Long Beach is now an official "Twin" with Venezia , Italy. This new relationship will allow us to begin to exchange culture, education and business.
So check it out all....... Long Beach is now an official friendship city to Venezia!, Italia! It took 31 years of traveling to the City and rowing its canals and lagoons and 10 years of red tape to make it happen. "I have rowed over 1,000 miles in that lagoon." Most likely an American record, ha ha. Last year at the Vogalonga, in the Venetian Mayors office on the Grand Canal, papers were presented
28/05/2022
American Gondola Racing Team Vogalonga 2022, organized by Michael OToole Welcome to the most unique rowing team in the United States! This will … Michael OToole needs your support for American Gondola Racing Team Vogalonga 2022
10/06/2019
Day 3, USA VOGALONGA 2019 - Gondola Getaway - Romantic, Entertaining Cruises in the Canals of Naples Island, Long Beach CA A little tour of the bridge of Sigh’s, a tutorial view of some gondoliers bracing a big breeze on the way out of skinny canal, and a vaporetto ride back home!
07/06/2019
DAY 2 VOGALONGA 2019 - Gondola Getaway - Romantic, Entertaining Cruises in the Canals of Naples Island, Long Beach CA Its registration day for the Vogalonga team sign up. Because of the amount of years, I have been doing this, I have some pretty old memories of this day.
06/06/2019
a chronicle of pics of the adventure so far
12/05/2019
The team is ready and training hard. Down to the final stretch of fundraising Check out this tasty way to help the team !
11/05/2017
An Oar & Paddle Regatta FESTA DELLA SENSA 2017 AN OAR & PADDLE REGATTA MAGGIO (MAY) 21ST, 2017 THE CELEBRATION OF THE MARRIAGE OF LONG BEACH TO THE SEA AND THE NEWLY FORMED RELATIONSHIP OF LONG BEACH WITH VENEZIA AND THE AQUATIC CAPITOL OF AMERICA. PARADE OF GONDOLAS AND OTHER HUMAN POWERED CRAFT IE. KAYAK, OC1, OUTRIGGERS...
09/05/2017
Our Marriage to the Sea Sensa & Vogalonga is less than 2 weeks away.
All oar & paddle vessels welcome!
Either/oar will do 😎
Otolini learns a new trick from Angelino in the art of Voga Veneta...
17/04/2017
Not that we just row and eat the whole week...
But another of our favorite lunch spots is the Trattoria alle Vignole, where the seafood risotto and cuttlefish are to Voga for!!!
17/04/2017
For training prior to the Vogalonga, we row to the outer islands for lunch...and this is one of favorites- Trattoria Serenella!
The quaint terrazza, the gregarious owner/greeter/chef, and the food: no menu, just whatever he chose to prepare that day.
17/04/2017
Preparing to participate in our 32nd Vogalonga in Venezia in 6 weeks...and we'll proudly represent Long Beach and the USA!
We are from the "Aquatics Capital of America", after all!
Team USA Vogalonga 1985-2014 For 29-years, the Gondola Getaway (Long Beach, CA) and Mike O'Toole have sent a team of American gondoliers (young and not-so-young) to Venice, Italy to row ...
So check it out all....... Long Beach is now an official friendship city to Venezia!, Italia! It took 31 years of traveling to the City and rowing its canals and lagoons and 10 years of red tape to make it happen. "I have rowed over 1,000 miles in that lagoon." Most likely an American record, ha ha. Last year at the Vogalonga, in the Venetian Mayors office on the Grand Canal, papers were presented.. We are starting to create exchange programs including Cultural, Educational, business and sport. Its ramping up quick and pretty exciting! Venezia is thrilled to share this relationship with Long Beach.
Our first Cultural/Sporting event is coming up on May 21st here in Long Beach. We are combining two events that we enjoy in Venezia. The Sensa, will be a ceremony on the bay of the Marriage of Long Beach to the Sea. We will annually recommit ourselves to our Waterfront through this ceremony and regatta! All boaters throughout the area are welcome to come out and be a part of the ceremony as spectators. At the moment that the 'Golden Marriage Ring' is thrown into the sea, All the Human powered craft including Gondolas, Outriggers, Kayaks, SUP, Dragon boats, Surf ski's, etc. will start an 8 mile paddle/row around Island Chaffee and Naples Islands. We will have a 3 mile short course also, so there are no excuses for anybody not to participate. Big Pasta party after at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club. We live on the edge of the the Grand Pacific Ocean. Lets celebrate it, commit to it and grab something that floats and participate! This should become one of the biggest Waterfront events on the Coast in the years to come. To see what we are replicating, google both the SENSA AND THE VOGALONGA in Venezia.
Applications can be filled out online at the race site listed on the event page or come down or call the Gondola Getaway and we will get you an app. 562-433-9595
Special thanks to the Venetians that have trained and hosted me in Venezia over the last 3 decades. They showed me where to find the heart and soul of Venezia that I have brought back to Long Beach.
Tiziano and Christina Cini, Lino and Erla Farnea, Bepi Fongher, Rosa Salva- Saverio Pastor and the familys and staff at Trattoria alla Rampa , Trattoria Serenella, Due Collone, Al Profeta and Trattoria alle Vignole!
Buon Viaggio!
Michael O'Toole