10/09/2026
DAY 6 - VENEZIA
I FINALLY SLEPT THROUGH!
Apparently the secret to dealing with our pancake pillows is folding them in half.
I was eventually woken by the entire room flashing on and off. I got up to see what was going on and looked outside to discover the sky putting on the most incredible lightning show, thunder included!
So I scrolled for a little while and then Mum called. Rather than wake Greg, I went and sat on the bathroom floor and had a chat with her.
The glamorous side of international travel!
We had an early start today and were heading into Venezia by 7:30am.
One thing we quickly discovered is that Venice starts EARLY.
It was already super busy at 7:30am with commuters heading to work, school being back and everyone making their way into the city. It was a completely different story when we left around 9:30pm tonight, when everything was much quieter.
I decided the water ferry would be quicker.
Wrong!
About 14 stops later, we finally reached the San Marco area. It may not have been the quickest option, but seeing Venice and its beautiful buildings from the water made up for it.
Venice is built across around 118 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon, connected by more than 400 bridges and separated by hundreds of canals. It is such a unique city because the water isn’t just part of the scenery; it is part of the roads, the transport system and everyday life.
We arrived just in time to meet our tour group and our guide, Francesca, before boarding our boat.
First stop, Murano.
After around 30 minutes on the water, we arrived on this little island just north of Venice.
Murano has been famous for its glassmaking for centuries. In 1291, the Venetian Republic ordered Venice’s glass furnaces to be moved to Murano, partly because of the fire risk they posed to the densely packed wooden buildings of Venice. Over the centuries, Murano became internationally renowned for the skill and closely guarded techniques of its glassmakers.
We visited New Murano Glass and watched three glassmakers working together to create parts of a chandelier.
Unfortunately, there were no photos or videos allowed inside the glassworks because the pieces and designs are one of a kind and protected by copyright.
Watching them work was incredible. Everything happens so quickly, with each person knowing exactly what they need to do while the glass is still hot enough to shape. When you see the finished chandeliers in the showrooms afterwards, you have a completely different appreciation for the skill involved in making them.
We wandered through some of Murano’s streets before it was time to get back on the boat.
Another 30 minutes or so and we arrived at…
BURANO!
If Murano is about glass, Burano is all about COLOUR.
The island is famous for its rows of brightly coloured houses. One of the traditional stories is that fishermen painted their homes in vivid colours so they could recognise them when returning through the thick fog of the Venetian Lagoon.
Whatever the reason, it is absolutely gorgeous.
Burano is also famous for its centuries-old tradition of handmade lace.
Traditional Burano lace is incredibly detailed and labour intensive. Some of the traditional techniques involve seven different specialist lacemakers, with each woman completing a different stitch or stage before passing the piece to the next person.
To give you an idea of just how much work goes into it, I found that one handmade Burano lace butterfly measuring only 8 x 6 centimetres required around 240 HOURS of work!
Suddenly you understand why genuine handmade Burano lace is so valuable.
We hadn’t eaten breakfast, so we found a little cafe and grabbed something to eat before doing some more wandering.
And then, far too quickly, it was time to leave.
If I were doing this again, I would definitely allow longer on Burano.
Actually, I could probably say that about both Venice and Burano.
They are absolutely stunning and a photographer’s dream. Everywhere you look there is another doorway, canal, bridge, colourful building or little scene begging to be photographed.
Back onto the boat and we headed towards Venice.
The water was CHOPPY.
Thankfully I didn’t get seasick at all.
Meanwhile, Greg had apparently found himself a new job.
He started helping people on and off the boat and did it so naturally that the captain and some of the passengers seemed to think he was actually part of the crew!
I told him he needed to start asking for tips.
Once we arrived back in Venice, we could see the effects of the higher tide around Piazza San Marco.
St Mark’s Square is one of the lowest areas of Venice, so it is often one of the first places where acqua alta, or high water, becomes noticeable. Strong winds and low atmospheric pressure can also push additional water into the Venetian Lagoon and make high tides more noticeable.
When the water rises enough, elevated walkways can be used to help people move through flooded areas, although thankfully we didn’t need them today.
Next up was something you simply HAVE to do at least once when you come to Venice.
A gondola ride!
€130 for the two of us for around 30 minutes.
Expensive?
YES.
Were we still doing it?
ABSOLUTELY.
Our gondolier definitely had his work cut out for him today because of the wind, but he handled it perfectly.
And honestly, once you leave the busy areas and glide into those narrow little canals, you understand why people do it.
Suddenly the crowds disappear.
It becomes peaceful and quiet and you get to see Venice from the perspective it was designed to be seen from, the water.
We passed centuries-old buildings and travelled along waterways once used as the main streets of Venice.
We even passed near the house traditionally associated with Marco Polo and heard about Venice’s role in the historic spice trade. As one of Europe’s great maritime trading powers, Venice became incredibly wealthy through its connections between Europe and markets to the east.
After our gondola ride, we headed off to find some souvenirs.
Then Greg suddenly spotted someone in the crowd.
He thought he recognised her, called out her name…
AND SHE TURNED AROUND!
It was Dulmi and her parents!
We originally met Dulmi while working at Skyrings in Rockhampton and have been following their travels for years.
She had actually reached out to Greg a few days ago because she knew we were both travelling over here, but when we compared itineraries, it didn’t look like our paths were going to cross.
And then, in the middle of VENICE, we literally walked straight into each other!
So bloody cool.
We ALWAYS seem to find someone we know when we’re overseas.
What are the chances?
After saying goodbye, we found the little flat trinkets I wanted to take home for my souvenir frame.
Then we wandered back towards the Rialto Bridge and added our little “It’s On The List” sticker amongst all the others.
Had to be done!
By this point we were ready to sit down, so we found a bar, had a few drinks, caught up on our socials and started looking at tomorrow’s plans because the weather forecast isn’t looking particularly fun for motorbike riding.
Also…
VODKA LEMON.
I need to know how to make this when I get home.
And it is probably a good thing I can’t fit a bottle of limoncello on the motorbike, so I’m just hoping Dan Murphy’s can sort me out when we get back to Australia!
By late afternoon the temperature had dropped, the rain started again and the wind had picked up enough that I had to put my rain jacket on just to keep warm.
So we sought shelter in a bar.
Three drinks each later…
€75!!!!
SEVENTY-FIVE EURO FOR SIX DRINKS!
Glad we’re on holidays!
Eventually it was time to drag ourselves away because we had another tour booked.
At 5:45pm we found our guide, Marianna, who was taking us on an Eat Like a Venetian tour.
And OMG…
WE ATE.
Marianna was fantastic. Not only did she take us around eating and drinking, she gave us so many helpful tips and tricks and showed us a completely different side of Venice.
Instead of sticking to the crowded tourist areas, she took us into the heart of Venice, away from the masses and into the places where locals actually go.
We saw where Venetians shop for their fresh produce and discovered little local places that we probably would have walked straight past if we were exploring on our own.
This is the Venice I love.
Over the next three hours we worked our way through around five or six different courses, with drinks along the way.
Now, neither of us are wine drinkers.
But when in Venice…
We gave it a go!
The food was absolutely delicious and by the end of the tour we were SO FULL that we did something I never thought I would do.
We skipped the final gelato stop.
YES.
ME.
I SKIPPED GELATO.
I simply could not fit another thing in!
After saying goodbye to Marianna and our group, we started making our way back towards the bus.
And this is probably my biggest tip from today.
Get away from the busiest tourist areas.
Of course you have to see places like Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge, but wander away from them too. Turn down the little streets, cross the bridges, explore the quieter neighbourhoods and find the places where the locals actually live, shop and eat.
That was where we found some of our favourite parts of Venice.
By the time we left around 9:30pm, the crowds had thinned dramatically compared with what we had seen at 7:30am this morning.
We caught the bus home absolutely exhausted.
Yesterday we walked 11km.
Today…
14.4KM!
My poor feet.
It has been a BIG day, but what a beautiful place to spend it.
And I think the biggest thing I’m taking away from today is that Venice has completely redeemed itself for me.
When I visited 11 years ago, I didn’t leave with the greatest memories of this city.
This time has been completely different.
The canals, the architecture, Murano, colourful Burano, the gondola ride, the food, the quieter streets, accidentally running into friends from home and simply wandering around with my camera taking it all in.
New memories have officially replaced the old ones.
I LOVE Venice and Burano.
I would genuinely love to come back one day with no big itinerary, no rushing around and just spend days wandering these islands with my camera.
Tomorrow we are back on the motorbike, although the weather forecast isn’t looking particularly friendly.
But that is tomorrow’s problem.
For tonight, I am full, exhausted and very happy.
Venezia, you have officially won me back.
Day 6 done.
