On The Road: See a different side of Venice by boarding a kayak
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference."Some of the older guys don't like the kayaks," said Rene. "They think they turn Venice into a theme park, like Gardaland [on the eastern shore of Lake Garda]. The younger gondoliers are more accepting, though, and will always wave as we pass."
In a city so acutely defined by history and tradition, the new boy in town doesn't always get welcomed with open arms.
Our kayak tour from the Hotel Cipriani had started with a paddle across the Giudecca Canal towards the spectacular Santa Maria della Salute church, at the mouth of the Grand Canal. Entering the labyrinth of waterways that makes up this beautiful, unique city, we paddled alongside many traditional gondolas, receiving nothing but cheery "ciaos". It seemed to us that the anti‑kayak brigade was a minority.
Sitting so low in the kayaks gave a completely different perspective: steps disappearing under the water level; lower-level accommodation now resigned to storage; former doors built up to form windows in order to combat the rising waters.
We'd checked out the Santo Stefano church (the tower of which gives Pisa a run for its money when it comes to leaning) the evening before, but it was only as we kayaked under the floor of the church that we realised it straddled the canal.
After three hours of criss-crossing the snaking Grand Canal for close-up views of the palaces, churches and galleries that reside along its banks, and paddling down smaller canals to check out local haunts, we felt privileged to have experienced Venice this way. Gardaland? A far cry from it. If only Rene had serenaded us ...
Footprint's Venice & Veneto (with pop-out map) is out now (£13.99). See www.footprinttravelguides.com
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments