Water Fun stifled
When most people think of Venice‘s Grand Canal, they likely think of peaceful gondola rides and scenic views. However, that peace was broken on Wednesday when two men were filmed gliding on their surfboards along the busiest canal in the city. In several clips filmed by shocked onlookers at various points along the canal, the two surfers were recorded as they dodged gondolas and water taxis in the historic city’s center. One of the surfers can be seen taking photos and video of the joyride before falling into the water. In another clip shared on social media, one of the surfers fell off his board under the Accademia Bridge, but made sure to keep his phone out of the water to film his cohort’s exploits. Venice mayor Brugnaro was infuriated by riding motorized surfboards through the famed Grand Canal this week, prompting Mayor Brugnaro to call them “imbeciles” who were making a mockery of Venice. The mayor posted a video of the pair on social media, asking everyone in his city to help find the surfers. As extra motivation, he offered a free dinner for anyone who could identify the two and bring them to justice.
“Venice is NOT Disneyland,” the mayor wrote as he posted a second video showing the pair skimming their boards under an arched bridge in the city widely known for its serene beauty. The incident comes four years after Venice banned personal watercraft such as paddleboards and kayaks from its main waterways, due to overcrowding that snarled the flow of gondolas and water buses. The law allows some exceptions, but is very strict about the do’s and don’ts of tourism, and especially about enforcing these rules when they’re broken. In this particular case, the ban on personal watercraft was necessary on the grounds of safety since the main waterways were overcrowded. In an attempt to lessen tourism’s harmful effects, large cruise ships were barred from the city’s center in recent years. Brugnaro got his wish: the pair were tracked down and their boards were seized in short order, he said in an update on social media. The suspects were apprehended later that day, fined $1,530 each and expelled from the city. The surfing scofflaws are visitors from Australia who have now been hit with fines of 1,500 euros (about $1,509), according to local newspaper. Swimming in the canals or eating on the steps of monuments in the roadless city is against the law. Two Germans were fined $1,000 by the city in 2019 for making coffee on the famous Rialto Bridge and ordered to never come back to the Veneto capital.
Surfer humor
I’m sorry to hear your uncle was run over by a boat in Venice.
My gondolences.
Two blondes are having a conversation…
-Next month I’m going to Venice.
-Venice? Haven’t you been there last year already?
-Yeah but the streets were flooded.
When we were in Venice, Italy we wanted to go to the Vivaldi Museum,
But after we paid for dinner, we were baroque. Two Italians having a conversation…
First one says: So I heard that you’re a good swimmer.
Second one replies: Yeah, I was a postman in Venice for 4 years.
November 4th Birthdays
1996 – Fivel Stewart, 1992 – Kiana Madiera, 1970 – Samantha Smith, 1937 – Lorretta Swit
1961 – Ralph Macchio, 1988 – Dez Bryant, 1991 – Jean Luc Bilodeau, 1969 – Matthew McConaughey