Welcome to Bedtime History.

Hello, this is Breck. Guess what parents?

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dot com forward slash bedtime history. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm golden glow over the winding waterways of Venice, Italy.

As I looked at the beautiful buildings that line the canals, I felt both excited and nervous. I'd always wanted to be a gondolier.

A gondal is a name for the boats in Venice that are moved about with long poles pushing off the

bottom of the canal. A gondolier is a pilot of the boat who navigates it and sings to the passengers.

This job would follow in the footsteps of many generations of Venetians who had rowed these boats.

It was a tradition in my family and felt like a great responsibility to be a skilled

condoleer, like my father, grandfather, and many generations before.

Venice, this old city of Canals and Bridges, had a rich history.

It was a place born out of a need, a safe place from invading tribes and later a strong sea empire.

The city was a complex network of canals and gondolas that had been the main way of getting around for centuries.

I was curious about this tradition passed down through the generations, which inspired me to learn to be a gondolier.

However as I stood next to the shiny black gondola with its fancy decorations and

comfortable seats I was a little nervous. Learning to be a gondolier was a way of growing up and it came with its own challenges.

My grandpa, who had been a gondolier when he was young, was beside me. He was proud of me, but also a little worried.

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