Singing in italian. we start this week in one of europe s most breathtakingly beautiful destinations, venice, in north east italy. this city on water is made up of over 100 islets, interconnected by a labyrinth of picture perfect canals and elegant bridges. life around here has remained the same for hundreds of years and steadfast through that time have been the gondoliers of venice. they see themselves as custodians of the city. today, there are only 400 gondoliers left and they are almost exclusively
Pictures of the place that we are on our way to. looks lovely. it looks really lush, green, fertile. but i ve been told since the fires have hit this whole area, it now looks very different. even looking out the window, look at that. just as far as the eye can see, all you are looking at is burnt trees. and don t forget you can catch up on the bbc iplayer. we are also on social media too along with a whole host of delights from across the bbc. but until next time from all of us here in venice, it s goodbye.
This year is heavily weighted towards women with 90% of the main exhibition given over to female artists. burano is a picturesque island in the venetian lagoon, famous for its handmade lace and colourful homes. go for a few hours in the morning or afternoon to wander around and take in the tranquillity and calm, away from the hustle of central venice. whatever you do, don t forget your camera. from burano you can then stop in to murano on your way back. this island is famous for its glass making, which is considered a fine art. it dates back to 1291, when the venetian government ordered glass makers in venice to relocate to murano to avoid causing a huge fire.
It has been an impressive haul today and that is just from one trip. so with another 200 or more canals to go, something tells me they have got a lot to keep them busy for some time yet. so next time you are enjoying a leisurely ride along the waterways of venice, spare a thought for the gondoliers who donate their time to clean up the canals, even if they haven t mastered singing underwater yet. and if you are interested in a few days in venice in the nearfuture, here is a round up of the best the city has to offer. all through the summer to november is the 59th venice biennale. as the name suggests, the contemporary art exhibition runs every two years. but due to covid there has been a three year gap.
They dive using specialist equipment in order to operate safely. and early on sunday morning, long before tourists arrive, i m joining the guys for the real deal. that is one hard core scuba diving suit. there is not one bit of skin showing. i ve dived before. i m not sure i d want to go into the canals of venice, as lovely as they are. i want to find out what the newly trained canal cleaners have to contend with. stefa no. ok, so what is all this? the heart of the operation. the teams have to stay in constant communication. it is crucial to help the guys underwater cope with the difficult conditions. it must be very dark and gloomy.