Something Light

The Walking Wonders

By Shelley Banks

We met our guide, Marco, in the heart of Venice, near the Doge’s Palace. He was cheerful, enthusiastic, and ensured us we were in for a good day. Our destinations were the islands of Burano and Murano, a short boat ride away from our meeting place.

We’d come well-prepared for the day’s adventure, making sure to wear sturdy walking shoes, don our hats, and carry water bottles. Marco noticed straight away and commented approvingly on our readiness for the walking ahead.

‘You Aussies don’t mind walking,’ he declared. ‘I’ve never had an Australian in any of my tour groups who wasn’t happy to explore on foot.’

A lot of tourists, Marco continued, especially the Americans who arrive in Venice on cruise ships, start to wilt after the third cobblestone alley or start grumbling when faced with yet another set of ancient stairs.

Directly behind us, there was a family from California, and to our left, a couple from Arizona, all of whom had arrived on a cruise ship. They heard what Marco said and didn’t seem too pleased about it.

Upon arriving in Burano, we headed off with Marco, who pointed out some of the main sites, and then we had time to ourselves. Off we went, happy to explore more of the winding lanes lined with colourful buildings. Before we got too far, we came across the family from California. They’d stopped in a café and were sitting down, drinking Cokes. A bit further on, we came across the couple from Arizona. They too were sitting down in a café. We were there to see as much as we could, not sit in the shade and wait for the departure time so we kept walking.

On our way back to our meeting place, we walked by both cafes, and the Americans were still sitting in the same spots.

The same thing happened in Murano. After our tour of a glass factory, we continued to wander, taking in as much as we could. The Americans chose to sit in the shade outside the factory and wait there until it was time to leave.

As we boarded the boat back to Venice, Marco turned to us.

‘I told you so.’

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