A wooden boat does what a gondola can't: it leaves the canals behind entirely and heads out onto the open lagoon, where the water has room to catch fire at dusk. You'll pass San Giorgio Maggiore reduced to a black cut-out against the orange and the domes of the Salute going pink, the city thinning to silhouette behind you. A glass of wine in hand, you've far more room than a gondola allows — enough to turn round and actually look. The light does the heavy lifting; the boat just gets you the best seat for it.



Namibrand, Namibia