La Gondola Providence

06/26/2024

And on top of it all, we have a truly incredible convention and visitors bureau in GoProvidence to support us all - local or visitor, their page is invaluable if you are spending time in !

06/26/2024

We are beyond thrilled that Providence once again was chosen as one of America’s best cities to visit, and that CNN chose to feature La Gondola during their trip here! Tante grazie to FJ, Deborah, and Zach, their amazing production crew, as well as the incomparable Derek Van Dam for joining us. Forza Providence!!!

Having undergone a remarkable transformation over the past half-century, Providence has emerged as New England’s creative capital.

12/24/2023

I had the great pleasure of going out with the matriarch and patriarch to see the incomparable at the last night as part of my birthday present. I probably hadn’t seen her in over ten years, but she was just as spectacular as ever - that woman is a national treasure.

12/21/2023

“No man is rich enough to buy back his past.”
Oscar Wilde

There is still a few days left before Christmas to give the greatest gift of all! No, it isn’t a gondola ride, it is TIME spent with the ones you love. (And what better way to spend it than on a gondola with us!?)

Gift certificates are available any time of year, and make great gifts for those special people in your lives. Check out GondolaRI.com or call 401.421.8877.
Happy holidays! 🕎 🎄 🎁 ❤️

11/24/2023

From our to yours, a very happy and blessed to all 🙏🏼

10/23/2023

For those of you who had the last full week of October as being the nicest weather week of the season, congratulations!

Seriously, though, what a week to (almost) end the season - temperatures climb to the mid 70s by the weekend, and hardly any wind either - where was this weather ALL SEASON⁉️
😆🤷🏻‍♂️🙏🏼

First photo is Gustavo sporting the cloak that he found at a Venetian thrift shop on our trip there in the spring - looking good, Gus!

09/30/2023

On yet another day canceled due to rain, here are some recent photos of drier times we used to know … and hopefully see again soon! 🤷🏻‍♂️🌧️🙏🏼😂🤪

09/02/2023

The college gondolier exodus continues! This week we say ciao for now to Tommaso, who starts his freshman year at next week. He is devastated to be leaving us, of course (see photo 2), but being right in the city, he will still be rowing here and there when his schedule allows it - school comes first, Tommaso! 😁 📚 🤨

Note in photo 3 he is definitely drinking juice - La Gondola does not encourage breaking the laws regarding legal alcohol consumption in the United States. 🇺🇸

Note also that this was the closest thing to a posing smile that we could get out of him 🙄🤷🏻‍♂️

08/27/2023

The exodus of college students continues! This weekend we bid farewell, or at least ciao for now, to one of this year’s super rookies, Patrizio, heading into his sophomore year at . Blessed with the voice of an angel (it’s in his blood - his grandmother was my choral director) and an Adonis-like physique, he has been a great addition to the team this year. You will be missed, my friend, especially and apparently also by this couple from yesterday 😁🙌🏼🙏🏼
Ciao, Marcello

08/21/2023

It’s that time of year, when we start to bid farewell to our college-age gondoliers, particularly those attending university out of state.

The first one to go is Gianni, heading into his freshman year at , and we couldn’t wish more for him than a great year both with his studies and on their crew team - a great gondolier and an even better individual. Buona fortuna, amico mio. 🙌🏼🙏🏼💪🏼

08/02/2023

Just another day in paradise - what a glorious day in the city of !

07/20/2023

Five days without rain in the forecast - we haven’t seen THAT in a while, maybe even all season, and the nice weather keeps going beyond it!

Hope to see you on the water - it’s going to be glorious!

07/01/2023

Congratulazioni to our own Roberto, who rowed his first trip yesterday - bravo!!

And then tonight we were graced with the presence of our old friend, the incomparable Giuliana!

Couple these things with some dry skies over Providence and you have a pretty great week here at La Gondola!

06/17/2023

Buongiorno!
On the , today is a bad day to be a gondolier.
😔☔️🤷🏻‍♂️

Fortunately, though, we still have something to celebrate - congratulazioni to Gianni (Classical/Providence) and Tommaso (Barrington), new high school graduates both! For my part, it is a pleasure rowing with each of you, and I am sure I speak for all of us when I wish you both well in college next year and beyond.

Gianni heads up the road to in the fall, while Tommaso is staying in Providence to attend .

Congratulazioni again, you two - you are inspiring! Ciao, Marcello

06/12/2023

Scenes from the weekend - Alessandro makes his triumphant return (and the Haynes brothers are reunited on the river), and these terrific ladies on their annual girls’ trip were definitely prepared for their gondola ride with us!

04/18/2023

Very interesting article found by our violinist (the incomparable Christina) about the MOSE series of gates that protect Venice from potentially flooding high tides. Hope you're all having a great day!

VENICE, Italy — In the middle of the night, as the tide rose, winds whipped and waves grew, an engineer in a command center on an artificial island...

01/11/2023

Scenes from Venice - the gang: our mostly-younger contingent of gondoliers - Giuliana, Mariano, Gennaro, Gianni, Cristoforo, Tommaso, and eventually Silvano - joined me on a gondolier field trip to the mother city, and it was … glorious. More to come!

11/26/2022

'Tis the season, friends and family of La Gondola!

As always, it is time for our annual holiday gift certificate sale - use the code xmas20 online (gondolari.com) or when calling the office (401.421.8877) for 20% off your gondola gift certificates.

A gift certificate for a gondola trip is the perfect gift for your favorite people - give the gift now and join us next season for an experience you will never forget!

Hope to see you soon - happy holidays to all, and to all a good night!

Ciao,
Marcello

11/07/2022

A few photos from pulling boats today - Colibrì and Gianni rowed out the first one this morning with pretty breezy and choppy conditions, so we waited until the evening to pull the second one. That blurry, muscular guy behind me is Mariano.

Tante grazie to all - one more to go!

10/22/2022

More information about the Sargent, Whistler, and the Magic of Murano exhibition at Mystic Seaport Museum through the end of February:

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/how-the-mystic-seaport-museum-is-making-waves-in-visual-art-from-hosting-a-smithsonian-show-to-commissioning-new-art-2191027

10/18/2022

What a weekend! Two gondolas stayed in Providence, and our crack team of gondoliers were rowing all weekend, and I rowed one of the boats all weekend in Mystic, CT, at the Mystic Seaport Museum for the opening weekend of Sargent, Whistler, and the Magic of Murano. The weekend even included a witches parade on canoe, kayak, and paddle board … It was a glorious weekend in both locations!

09/09/2022

I have a number of updates that will have to wait for another day. Today i share in the sorrow of the United Kingdom on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

From my vantage point across the pond, I have always been impressed with her poise, class, and ability to balance being both a queen and a mother/grandmother to a nation. The world is a lesser place today without her. Thinking of all our friends in and from the UK tonight.

08/24/2022

The stormy weather the last two days has reflected our heavy hearts as we bid farewell to Giuliana.

Giu has been with us for five seasons, and barring some sort of staffing catastrophe, she rowed her last trips on Sunday as she is preparing to enter , the boat building school in Newport.

Goodbye and good luck, my friend - you and your voice will be missed on the river. Sinceremente, Marcello

08/19/2022

Providence gondoliers: powered by East Side Pockets since 2007. We love you all, !

08/11/2022

About a month or so ago, a gondolier who shall remain nameless knocked a ferro (bow piece) off of one of the gondolas on a breezy day. Yesterday, the crack salvage team of Giuliana and Colibrì managed to rescue it from the river on a very low tide. Tante grazie, lo apprezzo! Ciao, Marcello