I hired someone new to row for me tonight.
I'd never seen him row until a quick jaunt a few days ago,
but with seven years experience, and the word of a friend whom I trust, I put him on the back of one of my gondolas and entrusted him with a most precious resource: clients.
I was not disappointed.
More and more these days, I'm seeing gondoliers visit and row in new locations.
The "traveling gondolier" is becoming a new archetype.
He visits a new servizio, takes passengers on a route that's different from the one he "grew up" rowing in.
With a decent knowledge of the waterway,
and a superior knowledge of rowing,
the gondolier has nothing to worry about despite being in a new place. In fact, he has a fresh new adventure of his own in the new location.
Often his enthusiasm becomes contagious.
The passengers get a spontaneous experience - some might call it, "organic".
This guy had rowed in two other operations, and did a fine job with a remo in his hands tonight.
My clients had a great time,
I talked with the gondolier - he enjoyed the experience,
and in a tight economy, where the happiness of each and every passenger is invaluable, I couldn't be happier about the way things turned out tonight.
I won't open my boat up to just anybody who claims to know his voga-alla-Veneta, but with the right credentials and a positive reaction from my gut, I'm willing to share the water to see more of what I saw tonight.
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