Paging Tom Yost - someone needs a bit of eddycating in Italy...

http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/travel/01journeys.html?8dpc

There's a nice story in the NYTimes by a fella who took his inflatable kayak to ply the canals. It's an okay boat - but Mr. Yosts would've been a step (or a flight!) up.