(Jones gives her the flower)
Jones - It would make me very happy.
Elsa - But I’m already sad, by tomorrow it will have faded.
Jones - Tomorrow I’ll steal you another.

One thing about Venice, there certainly is plenty of water! In fact I’m sure you’ve seen all the NOVA type programs about the coming demise of the city and the giant flood gates that never actually get built. Apparently at the moment the powers that be feel it’s time to clean the lagoon, then once that’s done they’ll see if they can actually afford to save the city. Sounds a bit like a “Chicken-n-Egg Paradox” Good thing I don’t have to make those decisions.Actually flooding in Venice is becoming pretty common, especially in October through November, but for the most part only during high tide. The Acqua Alta as it’s called often produces nothing more than a small pool here or there and just for a few hours. You’d be lucky to get a damp sock out of the deal. But on occasion it can be different. If it looks like you might actually get wet, the city will sound a siren to let you know when an unusually high-tide will be peaking. From the time of the siren the tide will peak in about 3 to 4 hours. In which case you may want some boots. So unlike in Wisconsin where a siren usually means run from a tornado, in Venice a siren means it’s time to get your “wellies”.

Incidentally, it’s pretty easy for a visitor to get a pair of nice “tourist rubbers” these days. Ok, make your own conclusions about “tourist rubbers”. I’m not going to go any further with that one. Thing is, as much as I would like to stroll the Piazza San Marco in a nice yellow pair of one-size-fits-all, 10 Euro, plastic boots, I think I’d probably just wear my trusty Tivas instead!

I bet you’re wondering what’s got me on about Venice today? Well it’s actually because of a chat I’ve been having with Rene Schellenberg who owns a small guiding service near Zurich, Switzerland. In early June of this year Rene will be taking a group to paddle the canals of Venice. Now is that cool or what!? This is something that I’ve always wanted to do. In fact the trip is just in time for the 32nd annual Vogalonga which has become a sort of wild Venetian paddlefest. The Vogalonga is basically a 30 kilometer boat marathon that includes about any kind of human-powered watercraft you can imagine. I’m sure you can imagine a kayak or two. The first Vogalonga took place in 1975 and was meant to draw attention the attention of city authorities to the wide spread damage wave action from power boats was causing to homes and historic sites. Over time the event grew from about 550 boaters to well over 1000 craft and close to 4,000 competitors.

I couldn’t image a better way to see Venice than by kayak. So while I sit here and weep because I’ve already got other obligations YOU can certainly go in my stead. In fact if you’d like to learn more about this summers trip you should get a hold of Rene. He’s working on posting trip information in English so you can get the details at his website. The general idea is that you meet the group in Venice, so how you get there is up to you. (Meaning there is a lot of potential cost savings for stowaways). Then Rene will be your guide to Venice for the next 5 days. In addition to paddling of course, you will have plenty of time to enjoy everything Venice has to offer; stroll around the historic district, sample the food, hang out in the side walk cafe’s, and all that other touristy stuff we like to do when not in the kayak. Then of course on Sunday you’ll all join the Vogalonga and dodge the gondolas along the way.

To Learn More Go to SeeKajak.ck. Cost for the 5 days start around $425 US depending on what you’ll need.

* images provided by Rene Schellenberg. Thank you!!