Do some people really think that Italy is warm all year round? Judging by the number of under-dressed visitors often spotted in the arrivals hall at Venice’s Marco Polo Airport in mid-winter, the answer is evidently yes. Northern Italy, and this includes the Veneto, can be extremely cold in winter.

Take my recent trip to Venice to participate in one of Walks of Italy’s tours of La Serenissima, which was to involve two hours in a boat on the Lagoon. Arriving by train with fellow blogger Tom Weber, The Palladian Traveler, in my down-filled coat, fur-lined boots, gloves and woollen hat I thought I was dressed warmly enough for an afternoon on the water. But no, sadly, the day was colder than even I, a resident of the Veneto, had imagined.

Before joining the tour, we took a relaxing stroll through the pleasantly uncrowded winter streets, stopping…