A Taste Of Italian Life Without Leaving RI

We were on the lookout for something to do in the PVD area yesterday, when by accident, I came across La Gondola Providence. And let's be serious for a sec, apart from anything to do with WaterFire PVD, did you know you could take a gondola ride in the capital city seven days (and nights!) a week? I definitely did not. 

A few months back, we took the Providence River Boat Company tour which was ducky. Entertaining. Informative. Wonderful. If you're looking for something smaller and more intimate (and possibly more romantic...Some people have even gotten married onboard the authentic Venetian gondolas.) tho, then La Gondola is your jam. We reserved the Viaggio dei Sogni (Dreams) for 2 at 3 sharp. (The gondolas look as though they seat 4-5 comfortably, in case you want to make it a double date or even a family outing with the kiddies.) It is BYOB, so feel free to bring along a bottle of your fav vino, prosecco or whatever floats your boat these days and they'll even chill it before boarding, provided you get there 15 minutes prior to your reservation.

Before we took off from Gondola Landing at 1 Citizens Plaza, near Cafe Nuovo, they gave us two bottles of water (Vino is also an option.) and some outstanding homemade wine biscuits, which as any self-respecting Italian American from Little Rhody knows, are the cornerstone of any good Mediterranean-by-way-of-the-North-East diet. Another treat? Our gondolier serenaded us with not 1 but 2 classic Italian songs as the gondola passed back and forth under Memorial Blvd (something we were able to do because it was low tide, in case you were wondering). Our gondolier also chatted with us about the river (Like the city itself, it's undergone a renaissance of sorts in terms of its ecosystem, which is why you now see lots of ducks and a few swans too paddling around.) and the city. 

The other key thing you might not realize is just how peaceful it is out on the water in one of those little boats. Our guy swore to us that it's the same feeling during the week during rush hour as well. In addition, your time aboard those gorgeous gondolas is tailored completely to what you want, whether it's a play by play tour of the river and the surroundings or something more mellow and less chatty. So, if you're interested in booking a ride, check them out at gondolari.com for more deets.

**This post orignally appeared on the blog in August of 2016.**

Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of PattyJ.com