Last Sunday morning, on a perfect Spring day after a thunderstorm the previous night, I stood on Accademia bridge and watched all manner of man powered watercraft pass beneath me.
They were on their way to the start of La Vogalonga, an annual rowing race in Venice. La Vogalonga is a non-competitive race through the canals of Venice. It begins in the San Marco basin, outside the Ducal Palazzo, and travels 30 km through the canals ending near Cannaregio.
The boats are very colourful, many crews dress up, there is much cheering, from rowers and spectators, there is the beat of dragon boat drums, there were a couple of trombone players on one boat. Every watercraft you can think of is represented, including some I have never seen before - traditional Venetian rowers, rowing eights or fours, though no single sculls, paddleboards, dragon boats, kayaks, canoes. As well as Venetian and Italian competitors, I saw boats carrying the flags of France, Britain, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. No Australians. The vaporetto service is suspended during the race, and the vaporetto stops become viewing platforms. A big, crowd gathers on the Fondamente at Cannaregio to cheer the crews as they complete the race. Good fun, and a wonderful spectacle.