You don't have to go far for a romantic getaway with Italian flair. There's a little piece of Venice, right in the city...but it's not where you'd expect. In this week's Great Escape, 7's Chikage Windler discovers one of Boston’s "best kept secrets."
"The north end's not the only place in the city you can get an authentic Italian experience. Instead, just head to the esplanade. You can get there on way less than a tank."
The Charles River Esplanade is one of Boston's most popular places.
Though it's famous for fireworks and splendid for sailing, it's also home to something you might not expect.
"I wasn't really sure, I'd never seen it before so I just thought it was kind of cool...I obviously first thought of Italy, " said Esplanade visitor Matt Thompson.
Shipped straight from Venice, this Italian gondola is the pride and joy of "Gondola di Venezia" tours.
"The boat we're on here is the "Maria." It's the newer of our two boats, " said Gondolier Steve Bruno.
As we get underway, the sweet sounds of romance take over. A romance that began when Joseph Gibbons met his wife Camille.
"My wife, being of Italian descent, she lured me to Venice, Italy early in our relationship,"
Said Gondola owner Joseph Gibbons.
Once there, it was love at first sight.
"Absolutely, absolutely. We were very much in love and we both, it's fair to say, fell in love with the gondola," said Gibbons.
"We love the romance of the feeling of once you get on the boat, it's just so serene and so beautiful that you forget everything," said Gondola owner Camille Gibbons
And if not for the familiar skyline, you might even forget where you are.
"It's nice to know there's a little bit of Venice right here in Boston," said Windler.
"It would be really romantic to go out there...yeah...and get a nice babysitter for the child...laughs!!!...I want to go on it too...it would be very romantic, very lovely," said Esplanade visitors Janet and Leah Theurer.
"Oh look, here's a bridge coming up"
Under each bridge, a Venetian tradition lives on.
"We always kiss under the bridge. It's good luck, it's good luck to everyone on board. KISS so we have a few more bridges left to go, so....lucky me!" Said Gibbons.
As you cruise through the canals, you might just discover the perfect place for a proposal.
"We've had a hundred so far and all of them have been yes, " said Camille Gibbons.
"Wow proposing on a gondola. What do you think? I think that's pretty cool, " said Janet and Leah Theurer.
Even cooler, some couples have even been married on board!
Whatever the occasion, there's nothing like gliding by sailboats and duckboats and still feeling like you're a million miles away.
"Salut....... Salut pope!"
"Downtown Boston to the Charles River, less than 2 miles roundtrip. In my next great escape, I'll take you on a pirate adventure. I'm Chikage Winder, 7News."
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