“A funny thing happened on the way to the gondola”

People say it is sometimes not a good idea to revisit places you visited in your youth. They are never as you remember them and they are bound to have changed. Venice however gets better and better with each visit. Approaching by cruise ship we watched the whole majesty of a Venetian sunset and both Mieke and I were immediately transported back in time to our first trips here.

Both of us had visited Venice many years before. Mieke had travelled throughout Europe some thirty years previous with a girl friend. She told me that by the time they had arrived in the floating city she realised they had depleted their funds. The next few days were spent in meagre accommodations whilst dining off Italian bread, olive oil and cheap Italian wine, all the while drinking in the heady atmosphere of the city on the water. They had a wonderful time!

I had visited also around that time and I was utterly seduced by the majesty, art and atmosphere of Venice. The romantic spirit was tainted somewhat when I saw a man standing on one of the many bridges over the watery byways. It soon became clear that the man was serious and he intended to jump to injury if not death! I was not the only person to have noticed though. Several British sailors had also noticed and were offering him assistance in the only way they knew how.

“Jump! Go on, jump!” they cried, “Get on with it!” Due to either fear or utter embarrassment the man in question sheepishly stepped down. After a few words with the sailors, they all headed off towards a nearby bar! Utterly bemused, I continued my journey around the city.

This time however, we were on a stricter timescale. Shooting Venice and doing it justice is a daunting task. We could capture amazing sights and sounds but there is so much more to Venice. Nevertheless, we decided to shoot as much footage as we could, and shoot we did.

All around us we were surrounded by vistas and scenes straight out of the movies. We saw a wedding, travelled in a gondolier and also travelled to see glass being blown into stunning, artistic sculptures. Just think! The Grande Canale, scores of beautiful bridges including the famous Bridge of Sigh’s, marble Palazzos and the incredible Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square). We experienced it all and so much more.

Breathtaking in its beauty, the Piazza San Marco was dubbed “The Finest Drawing Room in Europe” by none other than Napoleon. Everywhere there were pigeons, people, pizza shops (the best pizza anywhere), cafes, and music provided by orchestras, string quartets and small bands. The ambience was indescribable. Mieke remarked how lucky we were to be returning. Many people never get he chance to see this unique place once and here we were, man and wife in one of the most romantic places on earth.

Soon after this, we had an argument. Tired from our journey and many different shooting retakes we were in no mood to be congenial. Consummate professionals that we are, we managed to give the impression that we were swept away by the romance of the city. In reality, I am surprised that we didn’t try to push each other off the gondolier into the water! We laugh about it now though!

Ah, Venice!

Jake de Boer