“Ciao, Bella.” Here he was again. The handbag-street-seller. As soon as the Venice police came into view, the bags were swept away, and Handbag-Man sashayed out of the square. But minutes later, he’d be back, talking to me.
“Do you live here?” Handbag-Man stood over me where I lounged on a bench built into the front of one of the many Venice churches.
I laughed, wondering if he was flattering me or if he was serious. He seemed serious. “No, I don’t.”
And then he was away, leaving me once again to my thoughts.
What characterizes the tourist versus the actual inhabitant of a famous city? What would cause this man who worked the squares of Venice to think I might be living there? Was it simple flattery or did I do something different than all my other fellow tourists?
So I watched. I observed the other pedestrians of the square, trying to guess whether they were tourist, inhabitant, or employee of the many places on the island.
Looks lost – Tourist
Clutching handbag or map – Tourist
Purposeful walk, eyes straight ahead – Inhabitant/Employee
Mouth agape, eyes wide, head turning this way and that – Tourist
Professionally dressed – Employee
Dressed for the club or sneaker-clad with t-shirt and shorts – Tourist
Relaxes without an urgency to see everything – Inhabitant
Snaps pictures as walking through streets – Tourist
These are a few things that I was able to pin down as possible characteristics of tourists versus inhabitants of a city. But of course, it is incomplete. Have you noticed things that tourists do that make them obviously tourists versus city inhabitants?
I’ve decided that the reason that Handbag-Man thought I might be living in Venice was because (1) he wanted to flatter me, (2) I wasn’t rushing around like other tourists, (3) my outfit was understated but nice, and (4) I don’t carry a backpack or map [very obviously anyway].
May you go forth and look less touristy whenever it suits you!
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