Category Archives: Vita Venexiàn

Mi stago ben…

We look marvelous: women of the Sensa, 2009

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Look over these splendid, up-close photos from the Festa della Sensa, taken from on, near, and beyond the galley, the Serenissima. We women once again had the privilege of rowing this prestigious craft on a truly spectacular, if only potentially sizzling, day. The mayor couldn’t make it, but we had plenty of dignitaries form the Comune aboard, including the Assessore Salvadori. Lofty breezes rescued us from potential heatstroke (although that didn’t keep me from the voglia fare un bel bagno in the inviting lagoon waters).

The photo below will link you to the vogavenezia.com website of the Coordinamento Nazionale Associazione Remiere, who is responsible for the photographs…and the video that will appear there soon. (And in case you were wondering, the photo of the bare foot with no nail polish is mine.)

Voga Venezia: Festa della Sensa 2009
remi sensa.jpg

Take particular notice of the taxi and the RAI camera that smashed up against the Serenissima so they could get “the” shot, to such a degree that it was impossible to row the boat. Un po’ di rispetto! “A little respect, please,” called Giusto from the helm. We know perfectly well that camera has a zoom…what was the point? Chi se frega is the phrase that seems to embody the attitude of the taxi and his shooter (which translates to something like Maude’s famous, “Who cares, Walter”).

sensa taxi.png

Have you seen the preview of the documentary-in-progress, Beyond the Gondola?

Who's that girl…

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You never know what you might see touring about the lagoon. Last fall we were heading back into the city past Sant’Andrea when we spied a photographer and model taking advantage of this unusual and relatively spectacular location for their shoot. If they were looking to get maximum exposure…they may have gotten more than they bargained for.

Saturday, May 9: Corteo Acqueo sul Canale Grande

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contraluce.jpgMay is a wonderfully bustling month from start to finish. There’s the Giro dìItalia revving up this weekend on Lido, our colorful women’s regata following by the Festival of the Purple Artichoke on Sant’Erasmo on Sunday. May is also the Mese del Decoro e Rispetto per la Città, Month of Decorum and Respect for the City. One of the first scheduled activities is a water procession, or Corteo of bache a remi (rowed boats) down the Grand Canal.

The procession will depart from the rail station at about 10:00, and end in the bacino at about 10:50, and will include the Serenissima, peata, gondole, private boats from all the remiere in the city, the lagoon, and even the river Brenta, all flying the Venetian flag; but in particular they’ve invited the over 700 maciarele* (young people), who row, each of who that participates will be recognized by the Mayor as they pass Ca’ Farsetti with a parchment inscribed, “Youth with Hope for the Voga alla Veneta.”

The city is in a constant struggle in how to both provide motorized transportation tourists and merchandise about the city and lagoon without destroying the very ambience that’s required for its existence…the same that’s required for traditional lagoon boats to navigate. The procession is to demostrate the support of those devoted to maintaining the voga as a part of Venetian and lagoon life, and respect for the city.

  • Sat, May 9
  • 10:00 departure from the Ferrovia
  • 10:50 arrival and alzaremi San Marco

* In Venetian, maciarele refers to kids, and comes from the name for baby go, or ghiozzo fish.

I Row to Defend You: Saturday, April 25th

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Vogo e Ti Difendo (I Row to Defend You; By Rowing, I Defend You) is an annual event established by the Coordinamento Associazione Remiere (see their site for a video from last year’s event). This Saturday morning, Aprile 25th, hundreds of local vogatori (men, women, Venetian, Italian, French, Australian, British, Russian, American…and more) will amass in the bacino di San Marco to row around the entire city (a course of 22 kilometers, or about 14 miles) to demonstrate both their numbers, and the devotion to voga. The marathon will begin at 9:30, and follow the route below.

vogoetidifendo_route

Vogo e Ti Difendo differs from Vogalonga (which takes place at the end of May) in that it is restricted only to those rowing the voga alla veneta. The route is also tougher in that it encircles the city, and because motor traffic is not halted, the “seas” remain choppy, and even more inhospitable for these shallow-bottomed, human-powered, lagoon boats — emphasizing the point the event intends to illustrate.

Despite the iconic image of the gondola, the casual visitor to Venice understands little of the rowing style that is unique to the city and its history. This event is one of the ways its practitioners try to bring to light both to the Comune and the Veneziani del mondo, “Venetians of the World” the value of maintaining the voga alla veneta as a part of Venetian life.

The Gondola Girls

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On the 10th of May in the afternoon, there will be ten gondolas that instead of carrying contented travelers through calm canals, will course colorfully across the lagoon, each with a crew of four women determined to ciapàr bandiera, bring home the bacon.

Gathering to have their photo taken for the local rag, the Gazzettino, these ebullient women, whether young and not-so-young, whether expert, novice, or enthusiast, are thinking of nothing other than blistering past all their competitors in the first-ever all-woman race in gondola. I’ll be rowing in one alai, or in the second position of the four with two campionesse and two, ehm, appassionate (If I manage not to collapse mezza regata I will consider the event a personal success).

EVVAI…