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I have motored among the canals of Fort Lauderdale in a boat. I have floated among the canals of Venice in a gondola. But until last evening, I was never able to appreciate the beauties of South Florida during a romantic gondola trip. It was exquisite!
If you want to stir the romance in your soul, give this a try. I could rhapsodize for pages about the hour-long gondola ride I took with my lovely date, sipping from glasses of Hahn chardonnay as we silently slipped along the water. But here I must be brief so … where to start?
Fort Lauderdale calls itself the “Venice of America.” In fact, Fort Lauderdale has many more miles of canals than the great Italian city. But until December, this area lacked something Venetian visitors always remember – a ride in a gondola. Enter Angelino Sandri and his wife, April, who brought the real deal here from Venice, genuine hand-carved gondolas just like the ones in Italy. We’re not talking the plastic, motor-driven imitations that ply the “canals” in Las Vegas. These are authentic. And so is Angelino, who is Italian. He tells stories in his charming accent, or sings lovely songs about love as he rows the gondola past multi-million dollar waterside homes.
In between songs and pleasant chat with Angelino, you sit back with your arms around your significant other and just … ahhhh, relax. A gondola is the watergoing equivalent of a glider in the air, utterly silent. In Venice, you can hear the nearby clatter of knives and forks on plates. In Fort Lauderdale, you hear the wind in the palm fronds. We left the dock for our hour-long excursion at about 6:30 p.m. It was still light, but the dusk soon began to turn the sky into deepening blue. By the time we returned, Fort Lauderdale was twinkling with its evening glitter along Las Olas.
Angelino and April’s new tour company is called Gondola Servizio, appropriately enough, conveniently located at Las Olas and SE 12th Avenue at Stork’s Café, which itself has a delightfully Italian feel to it. You can buy wine there for your trip – or bring a bottle and glasses from home. Half-hour trips for two go for $50. The gondola operates Wednesday through Sunday, 5-11 p.m. on the weekdays and 11a.m.-11 p.m. on weekends. For a reservation, call April at 954-561-7650. Or just drop by and see if Angelino can take you after a nice cappuccino and pastry at Stork’s.
This truly is a special experience. With the new gondola tours, Fort Lauderdale really lives up to its billing – the Venice of America.
If you want to stir the romance in your soul, give this a try. I could rhapsodize for pages about the hour-long gondola ride I took with my lovely date, sipping from glasses of Hahn chardonnay as we silently slipped along the water. But here I must be brief so … where to start?
Fort Lauderdale calls itself the “Venice of America.” In fact, Fort Lauderdale has many more miles of canals than the great Italian city. But until December, this area lacked something Venetian visitors always remember – a ride in a gondola. Enter Angelino Sandri and his wife, April, who brought the real deal here from Venice, genuine hand-carved gondolas just like the ones in Italy. We’re not talking the plastic, motor-driven imitations that ply the “canals” in Las Vegas. These are authentic. And so is Angelino, who is Italian. He tells stories in his charming accent, or sings lovely songs about love as he rows the gondola past multi-million dollar waterside homes.
In between songs and pleasant chat with Angelino, you sit back with your arms around your significant other and just … ahhhh, relax. A gondola is the watergoing equivalent of a glider in the air, utterly silent. In Venice, you can hear the nearby clatter of knives and forks on plates. In Fort Lauderdale, you hear the wind in the palm fronds. We left the dock for our hour-long excursion at about 6:30 p.m. It was still light, but the dusk soon began to turn the sky into deepening blue. By the time we returned, Fort Lauderdale was twinkling with its evening glitter along Las Olas.
Angelino and April’s new tour company is called Gondola Servizio, appropriately enough, conveniently located at Las Olas and SE 12th Avenue at Stork’s Café, which itself has a delightfully Italian feel to it. You can buy wine there for your trip – or bring a bottle and glasses from home. Half-hour trips for two go for $50. The gondola operates Wednesday through Sunday, 5-11 p.m. on the weekdays and 11a.m.-11 p.m. on weekends. For a reservation, call April at 954-561-7650. Or just drop by and see if Angelino can take you after a nice cappuccino and pastry at Stork’s.
This truly is a special experience. With the new gondola tours, Fort Lauderdale really lives up to its billing – the Venice of America.
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 1:22 PM
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