About 25 or so years ago I visited Venice. I was in awe of everything and everyone: the history and architecture, the food, and of course, the natives.

We zoomed in via a water taxi, navigating our way across cobblestone streets — don’t even think about wearing high heels, fancy or otherwise — and through crowds of tourists and locals alike. (This was way before the age of social media when selfie sticks became such a nuisance that they were finally banned.)

We had coffee at the iconic Caffe Florian which dates back to 1720 (celebrated customers over the years include marquee names like Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, Picasso, Warhol, and Clark Gable) on St. Mark’s Square and lunch al fresco nearby at Caffe Lavena which overlooks Saint Mark’s Basilica.

We also took a gondola ride around the city’s canals, a must do there that’s akin to touring the Eiffel Tower when in Paris or the Coliseum ruins when in Roma.

Whether you’ve had to postpone your own trip to Italy over the twelve to fourteen months or you’re just itching to get out of the house and do something different, La Gondola Providence could be the answer.

They offer an incredible way to channel some of that Venetian lifestyle right now while so many of us are continuing to stay closer to home.

We took our very first ride (but not our last) in 2016 and it was such a treat! In addition to serenading us, our gondolier also looped us in on some local history that up to that point, we were completely unaware of.

All in all, it is a fun-tastic afternoon on the water in Providence and I cannot recommend it enough, especially if you and your significant other need a break from the same old takeout lunches or dinners and zoning out in front of this month’s must watch Netflix or Amazon Prime series.

If this sounds like something fantastic for your summah 2021 itinerary, do check out their site: GondolaRI.com.

As always, if you go with La Gondola after reading this, please let them know you heard about them here via Patty J and PattyJ.com.

This post has been updated from one that has appeared previously on the site.