St Marks Piazza, the Rialto Bridge, the Bridge of Sighs and the many other well known sights of Venice are gorgeous. Yet for me, gorgeous as they are, it is the smaller canals and the lesser known parts of Venice that bring me the greatest joy. Nothing much can beat sitting quietly alongside a tiny canal, where tourists seldom venture. I can spend hours in places like this, watching authentic Venetian life play out in front of my eyes.

The sounds, the beauty of the canals themselves, the play of light off them and the surrounding crumbling walls, it is all unforgettable. Sit an hour and the shifting sun paints a completely different picture; one canal can be a thousand different colors and hues within a day.