This post isn’t really going to be about cycling. In fact, the best I’ll be able to do is to sneak a couple of bicycle related images and locations into this brief account of our off season trip to the Veneto. The trip for our family is about a little mid-pandemic relief and trying to reclaim something of a normal life during this not-so-normal holiday season.
Most people may not realize that no bicycles are allowed at all in the Città di Venezia. You might think that it would be an ideal place for bikes since cars are prohibited on the island as well, but no! Instead, an excellent public transportation system using boats called “vaporetto” has displaced the need for either. In fact with it’s narrow streets, walkways and bridges with stairs, bicycles would be cumbersome and perhaps even dangerous. Walking is the preferred mode of travel in Venice and then by boat if you need to go further afield.
On the island of Burano, about an hour by ferry from Piazza San Marco, many of the homes are done in a colorful style. This one in particular, the house of Bepi stands out among it’s neighbors. The cheery colors of the homes and shops are a tradition dating back many years but Bepi took it to a new level with his effort. Sadly, Bepi is no longer with us but the island village keeps his Casa as it was, in a tribute to this favorite son.
Once on the mainland you are back into the land of bicycles and the Veneto region has a rich history of cycling. The Eroica Caffe in Padova is a working tribute to that local cycling culture with the “heroic” era of of bicycle racing as it’s theme. It is a gathering place for local cyclists who understand the importance of good food, and coffee!
Out in the city streets you will see the daily riders of many regular Italians. Some marques which are known only as classic racing bikes here in the US also offered models in Europe which were more basic transportation. Bottechia, Colnago, Pinarello and others built bikes for everyday use and these have stood the test of time, blurring the line somewhat between life and sport!
Italian’s are well know for their exceptional design talents but they can be followers of a trend as well. Typically though when responding to an idea which may have started somewhere else Italians will often try and out-do the original. This Legnano chopper bike never made it to US shores but it stands proudly on display in an Italian shop window, as one of their own!
Art and life in Italy are interwoven. You simply cannot walk through most cities in Italy and not stumble across amazing art, sometimes in the most unlikely location. This gallery could not contain itself indoors and so expanded to the courtyard outside. You might only catch a glimpse of the display as you walked by an open passage, but when you double back to look inside the courtyard this bathing beauty by sculptor Carole A. Fueurman greeted you.
Venetians have for centuries been known as a tolerant and forward thinking people. Some concepts that we think of as the result of progress in modern times may have been in practice elsewhere for much longer than we realize. In fact, some Venetian women had options available to them centuries ago that only in the last few decades have become accepted as normal in our “modern” world. Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia had opened the door of opportunity many years ago.
Venice is probably one of Europe’s most visited cities, and rightly so! In tourist season however it is simply impossible to experience it in any intimate way, the crowds are so overwhelming. Winter on the other hand can be a different story altogether. If you are prepared for less than perfect weather you may see a city of Venice that few others ever do. Empty canals and quiet piazza’s leave you with a very different impression of the floating city.
I will admit to going a little astray on this blog, in which my posts are mainly about cycling interests. But life and cycling often intersect with travel and art. When traveling we try and look for the qualities that make a place unique, a detail or a moment in time. If you want to see typical travel photos of a palace or a vista, well those are easy to find elsewhere. I tend to see the grand elements as a great backdrop for the little things in life. Perhaps that is a flaw which I suffer from.
The Utah Randonneur 
Leave a comment