Maria-sama Ga Miteru:Volume17 Chapter 8 1

From City of Water to Island Nation Part 1

The Eurostar departed Santa Maria Novella station after 10:30 a.m. and arrived in Venice at the Santa Lucia station around 1:30 p.m. The trip took about three hours, but it did not feel so long because they dozed along the way. The exhaustion hit them like a wave on the way here.

After they arrived at the station, they rode a water taxi to Piazza San Marco. Venice was the city of water. It seems there was not a single car here.

Because they were returning home tomorrow, Venice was just a one-night stay. Since they were only here for a half day, they ate lunch at a street cafe facing Piazza San Marco, dropped their luggage off at the hotel, and then sallied forth into the city.

They first saw the Basilica di San Marco, then today's main event: attempt to ride in one of Venice's famous gondolas.

That started at the wharf where they negotiate the fee to ride a gondola.

"They start with an overly high fee, so you have to be careful."

The four of them had each read this in their guidebooks from their earlier information meeting.

"Okay, so we'll limit it to only 2,500 yen per person."

Although it varied by course, the market rate seemed to be around 10,000 Japanese yen.

The fee is charged per gondola, so it does not go up or down depending on the number of people on board. But since the bill would be split by the number of people, they needed to discuss the per-person cost ahead of time.

It was a simple calculation: 10,000 ÷ 4 ＝ 2,500 (yen).

"What if it goes over 2,500 yen?"

"We'll negotiate with a different gondolier. Because nobody said we have to ignore market rates and pay a ridiculous amount."

Apparently, an opponent can be defeated just by the sight of getting a quote from a competitor. In fact, Tsutako-san successfully kept it within budget, winning a negotiation with a gondolier who started by asking for a fee over twice what they were willing to pay.

"We don't have that much money, so we'll skip it."

She said this in Japanese, and turning her back to him and grabbing Yumi and friends shoulder, she prepared to take their leave. In a panic, the gondolier rushed after them and said in Italian mixed with English, "then how much do you have?" Offering too low a price would break off the negotiations, so she offered about 2,000 yen per person. The gondolier responded with a pose that said, "that's impossible." They eventually shook hands on 10,000 yen for a 40-minute course. This was the market rate, so it could not be said that this was a gain or a loss.

According to a story that they heard later, there was one group that, because it didn't have anyone good at negotiation, paid 20,000 yen for the same 40-minute course. It was a six-person group, so they paid around 3,300 per person. Those girls had to pay a lot of money, which was extraordinarily frustrating.

So the four people, having concluded their own negotiations, boarded the gondola from the wharf by Piazza San Marco. The rower is called a gondolier. The gondolier for the gondola that Yumi and friends boarded was a young man. Was the t-shirt with horizontal stripes and the wide-brimmed hat a uniform? Because everyone at the oar of a gondola dressed the same.

After easily gliding into the Grand Canal, they entered a small canal. Was this the sensation of passing from the main street into a back street?

Amidst the backs of pastel-colored three- and four-storied buildings, the gondola glided along. The gondola passed under various low bridges, made of brick and marble-looking white stone, each lovely.

The gondolier was quite chatty. In slow English, without interruption, he explained the town.

"I don't even understand one-third of what he's saying."

Yoshino-san said while smiling ear to ear. Yes, certainly. But she could pick up a word here and there. While thinking "I can get a general idea of what he's saying", she also thought that idly riding the gondola was nice. She could later look up anything about things from the 13th century and the story of the people who ruled this area in olden days. But only in this moment could she experience the atmosphere created by the canal, look at the scenery of this old back street.

Mami-san had constantly written down notes at the beginning of the trip, but lately, she hadn't opened her notepad. It was as if she suddenly understood that to communicate the joy of travel to Lillian Kawaraban readers, she first had to experience it herself.

When a crosswise canal came into view, the gondolier let out a sound like a howl. It was probably a signal like "my gondola is approaching the intersection now." There weren't any traffic lights, so they probably decided on this as a way to avoid accidents.

There were places along the way where the waterway got quite narrow. At such times, they would pass other boats, packed with luggage.

"It's a wonder that they don't collide."

But, as one would expect from a professional, they handled their gondolas diligently. Although he was young, he was a third generation gondolier. He piloted the gondola that his grandfather did, having repaired it many times over.

Although the gondolas all appeared the same at first glance, their interior and decoration differed according to the owner. It was probably the same as with people who love cars, constantly tinkering with their automobiles. Probably each was their own form of "obsession."

They were momentarily in a wide canal, passing under the Rialto bridge. On the bridge, they could see some girls in Lillian uniforms. Even though they couldn't tell who those girls were, they waved to the bridge from the gondola.

After the Rialto bridge, they split off into another small canal. In rhythm with the oar, the gondolier sang a verse of a canzone (an Italian ballad). He had an amazing voice.

"I think there are Italians who are not good singers, but are they all without exception not bad singers? Or can they not become gondoliers if they cannot sing?"

This simple question came to mind, but she lacked the language ability to ask it.

"If several generations of your family are gondoliers, then by blood and environment, one way or another, you end up becoming one, right?"

Yoshino-san said.

"I see."

By blood or environment, one way or another. From someone who just started kendo, those words held unusually persuasive power. But in her case, it wasn't that long ago that she did, one way or another.

Before the approach to the San Marco Grand Canal was the 'Bridge of Sighs.'

"The legend says that if you kiss while going under this bridge, you will have eternal love...."

As Mami-san said this, the gondolier heard words like "kiss" and "tradition" in her explanation.

"Kiss, huh."

Just how the heck could a group of four high school girls explain this to him? Oh yes. All he could do was chuckle. Then the gondolier said something like "next time, come with a lover."

"But."

After they went under the Bridge of Sighs, Mami-san then continued her unfinished story.

"But really, long ago, when prisoners crossed over that bridge, they would lament that they would never return. That's why it's called the 'Bridge of Sighs.' Sorry to crush your dreams."

"Eh."

A bridge spanning the gap between the Doge's Palace and the nearby prison. That's the Bridge of Sighs. So that explanation was probably correct. But what will become of the feelings of the uncountable number of couples who kissed under this bridge?

"Oh, even if you know that the origin was the sighs of prisoners, that doesn't negate the tradition."

"Yeah, that's right."

But to kiss under the sighs of prisoners. She thought more than a few couples might reconsider once they knew.

"Well. What should I do?"

The group of four high school girls thought, each without a counterpart.

The gondolier did not understand Japanese and did not know what troubled his passengers. With a big smile, he rowed through the canal.

Last stop.

The gondola wharf came into view.