Venicewalks

By: Chas Carner, Alessandro Giannatasio

Narrated by: Maria Tucci

Length: 3 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Venice, with its mesmerizing system of narrow streets, bridges and canals, offers one of the most perfect walking environments in the world. Nearly 100,000 foreigners flock to the city each day, yet most never get beyond the bustling Piazza San Marco. Now, with Venicewalks Audio Guide, you can put on your earphones, keep your eyes on some of the most extraordinary art and architecture in existence, and listen while the history is explained and the scandal is revealed.

These four intimate walking tours can take as little as two hours or as long as a morning or afternoon, depending on whether you stop at shops, museums, or cafes which are pointed out along the way. You can also listen to the tapes before you leave to help you plan your day in Venice and they will be an enjoyable reminder for you when you return.

©1998 Sound Travel (P)1998 Sound Travel

I only wish there were more

Any additional comments?

I did two of the four walks and listened to the others just because I loved Maria Tucci's voice. These walks are EXTRAORDINARY. They're dense with information and following them was like going on a magical scavenger hunt.

As others have mentioned, these are old recordings so it would be nice if there was a track list with locations. But honestly, I didn't find them hard to follow at all. I didn't even have a map with me. I listened to them using my audible app on my phone and the "30 sec" rewind feature was VERY helpful since I had to back up a few times and pause frequently as I got from one location to the next. But I never got lost and I really enjoyed being able to move at my own pace.

There's also something a little poignant about the fact that the recordings are so old. None of the landmarks or monuments or churches have changed, but some of the restaurants or shops Maria points out along the way are long gone. That said, I felt like I was discovering secrets at every step—a madonetta on a street corner, a beautifully carved door with a mysterious eye at its center. Even in the busiest places like San Marco, I felt like the guides and experts were giving me a private tour. I absolutely adored these walks and I only wish there were more.

Enjoyable way to be guided through the city.

We thoroughly enjoyed being guided through the city with this guide. It was created for tapes and thus is not indexed and lacks the maps that should be downloadable, but the excellent spoken instructions and simple start point (all four walks start at the Piazza San Marco - very easy to find) allowed us to follow them easily. I even managed to start one in the middle with a little perserverance.

It would be much better if indexed and with maps so that one could pick a site and listen about that - skipping places that you don't want. However, the reader is engaging and the stories are interesting. Worth the inexpensive price.