Last week I was in Miami for a few days.
My daughter's band was out there to film a music video,
which means I was out there to carry gear, drive people around,
and serve as bodyguard in case any overly amorous young men decided to express their love for her or the other female members of the band.
It really was exciting - especially to see my daughter in the camera monitor.
And yes, you will most certainly hear about it when the video is released.
While we were out there, my wife and I got to meet Martha Lenoir-Beachem, who runs the gondola there in Ft. Lauderdale.
We needed a ride from one airport to another, and Martha was saintly in her willingness to give us a ride. It was great to finally meet her and swap stories.
Her big truck with SCUBA stickers, and her Georgia accent brought smiles to our faces. Gondoliers are interesting and Martha is no exception
(she captains a SCUBA vessel as well).
Her authentic Giuliana Longo hat was a welcome sight.
We weren't able to spend time on the gondola this time,
but I've seen the boat before.
The gondola is very unique, a Diesel powered vessel that we've looked at here before.
I first laid eyes on the boat when she was in New Jersey (see "Diesel Gondola") and then again a few years ago when she was being piloted by Pierre Meunier.
Up to that point the boat was doing a decent amount of cruises,
then Martha took over, and it's been quite active since.
While driving with Martha, she told me that she was just a few cruises away from 400 since she'd stepped aboard about a year ago.
A couple days later she told me she'd blown past the milestone,
and also that her numbers did not include the other two gondoliers she had covering cruises for her when she wasn't available.
Martha's name might be familiar, after all she's the one who showed us the "Gator in the Bay".
So now Martha has crossed the 400 cruise milestone and is probably well on her way towards 450. She loves the job and her passengers love her.
Congrats to Martha, and thanks for the hospitality and the ride.
To learn more about the gondola operation in Ft. Lauderdale,
go to www.lasolasgondola.com/
1 comment:
Thank you Greg- I would not have missed that chance to meet you and Elisa. It was my pleasure to pick you up and exchange stories-although the time was not long enough !! I can see we would have many stories and laughs next time we get the opportunity to meet up !!
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