René’s old blog
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Busy Busy
It’ll be a busy day in Venice today. The day did, however, have a less auspicious start. As I was having breakfast at the camping at little thing dropped on the table just beside me. It was … … the severed head of a bee! There must have been some really nasty business going on […]
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Just another day in the lagoon
Today I went paddling in the lagoon with my Venetian friend Marco and his friend Damien from Padova. We didn’t have any particular plans, just paddle and have fun. Here’s Damien in his rusty old kayak And here’s Marco in the Current Design Solstice that Wendy is going to paddle around Sardinia (Marco has a […]
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Small Home Office Disturbance
As I’m sitting here at Bar Maleti on the Gran Viale of the Lido di Venezia, the place is suddenly invaded. The two little ladies with their newspapers and espresso didn’t create much of a fuss, but the wedding party with photographer and everything did cause a minor commotion.
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Change of plans
Any adventure involves coping with the unexpected and the unforeseen. Unfortunately, I have had a solid dose of unexpected and unforeseen even before the start of our journey, as I lost all my personal and vehicle documents on the way to Italy two weeks ago.
I left Denmark early to guide a group of Danish kayakers on a week long trip to Venice and the lagoon, but became stuck in Venice afterwards waiting for temporary identification documents and new credit cards without which it would be difficult to proceed. This situation should be solved by Monday September 24 when I will get a temporary passport at the consulate.
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Don’t hurry we’re already late
Maybe I’m getting more italianised that I had ever imagined, but I actually managed to write the above sentence in an email to Wendy lately. I meant it and I still do. No mistake there. It is well known that people from Southern Europe has a different sense of time that people from Northern Europe. […]
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The Giudecca
Today’s paddle me took to the Giudecca of Venice. It used to be an industrial area with housing for working class families, there’s quite a bit of run down houses and abandoned factories and shipyards. New houses on the south side of the Giudecca. Older, but nice looking houses in the Giudecca. Abandonded shipyard buildings […]
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Little surprises in the lagoon
Today’s paddle became rather special, for a number of reasons. I started in the afternoon after a morning’s hard work at the internet café. Their coffee is appallingly good, but paddling need to be done. First thing, I encountered the first paddler ever in the lagoon, except of course Marco who always complains that nobody […]
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Life at the Lido
So today I’ve spent most of the time sitting at Café Maleti on the Gran Viale of the Lido, updating blogs and doing email. Life is hard, but they do make good coffee and food, and absolutely great icecream.
Then I have to stand the pathetic view across to the lagoon to Venice each and every day on my way to the ‘office’ at Bar Maleti. I don’t know how I can stand it, but I guess when you have no choice you learn to cope.
We’ve got a few new sponsors for our journey. ODLO has sent us a package of underwear, Tec shirts and jackets. Wendy will bring it with her to Venice later. North Water has sent Wendy a large package of deck bags, tow lines and other good stuff, including a huge mesh duffel bag Wendy seems to be in love with :-). Last, Hilleberg, the Tentmaker, has given us a very good discount on a good size light weight tent for the journey.
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Camping San Nicolò
I’m still stuck in Venice waiting for documents and credit cards so I can continue my journey. Naturally, it’s a downer being stuck somewhere when you expected to be somewhere else, but there are worse places to be stuck than on the Lido of Venice. I’m staying at the Camping San Nicolò at the northern […]
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Skim in Venice
Here are some photos of the new Skim Distance in Venice and surroundings.
The Skim Distance parked besides a very busy inner city canal.
Paddling in front of the city just east of St. Mark’s Square.
Parked on the side of the main canal at Murano.
Paddling with Maria in the lagoon of Venice near the island of S. Erasmo.
Among the multicoloured houses of Burano there was one with exactly the same colours as my Skim Distance.
Doing a slightly illegal foray into the military area of the Arsenale.
Still transgressing on military areas with impunity
My venetian friend Marco wanted to try the Skim Distance and immediately took a liking to it. The expression on his face says it all: don’t try to take it away from me!
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Now bad weather too
When the last participants from Kajakhotellet’s tour to Venice left yesterday, most were complaining about returning to the gloomy weather of the cold North. We had brilliant weather all week, sunshine and temperatures of 25-30º C. Had they known how the weather would change. Right now I’m sitting in my underwear under a canopy at […]
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More bad omens
On my way down here I managed to lose just about every important document I have. I only had one credit card left. Incredibly I have managed to lose that as well. I kept it in a small plastic bag with lose change, but apparently the close contact with coins has worn down the magnetic […]
