There is a real magic about the gondola. Having been a gondolier for nearly ten years I have come to terms with the fact that when everyone waves at me as I row along it is because of my gondola. 36.5 feet long and weighing nearly a ton the gondola is admired for its beauty by some and others, especially people with long boating experience, marvel at the ease and grace which my fellow gondoliers and I exhibit in busy canals or on windy days.   My favorite time on the water is late in the evening. Everyone has gone to bed and there is no one to be seen. It is quiet and romantic. The reflection of the lights dancing and shimmering, the stars bright over head, the crickets and night birds singing their songs all combine. As you sit close to your loved one you are in another world. Nearly all days and nights rowing is a peacful and almost unconscious activity but there are days when out of no- where the wind will spring up. When this happens you battle many things. First, of course, is the wind. A very strong yet steady wind can be navigated in with effort and concentration but a strong variable wind is much more difficult and requires years of experience to keep yourself out of serious trouble. Another battle is with yourself for as long as you focus on relaxing you can row a long time in serious conditions, lack of focus, nervousness or panic will drain you of energy. The third part is: as conditions worsen your tone with your passengers must become calmer. I often ask questions so that they hear the tone of my voice and they are reassured and figure that things can't be so bad if he is talking about his favorite restaurant. As there are so few gondola companies that have actual imported gondolas the number of people who can seriously call themselves gondoliers is few. These few take seriously the 1000 year old rowing tradition of Venice, Italy, and have great respect for the gondoliers of Venice whose rowing champions serve as guide and inspiration to those whose hearts yell within them "San Marco!" ...read more