Gondola Ride

A trip to Venice wouldn't be complete without a romantic ride on a gondolas. We are walking in a back calla and the boys in their blue and white stripe shirts are out touting for business. We are standing on a small bridge over a narrow canal watching them trying to get some of the passing people attention. It's been a quiet week for them with a few days of rain and they are starting to do some deals with big smile and many rejections, I approach and said you are not having much luck today! and asked, so what sort of deals Are You Offering... Wella fora todaya only.... Fora youa and youra bella lady........ these boys are smooth talkers and not bad on the eyes either, well they have business to do and you wouldn't want Quisemoto taking you! So boys cut to the chase how many € for the Aussie Touristico ?
As I have been in Venice for the past week I knew that the normal fee is 80 € for a 40min trip ( without singing ) so when he offered 70€ for the 40 mins or 100€ for 1 & 1/2 hour and he would sing also.  I opted for the latter and he was thrilled and as we're we. It was a bella day so what would be better than to just sit back and be spoiled for the next hour and 1/2.
        His gondola was right next to the dock and I gestured that Sandy was a bit unsteady on boats let alone a long narrow Gondolas. No Problemeo he gets one of the other gondoliers to come and help, so with 2 gondoliers to assist, Sandy is now safely in the arms of two young striking looking men and no complaining from her about that I'm sure! before we know it we are gliding down a small canal.

       The gondolas is 11 m long and is a tad wider than well,Sandy and my bottoms so just perfect. We are seated in 2 black highly lacquered low chairs with black furry cushions looking forwards over the very long beautiful and pristine gondolas with it silver adornment on either side and the large silver crest sitting proud right to the front. So our young who is standing on the deck behind us bends down and introduces himself as Petro and that he was 28 years old and that there are traditions to be up held by a gondoliers in Venice. Oh do tell us more, all those Italian words mixed with English was so quaint.
        There are only 420 gondolas registered in the waters of Venice and he had been at Gondolier school for a year, seams to me to be a long time to be at boat school, but do go on. So how much do they cost, and what are the working conditions. Some where between 25,000 to 60,000 € each, ouch thats a lot of €. Winter is slow but good for him as her only works perhaps 3 days a week between say 10 & 3 as it is to cold and windy out of those time so he is able to then go home and play on his X Box, as he still lives with his mum!!!! that has just killed it, not the image that his looks gave off... But summer is the time to make money as the days are long but not so good for his social life...... or his X Box again to much information. So where is the singing you promised and as we gathered a little speed he softly sings in italian and Sandy and I are transported to a world that is so romantic. So Pete from now on don't ask to many question as the answers don't alway fit the image....