A Little More on the Regata Storica

It must be wonderful to watch the Regata Storica from a palazzo on the Grand Canal, and among the more engaging sights of the whole event is that of the people crowded on balconies, perched in windows, or partying high up on altane. If anyone at, say, Ca' Barbaro would like to extend an invitation for next year I'd certainly be willing to consider it, though, in fact, I suspect our vantage point this year was actually much better. We were certainly closer to the action.

Regata necessities: food, drink & bubble soap

This year Sandro and I watched from aboard one of four boats that fellow members of our remiera had moored not far from the gondole station of San Tomà the night before the event. Three of the boats were stationary for the entire time, the fourth, a mascareta, was used to pick up people at the gondole point and ferry them to our mooring places, which were otherwise inaccessible. Some time before the festivities began all unofficial motor boat traffic in the Grand Canal is forbidden, but you can still ply the canal in a boat with oars as long as you don't interfere with the procession or the races.

Given our location, literally just a few feet from the racers, I have no excuse for not having gotten more or better photos. I can't even place the blame on prosecco, of which I had only a little. Luckily, there's never a shortage of excellent photographs of the festivities to be found online, and even video from RAI.

So, if you find yourself in Venice at the time of the Regata Storica, by all means angle for a place in some Grand Canal palazzo, but don't forget that on this occasion, as on so many others here, Venice is perhaps best experienced in a boat.