It's that time again in Venezia:
The rowing season,
filled with regatas in various parts of the lagoon,
and on different styles of boats, has come to a close...almost.
There's one more left:
the famous Regata Storica.
This is the big one.
You could say it's the Superbowl of Venetian rowing.
I'm sure there are resons why that's not the best comparison,
but I'm sticking with it because, well, I could keep trying and there would still be criticism from someone.
Suffice to say that Regata Storica is the biggest day of the year in Rowing in the Veneto.
Teams in several different formats will have their chance to race for first place.
The main event for many fans is the race of the gondolini.
These are light, thin, fast versions of the gondola,
but much more difficult to row.
Many other things happen prior to race day.
One of them is a traditional blessing of the boats,
which takes place in front of the Santa Maria della Salute basilica on the Canale Grande.
Mickael O'toole - owner of the Gondola Getaway in Long Beach, California was there to see and experience this traditional ceremony, and he sent me a few video clips and photos.
This is not always easy to catch on video, as there are so many different places you want to point the camera at the same time, but if you watch each short clip, I think you'll get an idea of what goes on.
Also In attendance was the Mayor,
who took a moment to snap a selfie with Michael O'toole.
I love the fact that the mayor himself held the phone for the selfie.
Maybe I should adjust the photo credit to reflect that.
Thanks for the photos and video, Mike.
I hope you enjoy the Regata Storica.
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