The Rake Magazine

Sara Stiles, of Edina, writes: For your wonderful magazine: Giddy for Gondolas! I visited Venice, Italy in late September this year, on a tour with 46 other people. I caught up on a little Rake reading before boarding my gondola, and left my copy of the Rake at St. Mark's Square for the locals to appreciate. Our group went gondola riding as a group--we had five gondolas with seven people each (not quite everyone went on the ride). We were quite a sight, cruising the Grand Canal side by side, as one great mass of gondolas! The gondola in the middle had a singer and an accordian player in their boat, and they serenaded us down the Grand Canal, as well as many tiny, winding canals (we had to ride single-file here!). Locals leaned their heads out of their windows, enjoying the music, waving to us, and smiling at our enthusiasm (we even gave them a rendition of "Roll Out the Barrel!" It was a truly magical evening, laughing and singing as the sun set on unforgettable Venice.