The aquatic lifestyle
Not surprisingly, Venetians love water. They grow up surrounded by it, it replaces pavement on their streets, and they are never far from a place to swim, whether on the Lido beach or just in the lagoon. 
It seems taken for granted that all people of Venetian origin will know how to swim (and enjoy it), be able to operate a boat of some kind, and enjoy eating seafood. Luckily for me and my efforts to integrate, I satisfy all of these requirements!
I’ve been taken boating with Alberto and his family several times, and I’ve also been swimming on the Lido beach regularly this summer. When we go by boat, we usually head to the island of Sant’Erasmo, where one can find hundreds of Venetians swimming on any given weekend day. Unlike conventional beaches, where you arrive by car, Venetians leave Venice by boat, and arrive at the beach by anchoring offshore and swimming or wading in.
As a result, it’s a bit cramped, not really suitable for serious exercise (there are other nearby places for that), but it’s certainly interesting to dodge anchor rodes and outboard motors as you swim to shore.
Once you arrive, there’s the bar (for coffee), places to buy gelato, and the Sant’Erasmo farmers who sell peaches and other produce they’ve grown just steps from where you’re standing.
The water is salty – it’s the lagoon, after all, which is twice a day partially drained and refilled by the tides of the Adriatic Sea. The best time to swim is when the tide’s coming in, because the water’s fresh and not quite so polluted (although, at Sant’Erasmo, you never have to worry about finding Venetian sewage floating past you). Incoming tides also mean the water is cooler, but that’s a relative term – it’s still in the 20s, and when it’s more than 30 degrees outside, you don’t mind a bit of refreshment.
It’s very shallow, no more than waist-deep at any point I’ve seen so far. If you don’t want to park your boat right by the beach, you can anchor a bit farther offshore, put on your rubber swim shoes, and jump out and walk around. A common practice seems to be to dig for clams that will be cooked for dinner later. The lagoon floor is sandy and occasionally grassy, but the shoes help you avoid the wrath of crabs upset by your presence.
On the way back to Venice after an afternoon of swimming, clam-digging, and getting some sun, we’ve usually stopped at the islands of Le Vignole, where more farms can be found. You buy some vegetables, pick some strawberries, and lo and behold, you’ve got everything you need for one of the freshest dinners you’ve ever eaten.
Lido is the other nearby swimming option, especially convenient from where I live in Sant’Elena, being only one stop away on the No. 1 vaporetto line. You disembark, walk about 15 minutes across the narrow island, and, in my case, head to the private Venetian-only beach, where I am lucky to have access to Alberto’s family’s rented capanna.
The sand is soft, the awning of the capanna offers shade from the hot sun, and the beach is lovely and spacious. When Venice, situated in the middle of all that water in the lagoon, gets a bit too hot and humid, Lido is the perfect place to go after work and enjoy the refreshing waters and breezes of the Adriatic.
One thing I’ve noticed is that Venetians never use lifejackets, and they don’t seem to think much of cracking open a beer while driving their boats around, either. I guess they really are used to boating and being around the water, but still, it strikes me as a bit reckless.
I’ve been taken boating with Alberto and his family several times, and I’ve also been swimming on the Lido beach regularly this summer. When we go by boat, we usually head to the island of Sant’Erasmo, where one can find hundreds of Venetians swimming on any given weekend day. Unlike conventional beaches, where you arrive by car, Venetians leave Venice by boat, and arrive at the beach by anchoring offshore and swimming or wading in.
As a result, it’s a bit cramped, not really suitable for serious exercise (there are other nearby places for that), but it’s certainly interesting to dodge anchor rodes and outboard motors as you swim to shore.
The water is salty – it’s the lagoon, after all, which is twice a day partially drained and refilled by the tides of the Adriatic Sea. The best time to swim is when the tide’s coming in, because the water’s fresh and not quite so polluted (although, at Sant’Erasmo, you never have to worry about finding Venetian sewage floating past you). Incoming tides also mean the water is cooler, but that’s a relative term – it’s still in the 20s, and when it’s more than 30 degrees outside, you don’t mind a bit of refreshment.
Lido is the other nearby swimming option, especially convenient from where I live in Sant’Elena, being only one stop away on the No. 1 vaporetto line. You disembark, walk about 15 minutes across the narrow island, and, in my case, head to the private Venetian-only beach, where I am lucky to have access to Alberto’s family’s rented capanna.
One thing I’ve noticed is that Venetians never use lifejackets, and they don’t seem to think much of cracking open a beer while driving their boats around, either. I guess they really are used to boating and being around the water, but still, it strikes me as a bit reckless.
