The bustle of Venice seems a bit tame in comparison to that of a city such as Florence. Small things stand out. At once, the pedestrian becomes aware that he or she can, in fact, hope to cross a street without fear of being mowed over. And with waterways and bridges comes a somewhat serene feeling that life flows a bit smoother here; that traffic itself is a bit more structured. Certainly more structured than the inconceivable lane changes made by angry vespa drivers in route to the Florence airport. Yet, as structured and seemingly calm as Venice may appear to an outsider, life, even there, moves a bit too fast for one group of inhabitants. The Gondoliers. Sure they peddle their services, but not with the same exuberance as the purse sellers, and certainly not with the same persistence as the bean-bag pushers. This group of individuals takes a lull in business as a great opportunity to enjoy the finer things of life: a smoke, a sit in the shade, and conversation with fellow gondoliers. Masked with sunglasses and posed with hands on hips they discuss the possibilites of age, fine cheeses, and photography. Yet, when having a picture taken of them the demeanor changes immediately. They lower their head - their straw-brimmed hats covering their faces- and become annoyed at what would seem their primary income; the tourist. It is quite amusing to watch the definitive italian male, in his youthful- or not so youthful in some cases- manner, gesticulating wildly and crowding in on each other so as to almost pass onto the other side of the individual they are talking to. And, of course, one would think that in such close inter-personal confines voices would be lowered. Oh no. Loud and boisterous. That gets the point across. All in all it is quite entertaining to watch this ritual of loiter that seems so prevalent among this profession; a ritual that never seems to end. That is... until the traveling tourist with a pocketful of cash comes waving, demanding to experience the essence of Venice. Then the Gondolere snuffs out his cigarette, waves goodbye to his comrades, and puts on his smile for hire.
I like this very much, Jesse.
ReplyDeleteYour writing is strong, the focus is solid and your description comes with insider observation.
To be more journalistic, you would need to add in details like the cost of a gondolier trip, the length, perhaps a scene of taking on tourists and how that transaction works. Also, a quick explainer of WHAT a gondolier does -- seems obvious, but many classmates mixed up gondoliers and traghetto operators.
Did you know the first female gondolier just won her license?