Orseolo Gondola I, Venice

Orseolo Gondola I, Venice, originally uploaded by Rita Crane Photography.

Gondola Orseolo I: I love how the diagonal cuts through the composition and the reflection of the top of the building continues the sinuous line - like a ribbon - softening that powerful Byzantine thrust of the boat's silhouette, and allowing ones eye to float into the 'water-sky' then circle back for another visual 'ride'. Thank you Venice for this image. :-)

Behind San Marco the little canals and streets open out into a rectangular pool just large enough to be a very useful and often bustling gondoliere's station. But it was winter, and it had been overcast and pretty peaceful here at Orseolo Basin. So I could hardly believe my eyes when the sunlight peaked through after the rain, caught this scene and turned it into brilliant liquid color.

One even sees the beautiful detailed carving on these exotic boats which are unique in the world to La Serenissima.............Venice - the 'serene one'. I didn't know I'd fall in love with these ancient crafts, but their beauty, and the elegance of the gondolieres pushing them deftly along the narrow 'rios' or canals, is etched in my memory.