René Seindal

One wonders what they were thinking.

Spotted on Burano along the Fondamenta Pescheria on September 28th, 2009.

Kayaking in Venice: who needs a gondola? by Teresa Machan in The Guardian, September 26th, 2009.

Forget water taxis and tourist rides, if you want a fresh perspective on La Serenissima, jump in a kayak and paddle up to St Mark’s Square

It’s rush hour and there’s a traffic jam on the Grand Canal. Popping out into the canal from one of the narrower waterways is a trio of gondolas; hurtling towards them is the number-one vaporetto (water bus) loaded with its summer cargo. So far so familiar, but in the midst of this waterborne whirl of gondolas, buses, taxis, pleasure and motorboats there’s me, in a kayak, with a honking, crane-bearing delivery boat up my backside.

Thanks, Teresa

There’s a lot of dogs in Venice, and many are seen in boats, often up at the bow where they can see and smell everything.

This one particularly caught my attention: bello e tranquillo.

There are strict speed limits on the Canal Grande, and its under constant surveillance, but the speed limits don’t apply to the fire brigade, as can be seen from these photos.

When you hear the siren you better move – or even better – keep to the sides always, as any rowed boat is expected to do in the Canalazzo.

The photos were taken on September 5 on the Canal Grande just in front of the City Hall, Ca’ Farsetti, very close to the Rialto Bridge.

This is not a regular occurrence. I have only seen it twice this year, and I do spend a good deal of time around the Canal Grande.

There has been a larger than usual mammal on the loose in the lagoon this summer.

The life size elephant stands on a shallow island near the Certosa island, just east of Venice, on the canal that leads to the airport. Most boats pass at a distance, but we can paddle right up under its trunk. It doesn’t seem to mind, though.

It appeared there in early June, just at the opening time of the Biennale, so it probably has something to do with that. If that’s the case, it will likely disappear in November when the Biennale closes.

Seen up close it looks like its made from old car tyres, heated and moulded into shape, and some pieces of drift wood.

Some have suggested that the little red ball is like a key stone on an arch. Remove that, and it’ll all come apart

A dear friend of mine recently gave me a beautiful gift – the book Barche del Golfo di Venezia – an illustrated description of most of the traditional boats of the Venetian lagoon and the upper Adriatic Sea.

The various chapters describe not only the different types and classes of boats, both rowed and sailed, but also many of the now disappearing crafts associated with boats and sea faring in the lagoon area, and quite a bit of the practical, social and cultural context in which the boats were made and used. Many of the vessels are no longer used, and of some not even a single complete hull has survived.

The entire book is generously illustrated with beautiful water colours made by the author.

The text is in Italian with words, phrases and quotations in Venetian.

Luigi Divari, Barche del Golfo di Venezia, 2009, ISBN 9788883200878, Il Leggio Libreria Editrice, Sottomarina di Chioggia (VE), Italy.

Ocean Paddler Magazine, issue 16, has an article on paddling in Sardinia by yours truly.