“ The emphasis was indeed on the word ‘ fast ’ and it seemed that each of the taxi drivers were on some mission to beat the other to the city , which made it quite an exhilarating ride .”
TRAVEL
Exploring
Venice
The city of Venice represents one of the most unique cities in the world and perhaps one of the greatest cities in Italy . I had planned a five day visit with friends and it became quickly apparent to me that this short stay would not be sufficient for us to explore and appreciate Venice to the fullest . However , we were determined to see and do as much as was possible . We decided to fly directly to the small airport of Marco Polo and were greeted by a cloudless sky and a brisk breeze as we made our way to the water taxi to take us across the Venetian Lagoon to the city . This indeed was an experience in itself . Several beautifully maintained launches were awaiting the arrival of tourists accompanied by young Italians , mostly all sporting fashionable sunglasses and ready to assist us and our luggage on to their boat for a fast and comfortable transfer from the airport . The emphasis was indeed on the word ‘ fast ’ and it seemed that each of the taxi drivers
By Terence Willey were on some mission to beat the other to the city , which made it quite an exhilarating ride . I learnt later that this taxi service is operated by one of the cities leading taxi firms formed through a Union known as Consorzio Motoscafi who have more than 100 water taxis at their disposal and these days are operated from a central operation room within the city which enables direct wireless communication to each of the taxis to ensure that there are no tourists waiting . My friends who had researched and planned our stay in Venice , spoke a little Italian and were far more conversant with the city and its ’ highlights . We arrived at a very small , clean and welcoming Guest House where we had booked bed and breakfast so that we could take in a variety of the wealth of eating places that exists within the city centre . The house was very old and with low ceilings but it had a lovely family atmosphere about it with our hosts keen to please and give us an insight into the city of Venice . I was amazed to discover that Venice was connected by more than 400 bridges and over some 150 canals . The Grand Canal itself is like a main street cutting through the centre of the city and the main transport is by boat known as the Vaporetti . Our
“ The emphasis was indeed on the word ‘ fast ’ and it seemed that each of the taxi drivers were on some mission to beat the other to the city , which made it quite an exhilarating ride .”
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