Gondola days

"Gondola Days" by Francis Hopkinson Smith is a travel story set in the late 1800s that paints a picture of Venice through the experiences of a narrator deeply moved by the city's allure. The book explores Venice's beauty and its ability to stir feelings of longing. We follow the narrator's arrival in Venice, where he describes the mix of anticipation and slight disappointment upon finally reaching the famous city. He recounts his transformative first sight of the lively boat landing, filled with gondoliers and colorful characters. As he takes his first gondola ride, he thinks about the city's impressive nature and begins to understand the true beauty of Venice beyond its buildings and shares the daily life and culture of its people. Readers are invited to embrace Venice through a lens of affection.