We spent a great long weekend in Venice, and the highlight was bringing our folding Puffin II Pakboat with us.
Before we went I looked at whether it was possible to kayak in Venice, and the websites I looked at suggested it was. The owner of our small hotel said it was not problem, but that we should be careful not to touch the gondalas, which cost more than 50,000 Euros. So, we put together our boat and took to the canals…
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As we glided along the canals, it was like a different world from the busy streets with the tourists. The canals were so quiet, except when we came up to a footbridge busy with people. We became one of the attractions; people looked at us in initial puzzlement, then happily took our photos.
The gondoliers seemed somewhat bemused, and were quite happy to share the canals with us. Our small boat is more a cross between a kayak and a canoe than a true kayak, as it is not covered on top. This means it is vulnerable to waves and crossing the grand canal with its fast traffic was a little nerve wracking.
We spent a full day on the water, which this being a lagoon, is salty. When we were tired we stopped by one of the piazzas and lifted the kayak out of the water. We had a strong coffee and pastries, and then got back into the boat.
Here is a track of our day on the water from Google Earth.
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