A Dead End Job in Venice

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Today was a picture post-card day almost all day and I was lucky enough to be in the front seat of the bus! We left Bolzano just as the commuters were arriving to work in the cable cars from up on the mountain. We drove north, virtually to the Austrian border through the Dolomites, the Italian Alps. The peaks are jagged massive rock faces. There is already snow on the highest ones. We stopped for a rest stop in Miraluna on a perfect lake ringed by mountains. Then we stopped for an enormous and delicious meal in an old mountain town.
After lunch, we made our way down the mountains to sea level and Venice. Off the bus and into water taxis to the hotel which is located on the Della Guidecca canal. Igor took us on a walking tour around the neighborhood and we learned that the gondoliers are carried to the cemetery in their gondola, which are worth between 40 - 60K euros. Then their gondola is destroyed. Hence the dead end job... Subsequently we learned that most gondoliers retire and pas their boats to a son or brother.
We were tired and decided a sunset drink and some pizza at the bar on the Fondamenta della Zattere in front of the hotel was the perfect ending to a lovely day. Pictures say it better.

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